Grade 8 · Social Studies · Unit 5 of 5
Governments & Laws
Who decides what, and how a law is put into action
What your child practises
The responsibilities of federal, provincial and municipal governments, who leads each, bylaws, acts and regulations, the role of courts, and how a law goes from an idea to being enforced and reviewed.
Saskatchewan Curriculum outcome: PA8.2, PA8.3 · power and authority in different decision-making processes, and the path of a law from first idea to putting it into action
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which level of government is mainly responsible? Tap an item, then tap its basket.
Sort into: 🍁 federal · 🏛️ provincial · 🏘️ municipal
- 🚗driver's licences
- 🛂passports
- 🏥running hospitals
- 💵Canada's money (currency)
- 🗑️garbage pickup
- 🌳local parks and playgrounds
🍁 federal: passports, Canada's money (currency) · 🏛️ provincial: driver's licences, running hospitals · 🏘️ municipal: garbage pickup, local parks and playgrounds
Hint: The federal government looks after things for the whole country, the province runs schools and health care, and the municipality looks after local services.
Question 2
What do courts do with laws?
⚖️- write new bills
- print money
- hold elections
- interpret them and decide how they apply to a case
interpret them and decide how they apply to a case
Hint: Judges decide what a law means in a real situation.
Question 3
Put the steps in order for how an idea becomes a provincial law that is put into action.
- 📄A bill is written and introduced in the legislature
- 📅The law comes into force
- 🔍Officials enforce the law and review how well it works
- 📣People notice a problem and call for change
- 🗳️MLAs debate the bill and vote on it
- 👑The Lieutenant Governor gives Royal Assent
People notice a problem and call for change → A bill is written and introduced in the legislature → MLAs debate the bill and vote on it → The Lieutenant Governor gives Royal Assent → The law comes into force → Officials enforce the law and review how well it works
Hint: A law starts with a problem people notice, becomes a bill, is passed and signed, and then is put into action and checked.
Question 4
A member of Saskatchewan's Legislative Assembly is called…
🧑💼- a mayor
- a senator
- an MLA
- an MP
an MLA
Hint: MLA stands for Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Question 5
Which is a strength of consensus decision making?
🤝- everyone's view is heard and the group supports the final choice
- nobody needs to talk
- it is always the fastest way
- only one person decides
everyone's view is heard and the group supports the final choice
Hint: Consensus can take longer, but people are more likely to support the result.
Question 6
Which of these is a responsibility of the federal government?
🍁- public schools
- local parks
- national defence
- garbage pickup
national defence
Hint: The federal government handles matters for the whole country.