CBC Archives

Gather some current political cartoons.

Explain the terms Medicare and welfare state to the students. Discuss political parties and discuss which parties, based on their political position, might support a welfare state and which party might not.

Show students the political cartoons you have gathered. Ask students to interpret the message that the cartoonist is trying to convey. Be sure to discuss the elements of a political cartoon: caricatures, words, images, size, boldness of lines, and so on. Remind the students that the purpose of a political cartoon is to use visuals instead of words to convey a message about or a position on an issue.

Have the students listen to Clip #2, “Canadians ponder the Welfare State,” on the Medicare topic of the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Students should listen to the clip twice and take notes to identify the specifics of the conversation taking place between Bill and Frank.

In groups of two or three, students will create a political cartoon that explains and supports either Bill’s or Frank’s position on the welfare state. Both Bill and Frank use specific examples in their conversation that could lead to a strong image for a political cartoon.

Have students share their political cartoons. Encourage other students to ask questions and to explain the message they think is being shared. Students should also discuss messages that are unclear, identify why, and try to determine what changes could clarify the message. Post the cartoons in the classroom.

Assign small groups of students to investigate on political jurisdiction in Canada. Each group should search the Internet for a social-services based issue that affects its jurisdiction, and research how that element of social services has changed in the last 10 years. Students should create a report to share their findings.