1. Grade 9 Government Simulation
Creating a Law for our School

2. Preliminary Work
Divide yourselves into groups of no more than 5 and try to group yourself with people who have similar values to you.
You have now formed a political party. Step 1 of this simulation involves creating some specifics for your party. In your group you need to come up with:
The Name of your Party
A Party Logo & Primary Color (Ex: Conservatives are Blue, NDP are Orange)
Choose a Party Leader

3. Brainstorm a New “Law” for our Class/School
Now that you have a Party Name, Logo and Leader, it is time to get to work!
In your group brainstorm possible changes you would like to see made to this class or school (ex: bring back awards, every Friday Social class is a free period, etc) that will ultimately make the school or class a better place.
After you have brainstormed a few things, choose one topic to focus on and create a “Bill” outlining what that rule would look like in effect
Be specific in details! Will it cost money to implement? How will you address possible issues/problems with this new rule, etc

4. TURNING A BILL INTO A LAW
Turning a bill into a law is a long process that looks something like this:

5. TURNING A BILL INTO A LAW
So, in a TLDR version of that photo, a bill must go through the following proccess, first in the H.O.C, then in the Senate:
First Reading
Second Reading
Committee Stage
Report Stage
Third Reading
After it has made it through those stages in both the H.O.C & Senate, it goes to Royal Assent for approval.
Your bills will go through this process over the next few classes.

6. FIRST READING!

7. Step 1: The First Reading
Each Political Party's leader will present their Bills to the H.O.C (the class). We will outline (Ms. Wells will type up) what that bill would look like in action, etc and willl give each bill a name.
Ex: Bill 9A-1, 9A-2, etc
Afterwards, each political party will receive a copy of these bills as we move forward into the rest of the Bill to Law Proccess!

8. SECOND READING

9. Step 2: Second Reading
In this part of the law making process, Bills are debated about in the HOC/Senate about whether or not it should become law. Specific issues to address with regards to the bills are:
Is it the best version it can be? How will it help improve the school/class? Etc
It is the responsibility of the Party that proposed the bill to defend it and ease other party’s concerns
It is the responsibility of other Party’s to challenge the bill and make sure that the bill is a good one
After this debate, the HOC will vote on the bill. They will vote to either:
Reject the Bill
Move it forward to the next stage

10. COMMITTEE STAGE

11. Step 3: Committee Stage
The committee stage involves putting together a Committee (group) of MPs or Senators to meet with various people (citizens, experts, etc) to determine if the bill is good or what type of changes it needs
Ex: A Bill addressing First Nations reserves would need consultation from First Nations cheifs
So, for this stage, you will come up with a series of survey questions to ask fellow students, teachers, administrators, etc. about your bill
Questions to ask should be things like: Do you think we need this rule for our school? What problems do you think this can cause? What changes would you like to see? How would you address these problems? etc.

12. Step 3: Committee Stage
After you’ve completed your questions, you will go around the school getting people's answers to your questions.
Be sure to track and compile the opinions/answers you receive, as you will need to report on them in the next stage

13. REPORT STAGE

14. Step 4: Report Stage
Now that you have concluded your research from the Committee stage, this stage involves:
Presenting your findings and suggested changes (amendments)to the bill to the HOC/Senate.
Debating whether to add those changes to the Bill or not
Then voting on whether to add the changes or not.

15. THIRD READING

16. Step 5: The Third Reading
Now that you have chosen to add (or not) some changes to your original bill, it is time for the final reading. This is the last chance for those for and against the bill to explain why the bill should or should not become law.
At the end of this final debate, the entire HOC/Senate will vote on whether to take the bill to the final stage - The Royal Assesnt

17. ROYAL ASSENT

18. Step 6: Royal Assent
Now that the HOC/Senate has approved the Bill and believe it is ready to become a law, it is now usually a formality that the Governor General (acting on behalf of the Queen) give the final Royal Assent and make the Bill official Law in Canada!
But, the Governor General can still reject the bill if he/she so pleases
What will Ms. Wells/Admin do for your Bill??