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While the Government of Canada has significantly changed the voting process through the years, electoral reform remains an issue. This evolving process is gaining momentum particularly as voter turnout continues to decline and interest in proportional representation increases. Many believe that the need exists to rekindle public interest in participating in elections.

Prepare the class to participate in a web quest whereby they will use a variety of Web-based resources to research electoral reform. Students will create a written report that they will present visually, using presentation software, a brochure, or poster. Their research should contain information about voter turnout and proportional representation. Each group will include a summary statement that answers this question: What change do you think will positively impact the voting process in Canada? Why?

Have students present to the class and display their visuals. They should be ready to answer questions and indicate their view of what they have learned through their web quest. Students should reflect, analyze, and evaluate their own thinking and problem-solving processes relative to the issues in electoral reform. Conclude with a class discussion on the topic of electoral reform.

As an extension, students can choose a recent election and review related newspaper articles and other resources. Was there evidence of support for electoral reform? How was it expressed?