Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697721370654.pdf (Canada)
Exploring Parliament in 360° Level: Grades 8-12, QC Secondary II-V, CEGEP Time: 60-90 minutes Overview In this lesson, students will take a virtual tour of the iconic Centre Block building, the historical seat of Parliament, using the 360° video experience.

After their virtual visit, students will reflect on what they saw, heard and learned in order to deepen their understanding of the role of Parliament.

Inquiry Question Why is Parliament important?


Learning Outcomes Students will gain an appreciation for and an understanding of the role of Centre Block as the historical seat of federal decision-making in Canada.
Curriculum Links Students will be able to: • Explain the structure of Canada’s Parliament • Explain the role of the federal government in Canada • Describe the role of parliamentarians Competencies Students will: • Develop media literacy skills • Use new technologies appropriately • Develop critical thinking skills • Analyze media and explain how they produce meaning • Demonstrate decision-making and problem-solving skills • Demonstrate collaboration, consensus building and cooperation • Develop oral and written communication skills 1 Lesson 2b Materials & Setup • Exploring Parliament in 360° PowerPoint presentation • Computer and projector (optional) • Sticky notes or similar • Computers or mobile devices with internet access for viewing the 360° video experience • Headphones for students (recommended) • Observations in 360° worksheet Minds on (10 minutes) Step 1: Show students the image of Centre Block from the Exploring Parliament in 360° PowerPoint presentation (on-screen or using printouts).
If students completed Lesson 1, ask if they can remember the name of the building.

If not, introduce the building as Centre Block – the historical seat of Parliament.

Step 2: Distribute one sticky note to each student (you may also want to use cue cards and tape or other materials if sticky notes are not available).

Ask students to think about why Centre Block is an important building and what its significance may be.
Have them reflect on the prompt questions on the slide while contemplating their answer.

Step 3: After students write down their response, have them come up to the board one by one and post their sticky note to create a class collage.

If time allows, you may want students to read their answer aloud before posting it.

Step 4: Review the student responses and the main themes they showcase.

Themes may include: • Important decisions were made in this building; • Important people worked here (e.g.
Prime Ministers, Senators, Members of the House of Commons); • The architecture of the building makes it a significant landmark; • Canadians have been affected by decisions made in this building.

Step 5: Tell students they will learn more about Centre Block’s significance and its role in the lives of Canadians as they explore the building on a 360° video tour.

2 Lesson 2b Activity (30 minutes) Step 1: Show students the PowerPoint slide with the floorplan of Centre Block.
Note the spaces they will visit and the order in which they will see them during the experience.

Step 2: Distribute the Observations in 360° worksheet and assign each student one of space groupings below.

Ask them to pay special attention to their two assigned rooms and to take note of what they see, hear and learn.

Try to split students evenly between the different groupings.
1) Confederation Hall and Library of Parliament 2) House of Commons Foyer and Chamber 3) Senate Foyer and Chamber Step 3: Have students watch the 360° video experience.

There are three options for viewing the experience with your class.

You may also want to choose a hybrid between these options.

Please note all options require an internet connection.

1) Individual viewing: Have students use mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, or computers) to view the experience individually.
If they are using mobile phones or tablets, they can move the device to look around the 360° spaces.

Headphones are highly recommended.

2) Class viewing: Use a computer, projector and speakers to watch the experience as a class on a large screen.

Click and drag to move around the 360° spaces.

3) Mobile VR headset viewing: If students have a mobile phone and a cardboard or other mobile-based VR headset, ask them to open the video on their device and make it full screen.

In .
In .

Have them click on the the corner, they will see an icon for VR headset viewing like this one icon and place the phone in their mobile headset.

Headphones are recommended.

Step 4: After the experience finishes, ask students to fill out the first part of the worksheet, noting what they saw, heard and learned in their assigned spaces.

Consolidation (20 minutes) Step 1: Using the PowerPoint slide with the table as a guide, ask students to share their responses from part one of the worksheet.
Record their answers on the board for each space.

Step 2: Have students answer the questions in the worksheet, using their and their classmates’ observations for reference.

Assessment Step 3: Have students hand in their worksheets for assessment.

The answer key outlines possible responses, but students may have additional ideas.

3 Lesson 2b Online Teaching Tips • Minds on: Post the Centre Block image and prompt questions from the PowerPoint slide to an online discussion forum.
Have each student post one answer to the prompt image and questions.

You may want to post a final message reviewing the main themes or have a quick group chat to review the exercise.

• Activity: Assign each student one of the space groupings (Step 2) ahead of viewing the 360° video at home.

Ask students to fill out the first section of the worksheet.

• Consolidation: Create a class spreadsheet in Google Docs or a similar online collaboration tool, based on the PowerPoint slide with the table.
Ask students to contribute one point to the columns for their assigned spaces.

After all students have contributed to the table, have them complete the second part of the worksheet for assessment.

Enhancement • Have students choose another national legislature from around the world (e.g.

the United States Capitol, Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom, National People’s Congress in China, Duma in Russia, etc.)

and research it online.


Ask them to compare and contrast their chosen legislature with what they saw and learned about Centre Block during the 360° video experience.

They should reflect on the building’s history and architecture, as well as the country’s system of governance.

Additional Resources • Parliament of Canada Flickr albums • Parliament: An Overview • Parliament 360 video series 4 Lesson 2b