Students formulate and support a position as to whether Québec sovereignists' pursuit of self-determination was a form of nationalism.
Instructional Support
A number of possible tasks are provided in this suggested activity. It is not intended that you work through all of the tasks, but rather select those tasks and resources that will best meet the learning needs of your students. The focus should be on ensuring that students have the background and support to be successful with the skill that is the focus for assessment (state and support position).
Setting the Context for Learning
- Share with students the George Stroumboulopoulos clip where he defends his position on the metered Internet.
- Encourage students to note the strategies that he uses to persuade the audience to support his point of view.
State and Support Position
- As a class, discuss what makes support for a position strong (e.g., citing expert opinions, appealing to emotion). If you have already conducted this discussion with other summative assessment tasks, refer back to the list that students previously developed. Prompt students to consider if any changes are required, either because of experience or a different context.
- As students begin to work on the last part of the summative assessment task, state and support position, focus students on the following question: Was the Québec sovereignists' pursuit of self-determination a form of nationalism?
- Model for students the process of stating a position and selecting credible support for the position. Some students may benefit from a structured example such as the following:
The Québec sovereignists' pursuit of self-determination <was or was not> a form of nationalism because ____________________.
- Brainstorm with students the qualities that make up strong reasons and evidence to support a position. Students may suggest that the reasons and evidence are:
- focused on the topic
- supportive of the stated position
- convincing
- specific.
Formative Assessment
Throughout this suggested activity, you will support students in achieving the following skill that is the focus for assessment:
The following formative assessment opportunity is provided to help students unpack and develop the focus skill for assessment. Feedback prompts are also provided to help students enhance their demonstration of the focus skill for this activity. Formative assessment support is not intended to generate a grade or score.
Formative Assessment: Assessment for Learning Opportunity
State and Support Position
Involve students in peer coaching to provide and receive feedback about the quality of the reasons and evidence they provided to support their position. Use the feedback prompts below to provide structure in guiding students through this formative assessment opportunity.
Feedback Prompts:
In supporting my position, did I …
- provide enough evidence?
Have I provided enough evidence so that anyone reading my work will understand why I arrived at my position?
- provide convincing reasons and evidence?
Do my reasons and evidence provide specific and useful support to make my position convincing?
These feedback prompts have been incorporated into the State and Support Position: Peer Coaching Tool 
, which can be copied or adapted for student use. Samples of tools created for a similar skill within a different formative assessment context may be found in the Social Studies 20-4 Formative Assessment Summary 
.
Linking to the Summative Assessment Task
- As students state and support a position through the suggested activity Seeking Self-determination, they will have completed the Summative Assessment Task: Nationalism and Self-determination .
- Students should consult the assessment task and the assessment task rubric to ensure that they have provided the information required.
- Encourage students to use the feedback received during the formative assessment opportunity to make enhancements to their work in progress.
- If necessary, continue to use the feedback prompts from the formative assessment opportunity to coach students toward completion of a quality product.
- If student performance does not yet fall within the three levels described in the summative assessment task rubric, work with the student to formulate a plan to address the student's learning needs.
Suggested Supporting Resources
Textbook References
Student Basic Resource—McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Understanding Nationalism:
- Page 189 Québec and National Self-Determination
- Pages 343–344 Québec Sovereignty and National Unity
- Pages 185–190 What Are Some Effects on Canada of Pursuing National Self-Determination?Show more
- Pages 333–351 Should Canadian Unity Be Promoted?
Teaching Resource—McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Understanding Nationalism:
- Reproducible 2.5.6 Survey on Arctic Sovereignty
- Reproducible 2.5.7 In the National Interest
- Reproducible 2.5.9 Canada's National InterestsShow more
- Reproducible 2.8.4 Positive and Negative Consequences of the Pursuit of Self-Determination
- Reproducible 2.8.5 Pursuit of National Self-Determination in Canada
- Reproducible 2.8.6 Unintended Consequences of the Pursuit of Self-Determination
- Reproducible 4.15.4 How Some Aspects of the Federal System Affect National Unity
- Reproducible 4.15.5 Challenges to National Unity
Web Resources
Web Links for Online Sources:
1995 Québec Referendum
Videos:
Critical Challenges:
