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The year is 1867. You will be the first members of parliament ever in Canada! Each individual will be placed in a group of ten students, or a political party. In order to start your party, you will have to select a party platform, party caucus, and a party name. Your teacher will give each party a position on the political spectrum, then your party will then use their platform to form legislation which can be used make the laws for this country. Each person will create their own department, such as finance or defense, and be asked to research their portfolio. You should create a portfolio from scratch. When you collaborate your information, your party will meet and decide what you need to enforce your legislation. Remember, this is a new country and you have no budgets in place, no law, not even a capital city. When your party decides on these aspects, you must find a way to convince the other parties that your legislation is better. You must, however, use the history prior to 1867 in order form your legislation. For example, refer to the 1837 Rebellions. How has this event influenced your party? The capital of Canada does not have to be Ottawa. You could pick Moncton! You must justify why you choose here, for example, over other places.
Once your party has its platform, you will present them in a parliamentary atmosphere, with each party member presenting their portfolio.
At the end of the exercises, you will be considered pioneers in the formulation of your country and the laws in which we abide by!

*     First, you must actually decide upon a party name and platform. You must visit the site: www.altstuff.com/federal.htm. There, you must find the party platform for at least three political parties that fall in your spectrum, and create a small introductory essay based upon these three platforms, making sure that you include where the party originated, what is their stand on current legislation, and who the key members of the party are, with a brief biography of each. You will then try and formulate your own platform, based upon the information you have researched. This will also be included with your introduction essay.
*      Next, you will take a position within your party by adapting a portfolio, either of your choice or of previous history. Visit the site http://canada.gc.ca/howgoc/cab/ministry_e.html, and try and create a cabinet position based upon the information that you have looked at. Make sure that no one else in your party has chosen the same stance as you. You will have to research your portfolio, and describe how your cabinet position came about, or how it originated. What are the important issues that fall in your jurisdiction during this time period? Why is your portfolio important? You will have to create a second essay that describes all the details of your portfolio.
*     Now that you have a party, a platform, a portfolio, and a party name, you must start to compile your information, and try and put it into law. Your party should have numerous legislation that they want to put into place. You will have to visit: and find out how a bill becomes a law. This will be very time demanding and require a lot of team work and cooperation. Your party will have to introduce your legislation in a power point presentation, and present your party platform as a whole to the other parties. To learn more about power point, visit: http://einstein.cs.uri.edu/tutorials/ csc101/powerpoint/ppt.html Give each person a task. Each person from your party will be required to create a page for the legislation. For example, you may decide to bring in legisation that would legalize marijuana in thi country. On that slide you will include the title of the legislation, the details of your legislation, and the way that you would enforce this rule. See the example at: Then your party will collaborate your information into one show, and present it.
*     Now the fun part; the voting process. Now that all of the new legislation has been put into place, your teacher will hand out voting cards, containing all of the legislation which each party has proposed. You, as a member representing your citizens, vote accordingly to which legislation you think should be put into place. You may decide that you want everything put into place, or you could decide upon one or two pieces. Remember, this legislation will go towards the formulation of a document which will be considered the constitution for your country.
*     Once the votes are in, each person must create their own constitution based upon the legislation passed by the majority of the members. Visit: www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/ English/ca_1867.html to see our actual constitution in place right now, so that you can use it as reference. You must type them out and display them in an orderly manner. You are encouraged to use color, symbols or pictures.