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School Tour - Prepare for Your Visit

A mock Council Meeting is an exciting part of the school tour program. Students are given the opportunity to actively role play under the guidance of a member of City Council. Mock Council Meetings are a fun and interactive way for students to experience Municipal Government at work.

The following information has been developed to support your visit.

1.  Select an Issue to Debate

Choose an issue that the students can easily relate to or can observe in the community. In the past, classes have debated topics such as:

    1. Curfew Bylaw
      Topic Description: Should the City of Lethbridge have a curfew for anyone under the age of 16. 
       
    2. Banning Plastic Grocery Bags
      Topic Description: Should the City of Lethbridge prevent businesses from using plastic bags? 
       
    3. Bicycle Bylaw         
      Topic Description: Should the City of Lethbridge require a Bicycle Bylaw that requires a licence plate, training and rules for biking?

Discussing these topics ahead of time with your class will allow students to explore the topics before their mock Council Meeting.

2. Select students to play the following roles for your mock Council Meeting:

City Council Administration Public
1 – Mayor1 – City Clerk2 – Media Representatives
8 - Councillors1 – City Manager2-3 – Concerned Citizens
 1 – City Treasurer 
 1 – City Solicitor 
 5 – Department Directors 

As an exercise in democracy, you may wish to host a mock election before your class attends their mock Council Meeting. Elected positions include the Mayor and Councillors.

You may choose to appoint several students to act as representatives of municipal administration. These positions are meant to provide support and advice on the issue you will be debating at your mock Council Meeting.

Having these positions elected/appointed prior to your tour will free-up additional time for your mock Council Meeting. 

3. Review the mock Council Meeting Process form for a preview of the typical happenings in a mock Council Meeting.

  Download

 

4. Have students complete the Mock Council Prep Sheet – this will assist them in their research. Students can bring these to the mock Council Meeting for reference.

  Download