Day 2. “The two Chambers of Canadian Parliament. Speech from the Throne”

1. Discussion/warm up

1. What are the names of the 2 Chambers of Parliament?

2. Who is the official head of state in Canada? 

3. What is the Speech from the Throne? When is it given? What happens after the Speech?  Did you have a chance to watch it?

4. What is the name of Governor General of Canada and what is his role? 

5. Who is Canada’s Prime Minister? Which political party does he belong to? 

6. Have you ever been inside one of the Chambers?

2. Speech from the Throne

Let’s check our knowledge about the Speech from the Throne! Follow the link à http://www.speech.gc.ca/eng/frequently-asked-questions-faq

Split into groups and read Q 1, Q 2, Q 3, Q 7,Q 10 and Q 11.  Do not use dictionaries and try to understand the main idea. Chose the representative from your group to answer these questions using your own words (paraphrasing)

Click on Q8 to get the full text of the last Speech J

3. Parliament Chambers

Introducing the new vocabulary:

Chamber- one of the two parts of a parliament

Speech from the Throne- the Speech from the Throne officially opens every new session of Parliament

Legislative process- the legislative process is a series of steps that a legislative body takes to evaluate, amend, and vote on proposed legislation; the legislative process is the sequence of steps required for laws to move through the system, from ideas to formally adopted legislation

a consort- a wife or husband of a ruler

a Dominion- a country belonging to the British Empire or commonwealth

Coats of arms- is a unique heraldic design. Coat of arms was used by medieval knights to cover, protect, and identify the wearer.

1.

carpeting- carpets in general, or the material used for making them

upholstery- material used to cover chairs

to abound with sth- to contain a very large number of sth

heritage- the traditional beliefs, values, customs etc of a family, country, or society

assent- approval or agreement from someone who has authority

to be of the particular note- to deserve attention

magnificent- very good or beautiful, and very impressive

to adorn- to decorate something

a sacrifice- when you decide not to have something valuable, in order to get something that is more important; the act of dying while you are fighting for a principle or in order to help other people

to appoint- to choose someone for a position or a job.

to appoint somebody to something (He's been appointed to the State Supreme Court).

devoted- giving someone or something a lot of love and attention; dealing with, containing, or being used for only one thing

to debate- to discuss a subject formally when you are trying to make a decision or find a solution

a bill- a written proposal for a new law, which is brought to a parliament so that it can be discussed

extensive- containing or dealing with a lot of information and details

a committee- a group of people chosen to do a particular job, make decisions etc

an issue- a subject or problem that is often discussed or argued about, especially a social or political matter that affects the interests of a lot of people

a witness- someone who sees a crime or an accident and can describe what happened

to approve (to approve the bill)- to officially accept a plan, proposal etc; to think that someone or something is good, right, or suitable

to contribute- to give money, help, ideas etc to something

a destiny- the things that will happen to someone in the future, especially those that cannot be changed or controlled

2.

to reflect- if a person or a thing is reflected in a mirror, glass, or water, you can see an image of the person or thing on the surface of the mirror, glass, or water; to show or be a sign of a particular situation or feeling

a carving (carved)- an object or pattern made by cutting a shape in wood or stone for decoration

a panel- a flat piece of wood, glass etc with straight sides, which forms part of a door, wall, fence 

a documentary- a film or television or a radio programme that gives detailed information about a particular subject

fabric (Canada's social, economic and political fabric)- the fabric of a society is its basic structure, way of life, relationships, and traditions

to extend- to continue for a longer period of time, or to make something last longer

to contain- if something such as a bag, box, or place contains something, that thing is inside it

Watch the videos:

The Senate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLadbJe4MXg&list=PLF_YRVnBKD-wCdMQwp3ZOjhPAuSKJMnpB

The House of Commons Foyer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atv027jtFPI&list=PLF_YRVnBKD-wCdMQwp3ZOjhPAuSKJMnpB

Transcripts:

1. The Senate

In the Senate Chamber, at the east end of the Centre Block, red carpeting and upholstery and a ceiling of gold leaf decorate the place where our Head of State meets Parliament. The Senate Chamber abounds with artistic expressions of Canada's history and heritage. These works of art serve to remind Senators of the people and country they serve. Of particular note are the eight magnificent paintings that adorn the Senate's walls; they commemorate the sacrifice made by Canadians during World War I and Canada's evolution towards full independence. The Senate has 105 members. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister to represent regions, provinces or territories. Part of their time is devoted to debating and voting on bills in the Chamber. Senators also do extensive work in committees studying bills and other important issues and hearing from witnesses. The Speaker of the Senate sits on a raised platform at the front of the Chamber. Directly behind the Speaker’s chair are the thrones for the monarch or the Governor General and his or her consort.

These are used during the Speech from the Throne which takes place at the beginning of each new session of Parliament and in Royal assent ceremonies. Royal assent is the final step of the legislative process when the Crown formally approves bills that have been passed by both the Senate and the House of Commons. Visitors are welcome to attend the sittings of the Senate when it is in session in the public galleries located at each end of the Chamber. Together Senators and Members of Parliament play an active role in the legislative process contributing their ideas and energy to create our laws. For more then 140 years Parliamentarians have participated in the development of our democracy and shaped Canada’s destiny.

2. The House of Commons Foyer

In the House of Commons Foyer the history and traditions of the Canadian people are reflected in the stone carvings that line the walls.
Ten panels make up the monumental History of Canada sculpture series, each with one centre stone and two side stones. Here, Dominion Sculptor Eleanor Milne created a living documentary of Canada's social, economic and political fabric that extends over 25,000 years. The glass panels in the ceiling contain the French “fleur de lis”, the English rose and the grouping of three maple leaves that symbolizes Canada.

Carved around the centre door are the Canadian and provincial coats of arms that were used around 1919-1920 when the building was constructed. 

4. Comprehension exercises:

 Answer the following questions:

1.     What elements decorate the Senate Chamber?

2.     What is the main mission/task of every senator?

3.     How many paintings decorate the Senate’s walls?

4.     How many members are there in the Senate?

5.     Who appoints the Senators?

6.     What kind of work do the Senators do? What is their daily routine?

7.     What is the name of the final step in the legislative process?