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Ask the following questions:

How has the patriation of the Constitution and the Charter of Rights changed Canadian government and society since 1982?

What ongoing constitutional issues remain to be resolved over two decades after the patriation of the Constitution?
Students can use their history and/or political science textbooks to help them respond to these questions.

Ask students to discuss the difficulties when groups with differing views negotiate to reach an agreement. Discuss terms such as conflict, mediator, and arbitration. Ask:

What was the conflict? Did everyone agree there was a conflict?

How did the leaders at Meech Lake try to get consensus?

Who was acting as a mediator?

Why is it hard to compromise? Why is it hard for a political leader to compromise?

What was the result of the failure of the participants to adopt the Meech Lake Accord in 1990?

Direct students to Constitutional Discord: Meech Lake on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site and have them browse the site to gather information about the points of view of the participants at Meech Lake. Divide the class into two or three groups and have each group choose several key figures in the Meech Lake debate. Groups will prepare statements for each figure in role, then discuss their points of view about Meech Lake in a round-table discussion with other key figures. Their role-play should show how different participants caused conflict or attempted to mediate.

Following the discussion, ask: Do the outcomes of the skits differ? How did the attitudes and willingness of the participants to compromise affect the outcomes? Lead a general discussion about conflict resolution.

Students can write a position paper based on the research they did in preparation for the skits, arguing either in favour of or against the Meech Lake Accord's adoption in 1990, and stating what positive or negative consequences they think would have developed from this.