Mapping Electoral Districts

Description

This activity can be used in a geography, world issues, social studies, civics or citizenship course to explore the concept of fairness in determining federal electoral boundaries. To view a list of courses associated with this learning resource, please visit our Curriculum Connections page.

In this activity, students consider the concept of fairness—first in a familiar context, then in the context of federal elections. Students will map electoral boundaries of an imaginary country, with the goal of making the electoral districts as fair as possible. They will interpret maps and analyze facts on population and geographical landforms to make their decisions. They will explain the rationale for their decision making, considering the distinction between equality and equity. Finally, they will watch a video to learn about the real process for determining federal electoral districts in Canada.

Time needed

60 minutes

Big ideas

1. People vote for someone to represent them in a particular electoral district.
2. Elections are land-based. Both human and physical geography are carefully considered in creating fair electoral districts.

Inquiry question

What makes an electoral district fair?

• Students will work collaboratively to manage information and think critically in analyzing, interpreting and making reasoned judgments in order to map electoral district boundaries.
• Students will apply numeracy skills to determine population numbers within electoral boundaries.
• Students will use geospatial literacy skills to demonstrate understanding of both the physical and human geographic factors unique to each electoral district.
• Students will analyze geographic factors of regional significance when determining electoral district boundaries.
• Students will apply citizenship skills by considering issues of fairness and equity in the process of creating electoral boundaries.
• Students will communicate their thinking in small groups, and their conclusions in whole-class discussions and through personal reflection, to become self-aware of any changes to their thinking since the start of the activity.

Materials

The following materials are provided in different formats to help meet your needs. You can also find all essential materials for this lesson at the bottom of the page.

Keep in mind: The maps in your kit are to be used only with dry erase markers. Avoid using a pen or permanent marker, as it will damage the maps. Additional maps are available to download, print and assemble below.

Printable materials

• Main Map [HTML]  [PDF]
• Reference maps:
  • Language Communities [HTML]  [PDF]
  • Shared History [HTML]  [PDF]
• Teacher fact sheet [HTML]  [PDF]
• Instructions for students [HTML]  [PDF]
• Exit card [HTML]  [PDF]
• Helpful vocabulary [HTML]  [PDF]
• Optional assessment rubric [HTML]  [PDF]

Digital materials

• Interview with an Elections Canada Geographer video [Link to Youtube]  [Transcript]
• Slide deck for teachers [HTML]  [PPT]

Materials not included

• Calculator
• Dry erase markers

5 minutes

Ask students to imagine they are at a family party to celebrate a grandparent’s birthday. There are seven people at the party:

• One grandparent
• Two adults
• Three teenagers
• One 3-year-old

Everyone wants a piece of birthday cake. With a partner, discuss and draw how you would divide the cake so that everyone gets their fair share. Should everyone get the same-sized piece, or should it be divided based on each person’s age, size or other factors?

Discuss the difference between equality and equity.

Introduce the inquiry question: What makes an electoral district fair?

Adaptation: For younger students or language learners, we recommend that you distribute the materials at the beginning of the lesson, pre-teach the relevant vocabulary and use the blank side of the Main Map to draw the cake. The use of manipulative materials is also encouraged.

30 minutes

1. Getting started

Begin by explaining that Canada is divided into hundreds of electoral districts, or ridings. In each district, voters elect one member of Parliament to represent the voice and interests of everyone who lives there. To reflect changes in the Canadian population, the number of electoral districts is adjusted every 10 years.

When deciding the boundaries of an electoral district, several factors are considered, including:

• The size of the population
• Geographic factors
• Social factors, such as culture and language

The most important factor is making sure that the number of people represented is as equal as possible, so that every vote counts the same.

Explain that students will need to consider these factors in their next task: drawing electoral boundaries for an imaginary country. This country has some similar characteristics to Canada, including a parliamentary system of government.

Divide students into groups of three to five. Give each group:

• One Main Map
• Two reference maps:
  • Language Communities
  • Shared History
• One Instructions for students handout
• Dry erase markers

Together, review the Main Map and its legend. Observe the various physical and human geographical elements, such as mountains, bodies of water, roads, ferries and population density. Take a moment to make some quick comparisons to the students’ own space: “Our town is surrounded by mountains, too,” or “We live in an urban area with a high population density like this.” Then explain the purpose of both reference maps. Ask students to identify similarities and differences.

