The pursuit of equality

When we discuss what it means to live in a globalized world, and how all humans on Earth are interconnected, it can be hard to ignore the issue of inequality. Different levels of privilege in society means that some individuals or groups have access to rights and resources that others do not, and this is the source of many global inequalities.

Inequality exists everywhere, and it is often based on some of the following qualities:

• physical ability
• nationality or ethnic heritage
• language spoken
• level of education
• family status
• religion or spiritual belief
• gender identity
• political belief

It is natural to feel upset when learning about inequality and injustice around the world - both as it occurred in the past and continues to this day.

It is that upset feeling, however, that often motivates people to create meaningful change in society.

Explore the following flashcards to learn about four individuals in Canada committed to achieving meaningful changes in society to improve the state of equality.

Exploring advocacy through texts

In this learning activity, you will be exploring three different text forms as you examine the ways that different people have advocated for equal rights. As you explore these various individuals and text forms, your task is to collect research notes about both the text form and the information it is providing.

Use the following checklist to collect research notes.

Tips for collecting research notes

One component of collecting research and taking notes is to record information about the sources. This information will help you to write a bibliographyto give credit to the sources that provided you with the information.

A bibliography is a comprehensive list of sources (books, journals, websites, newspapers, interviews, and so on) that a person consulted, referenced, or cited when writing or producing a creation of work. It is typically included at the end or bottom of the creative piece of work and provides the reader with information about the sources used by the author, allowing them to locate and verify information presented in the work.

Complete the fillable and printable Research Organizer to collect notes in your notebook or using the following document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

Press the Activity button to access the Research Organizer.

Activity(Opens in a new tab)

Text 1: Memoir

Memoir – “It Stops Here: Standing Up for Our Lands, Our Water, and Our People” by Chief Rueben George

A memoir is a form of writing that focuses on the author’s personal experiences, memories, and reflections about a specific event or period in their life.

Author, Sundance Chief, and member of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation (TWN), Rueben George wrote a memoir in 2023 about his life of activism. After working as a family outreach counsellor for twenty years, George decided to commit his life to opposing the development of the Trans Mountain Pipeline on his community’s traditional territory. George is a well-known advocate for the equal land rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

As you read, consider the idea of “global citizenship” that you learned about in the Minds On section. How does Rueben George describe the work of making a difference in the world?

Let’s explore an excerpt from his memoir:

Chapter 6

We Will Take You with Us

My grandfather said that like the Thunderbird of old, our people would rise up and build ourselves into the proudest and strongest segment of society, and that’s exactly what’s happening. He said that our lands would be governed by our own people again, and that’s happening too.

Not long ago, there tended to be two types of people in Indigenous leadership: those who were cultural and spiritual leaders, and those who were well educated. What I see now is a new generation of Indigenous leaders who are cultural, spiritual, and also very well educated, and that’s significant. We all need the different skill sets within our communities if we want to build our communities up. Jewell James says, “Go get an education, then come back and I will decolonize you.”

Well that’s happening now too. People are getting educated and decolonizing themselves by learning the tools and teachings that have worked for our ancestors for millennia. That’s how we flip things. We can’t live exactly how we used to, but we still have to remember where we come from. We have to remember both the good things about where we came from and the hard times that we’ve lived through. We draw on all of this to find the fundamentals of our being; our law; our medicine wheel of truth, family, health, culture; and everything that encompasses the past, present, and future generations. That’s our way. That’s our teaching. That’s what Grandpa spoke of.

Previous Next

After reading the excerpt, check your comprehension in the following true or false activity.

Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.

Since beginning, Michael has now distributed thousands of healthy non-perishable snacks to kids in need and encourages donations to organizations that promote food equality. In addition, he has released a dessert cookbook and started a non-profit organization called “PLLATE”. His organization has a mission to create a “pay what you can” grocery store and provide food and gardening resources.

Pause and Reflect

Pause and reflect

How did Michael start and where is he now? Why do you think this is important? Where do you think he will take things next?

Press Possible Answer button to check your answer.

Possible Answer

Michael began by simply baking a few cupcakes to distribute to those in need, all from his own home. Eventually he was able to release his own cookbook. Lastly, he started a non-profit organization to help people afford groceries and provide them with food and gardening resources. This is important, because it demonstrates that one small act of kindness can grow into something bigger, contributing to a more just and inclusive world. Next, Michael might be able to open his grocery store to help ensure everyone has access to food.

Before you move on, be sure to check that you have completed all components of the research organizer.

Text 3: Cartoon

Did You Know?

Did you know?

An inference is a logical conclusion drawn from contextual clues (in the text or image) and background knowledge that you already have. An inference is a conclusion or prediction based on evidence, about something that is not explicitly stated.

In 2021, a subgroup of the United Nations dedicated to gender equality, known as UN Women, held a competition in which participants used cartoons to share their vision of equality.

Explore the cartoons in the following flashcards and record your inferences in a method of your choice. Once finished, press the flip button learn more about the cartoon and its creator. Use the arrow keys to navigate between cards.

Pause and Reflect

Pause and reflect

How can cartoons be a powerful tool for promoting equality?

Press the Possible Answer button to check your answer.

Possible Answer

Cartoons can be a powerful tool for promoting equality because of the ability for storytelling and opportunities for representing different ideas and people. Cartoons can bring awareness to social issues, challenge ideas, promote diversity and inclusion, and inspire others. Due to the artistic format, cartoons are often accessible to a diverse audience.

