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Ask students to name some important political leaders in Canada today. Then ask them to name some of their favourite celebrities. Ask the class to describe the similarities and differences between those two categories of public figures. Ask them if they think it is possible that any current Canadian political figure could be seriously compared to a celebrity, and why or why not. Tell students that there was once a Canadian political leader who was thought of in this way, explain the term “Trudeaumania” to them, and tell them that they will be analyzing a variety of media clips to compare and contrast Trudeau to a celebrity.

Have students make a list of favourite music or film stars, or other celebrities. Then have them spend about 30 minutes on the Trudeaumania section of the Web site, paying special attention to the scenes where he interacts with people in public appearances. Ask them to make notes about similarities or differences between these images and any recent images they know that involve a celebrity or a politician. They can use the list of focus questions on Download Sheet X as they view.

Have students form groups to discuss their reactions to the video and audio clips, and the notes they have made on them. Each group should formulate a response to one of the focus questions on Download Sheet X.

Have students write a paragraph explaining which of their favourite celebrities they think should enter politics, and explain their choice.