Adaptation: For younger students or language learners, we recommend that you spend more time reviewing the geographic factors shown on the map and use only one reference map to simplify the activity.

2. Mapping an imaginary country

Explain that students will apply the concept of fairness to map electoral boundaries of their imaginary country.

They begin by naming their country. Then they must divide the entire area of the imaginary country into eight electoral districts that are as fair as possible, and draw the boundaries on the Main Map. The total surface area of the imaginary country must be included within electoral boundaries.

Teacher tip: Sometimes students draw circles only around the areas with population markers. Remind them that people also live in the areas where there are no population markers, even though those areas seem empty. This is a great learning opportunity to help students understand how maps use symbols to represent reality. Where they draw the electoral boundaries can tell you a lot about their geographic thinking.

On the Main Map, one electoral district has been included as an example. Students can use its boundaries as a starting point, then divide up the rest of their country into seven additional electoral districts, for a total of eight.

Students should aim to have a similar number of people in each electoral district. They should also consider the shared history and language communities of the population when deciding on boundaries. Guidelines are provided in the Instructions for students handout.

If students are having difficulty limiting their electoral districts to eight, they may create more, but must provide a justification of why this is required.

25 minutes

1. Gallery walk

There are no right or wrong answers in this activity, and every group’s map will look different. To consolidate their learning, have students participate in a gallery walk. A gallery walk is a learning strategy that involves an informal walk around the classroom. It can provide opportunities for students to talk to each other about the material in a less structured way, and allows them to reflect on their own learning. This will give them an opportunity to explain their decisions and to compare the similarities and differences of their maps.

For the gallery walk, choose a format that works for your class. We suggest that you display each of the Main Maps in the classroom and divide each group into two subgroups. One subgroup stays with their map to explain their decision making in drawing their boundaries, and the other visits the maps of the other groups. Halfway through, have the subgroups switch.

Finally, have the groups reconvene to share their observations and consider any changes they would make to their maps, in the context of equity. Lead a discussion about the differences and similarities that can be observed in the maps and the reasons behind them.

Adaptation: For younger students or language learners, instead of a gallery walk, we recommend having each group present their maps to the class.

2. Video

Play the video Interview with an Elections Canada Geographer, which explains the real process of mapping federal electoral boundaries in Canada.

After students watch the video, have them to return to the inquiry question: What makes an electoral district fair?

Distribute an Exit card to each student and ask them to reflect on their learning.

Teacher tip: Exit cards require students to write responses to prompts or questions based on the lesson. The cards provide immediate feedback to help you assess students’ understanding of content, to gather feedback for your teaching and to see what questions students are asking to suggest new areas of learning. For students, exit cards provide a reflective space to consolidate and reflect on their learning and practice and to enhance their metacognition.

1. Have students create a name for each of the electoral districts by referring to the information or geographic factors included on the maps, especially the Language Communities Map and the Shared History Map.
2. For students who finish early, suggest more scenarios for them to consider. For example:
   • The population is unhappy with a boundary you’ve drawn. They say that it divides their language community or shared history. Redraw the boundaries to better reflect their needs.
   • The country’s constitution guarantees that the main island on the map remains its own electoral district, no matter the population. Redraw the boundaries.
3. Look up the most recent redistribution of federal electoral districts. Find your community’s electoral district and ask your students if or how the boundaries changed. Suggest possible reasons why they did or did not change. Have students consider these real-world electoral boundaries in terms of the physical and human geographic factors. If a redistribution is taking place, consider proposing that your students participate in the public hearings.

4. During the individual reflection, students decide which factor is most important in making electoral districts fair. Then, ask them to reflect on their choice from a historical perspective:

   • In your opinion, was this factor important in the past?
   • Has its importance changed over time?
   • Will it remain the most significant factor in the future?

   Encourage students to support their reflection based on historical examples, technological developments and projections about how society might change in the future.