Previous Next

Now that you have explored all three sources and recorded your research notes, take a moment to compare your findings with the ones provided.

Press the Answer button to access the example answers.

Answer

Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning

You’ve just explored a variety of text forms. Take a break before continuing onto the next part!

Multi-syllabic words

Throughout this learning activity there have been several “multi-syllabic” words. A multi-syllabic word is a word that consists of more than one syllable. A syllable is a unit of sound that typically contains a vowel sound and is usually surrounded by consonant sounds. Sometimes a syllable will be a vowel sound on its own.

Explore the following words, how many syllables do they have? Record your ideas in a method of your choice.

• community
• activist
• cartoon

Press Answer button to check your answers.

Answer

Explore the following video entitled Multi-syllabic Word Strategies to learn more about how to sound out longer multi-syllabic words.

Using this strategy can help you to sound out longer, multi-syllabic words.

In this learning activity, you came across several multi-syllabic words. Listen to the audio recording of the words and try to spell them independently using the multi-syllabic word strategy that you just learned. You can record your ideas in your vocabulary notebook, personal dictionary, portfolio, or another method of your choice.

When you are finished, use the interactive matching activity to check the definition of each word and record it.

Equality vocabulary

Match the vocabulary term to the definition.

Verb tense

A verb tense is a grammar category that tells the time or state of an action. There are three main tenses:

• past – actions that happened previously
• present – actions happening now
• future – actions that will happen later

Explore the following visual of the 12 different verb tenses. You may consider recording the types of verb tenses in your notebook, or another method of your choice.

Description

A table with examples of sentences using different verb tenses. An example of Simple Past tense is "I advocated for equality." The suffix "ed" in the word "advocated" is highlighted. An example of Simple Present tense is "I advocate for equality." An example of Simple Future tense is "I will advocate for equality." The word "will" is highlighted. An example of Continuous Past tense is "I was advocating for equality." The word "was" and the suffix "ing" in the word "advocating" are highlighted. An example of Continuous Present tense is "I am advocating for equality." The word "am" is highlighted. An example of Continuous Future tense is "I will be advocating for equality." The words "will be" are highlighted. An example of Perfect Past tense is "I had advocated for equality." The word "had" and the suffix "ed" in the word "advocated" are highlighted. An example of Perfect Present tense is "I have advocated for equality." The word "have" is highlighted. An example of Perfect Future tense is "I will have advocated for equality." The words "will have" are highlighted. An example of Perfect Continuous Past tense is "I had been advocating for equality." The words "had been" are highlighted. An example of Perfect Continuous Present tense is "I have been advocating for equality." The words "have been" are highlighted. An example of Perfect Continuous Future tense is "I will have been advocating for equality." The words "will have been" are highlighted.

Try It

Try it

In a method of your choice, choose a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb) and write three sentences that demonstrate past, present, and future tense. Use the table to help you write your sentences.

Punctuation in dialogues

An important aspect of promoting equality, as well as an important grammar concept, is dialogue between people. In fictional writing, dialogue refers to “a conversation between two or more characters in a story, or by two actors in a play or film.”

There are a few rules to remember when adding dialogue to a story. Check out the following video to learn more.

Try It

Try it

Using the rules provided, fix any mistakes that are made in the dialogue below.

1. Hiro exclaimed be careful! “That street is very busy”.
2. “Did you want to go to the dance with me?, asked Jennifer”
3. The room was dark, shared Mohammad “, and I was scared to go inside.”
4. We needed a flashlight! “Exclaimed Lucas”

Press Answers button to learn more.

Answers

1. Hiro exclaimed, “Be careful! That street is very busy.”
   • All spoken words and punctuation need to be inside the quotation marks.
2. “Did you want to go to the dance with me?” asked Jennifer.
   • Closing quotation mark needs to be where the spoken words end, and a comma is not required when the dialogue ends with a question mark.
3. “The room was dark,” shared Mohammad, “and I was scared to go inside.”
4. “We needed a flashlight!” exclaimed Lucas.
   • All spoken words need to be in quotations and the comma falls after Mohammad, before the opening quotation mark.

Let’s Check!

In this learning activity you explored three different text forms as you learned about efforts to promote human rights. Each of these text forms has a unique purpose. Check your understanding of this in the following fill-in-the-blanks activity.

Choose the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.

Verb tense review

Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning

You’re doing great! It’s time for a short break!

Begin by checking your understanding of verb tenses by completing the following sorting activity. Sort the sentences into past, present, or future tense.

Place the cards into categories that best match. Use the arrow buttons to navigate between cards.

Now, using the sentences, identify them as simple, continuous, perfect, or perfect continuous in the multiple-choice activity.

Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.

Putting it all together

Consider the different equality movements and trailblazers we learned about earlier, as well as the different forms of texts that were explored today. Imagine you are creating one of those materials about an issue of your choice that highlights equality, human rights, or social justice, and why it is important for all citizens to stand up for equality.

You may wish to create something about an issue that you explored today, such as land rights, accessibility, or food quality. However, you may also choose another topic that you are passionate about.

Press the following tabs to explore your choices.

Begin by identifying your topic, purpose, and audience for the text you plan to create.

• Topic: What specific topic will you be focusing on?
• Purpose: What is the goal you want to achieve with your creation?
• Audience: What audience do you hope to share your creation with?

Use the following checklist to guide your creation.

Pause and Reflect

Pause and reflect

How does the form you chose for your creation suit the intended topic, purpose, and audience? What specific characteristics did you add to communicate your message effectively?

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

I feel...

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.