Minds On

What does the government do?

What does the term "government" make you think of? What do you believe the government does?

Think about the different services and organizations in your community. For example, your school, the library, or a local park. Who do you think is in charge of each of these things? Who makes decisions that impact our communities?

A Librarian, holding books.

Brainstorm

Who’s in charge?

Begin by examining the following list:

  • education
  • playgrounds
  • health care and hospitals
  • buses and subways
  • roads
  • libraries
  • hotels and tourism
  • currency

Brainstorm who you think is in charge of or makes decisions about each item on this list. Record your thoughts on paper, on the computer, as an audio recording, on a mind map, or any other method of your choice.

Action

Levels of government in Canada

The Government of Canada is made up of three levels: municipal, provincial/territorial, and federal. Each level has different responsibilities within the country.

Map of Canada
This map provides an example of each level of government. The federal government encompasses all of Canada. Ontario’s government would be provincial, and Toronto, the city within the province of Ontario, is a municipal government. If we were examining one of the territories’ governments, it would be called a territorial government.

Press the name of each level of government in Canada and explore what they are responsible for.

This level of government oversees townships, cities, and municipalities. The members of municipal government include the mayor, city councilors, and school trustees. The municipal government operates out of City Hall. There are 444 Municipalities in Ontario.

This level of government is in charge of provinces and territories. The members of provincial government include the Premier (head of government), the Executive Council (main body), and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). The Ontario provincial government operates out of Queen’s Park.

This level of government oversees all of Canada. The members of the federal government include the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament (MPs), and Cabinet Ministers.

Fill in the Blanks

Each level of government in Canada has their own specific location from which they conduct their work.

Student Tips

City, province, or country?

Reflect on the roles of each level of government and what aspects they oversee. Remember, these could a city, a province, or the whole country.

Explore the following fill in the blank questions and decide which level of Canadian government you would find at each location. For each sentence, select either municipal, provincial/territorial, or federal from the drop-down menu.

Government leaders

Explore various online resources and determine who the leaders are of the different levels of government in Canada.

Record your ideas in the Levels of Government Organizer using the following fillable and printable document. You can also complete this activity in your notebook or using a method of your choice.

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Levels of Government Organizer.

Activity (Open PDF in a new window)

The responsibilities of governments

Consider the following questions:

Why are different levels of government important? What roles do the different levels of government have?

Let’s explore some of the responsibilities each level of government has.

Examine the following lists of responsibilities for each level of government in the Government Responsibilities Chart.

Record your ideas in the Levels of Government Organizer using the following fillable and printable document. You can also complete this activity in your notebook or using a method of your choice.

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Government Responsibilities Chart.

Activity (Open PDF in a new window)

Now, choose five responsibilities from each column in the Government Responsibilities Chart document. You will sort these responsibilities by identifying which responsibilities belong to a specific level of government, and which ones are shared (e.g., healthcare, roads, taxes etc.).

Use the following fillable and printable document Government Responsibilities Venn Diagram to organize your choices. You can also complete this activity in your notebook or using a method of your choice.

Document Title 1

Press the Government Responsibilities Venn Diagram button to access the Government Responsibilities Venn Diagram.

Activity(Opens in a new tab)

Consolidation

How governments can create positive change

Choose one of the following videos or select another article or video of your choice to explore. Determine which level of government(s) is responsible for creating positive change. You can return to the chart in the Action section to help you.

Complete the following fillable and printable Positive Change Chart. You can also complete this activity in your notebook or using a method of your choice.

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Positive Change Chart. 

Activity (Open PDF in a new window)

Review questions

Reflect on the following questions and record your ideas using a method of your choice.

  • Why are there various levels of government in Canada?
  • Why do the levels of government have their own responsibilities and shared responsibilities?
  • Why do both the provincial and federal government focus on the environment or natural resources?

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.