Behind Canada's Immigration Policies

Suggested Activities

Students examine Canadian immigration policies by ranking the most significant influences on immigration policy and by assessing whether the economic, political, social and intellectual benefits have outweighed the costs since the end of the Second World War.

A. Rank the five most significant influences on Canadian immigration policy from the Second World War to present day.

Examine key periods in Canada's immigration policy
Identify a number of turning points or phases in Canadian immigration policy over the last 60 years or so, such as post-World War II, political refugees in the 1960s, economic refugees the 1980s, Asian immigration in the 1990s, present day immigration. You may wish to refer to the authorized student resources for background information.

Assign groups of students to one of these periods. Direct each group to research four aspects of immigration:

• historical context—identify the push-and-pull factors that contributed to large groups of people wishing to move to Canada
• immigration policies during the period
• domestic and international factors that gave rise to these policies
• domestic and international consequences—pros and cons—of immigration to Canada during this period.

Ask students to assess the validity of diverse viewpoints and credibility of sources used.

You may want to adapt components of Assessing Website Credibility (Modelling the Tools) to structure and assess this activity.

When exploring influences, ask students to consider five dimensions:

• economic
• political
• health
• security
• rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Rank influences on immigration policy
Ask each group to rank influences on Canadian immigration policy during the assigned period.

You may want to adapt the chart and assessment rubric in Ranking Options (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity.

Share findings with the class
Arrange for each group to explain to the rest of the class the context, the immigration policies during its assigned period and the ranking of the contributing influences.

Record each group's ranking on a wall chart. Ask students to use technology to create a simulation or model to represent their findings.

Invite students, individually or as a class, to offer an overall assessment of the three most significant impacts on Canadian immigration policy over the past 60 years.

Investigate the consequences of immigration
Ask each group to explain the domestic and international consequences, both pros and cons, of immigration to Canada during this period. Record each group's findings on a chart organized as follows:

Consequences of Immigration Chart

B. Prepare a cost-and-benefit analysis of the economic, political, social and intellectual consequences of immigration to Canada since the end of the Second World War.

Assess the overall effect of immigration
Invite students to undertake a cost-and-benefit analysis of immigration along five dimensions: economic, political, health, security and rights. Ask students, individually, to consider the assembled evidence on the domestic and international costs and benefits in each of these dimensions.

Ask students to select from four options when reaching their conclusion on the consequences for Canada for each dimension: benefited greatly, benefited marginally, suffered marginally or suffered greatly.

Four Corners discussion
Ask students to use the Four Corners strategy to discuss their conclusions on each of the five dimensions, one at a time.

Label the four corners of the room with these phrases: Benefited Greatly, Benefited Marginally, Suffered Marginally, Suffered Greatly. To begin, identify one of the five dimensions and ask students to recall their economic cost benefit analysis. Students then choose one of the four corners of the room according to their earlier conclusions.

After students have gathered in the four corners, suggest they do a Think–Pair–Share activity. Students may reflect on why they chose the corner they did and then share with a partner their reason for moving to that corner.

For more information about this strategy, see Four Corners Discussion (Support Material).

Remind students that effective participation in the discussion requires them to meet three criteria:

• base your conclusions on relevant and accurate information
• support your opinions with sound, clearly articulated arguments
• remain open-minded and ready to adjust your position in the face of convincing arguments or new evidence.

Hold the preliminary discussion for about 10 to 15 minutes. Ask students in the Benefited Greatly and Suffered Greatly corners to present their views. Next, invite students in the Benefited Marginally and Suffered Marginally corners to share their thoughts, including why they are not more strongly in agreement or disagreement. Encourage students to change corners if they hear convincing arguments.

After students in each of the corners have presented their arguments, ask all students to move to the centre of the room. Here they are to discuss the issue with someone who was not in their corner. After allowing three to five minutes for paired discussion, ask students to return to the corner that now best fits their views. Start the discussion again and continue until all students have had an opportunity to participate.

Self-assessment of student participation
Invite students to assess their performance in the discussion in light of the criteria listed above.

You may want to use the self-assessment rubric in U-shaped Discussion (Support Material) to structure this activity.