Lesson Plan

Printable Version (PDF)

Title

Order of Precedence for B.C.: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Audience

Social Studies 11, Law 12

Background

While an Order of Precedence may seem archaic in contemporary society, the concept is still valid in formal occasions when some sort of order and organization is required for protocol reasons.

Objective

• communicate effectively in written and spoken language or other forms of expression, as appropriate to the social sciences;
• demonstrate the ability to think critically, including the ability to:
• define an issue or problem, and,
• develop hypotheses and supporting arguments;
• gather relevant information from appropriate sources;
• assess the reliability, currency, and objectivity of evidence;
• develop and express appropriate responses to issues or problems;
• reassess their responses to issues on the basis of new information;
• demonstrate skills associated with active citizenship, including the ability to:
• collaborate and consult with others,
• respect and promote respect for the contributions of other team members, and,
• interact confidently;
• assess the role of values, ethics, and beliefs in decision making;
• demonstrate appropriate research skills, including the ability to:
• develop pertinent questions about a topic, an issue, or a situation,
• collect original data, and,
• use a range of research tools and resources, and;
• compile and document task-specific information from a wide variety of print and electronic sources

Activities and Method

The Table of Precedence for British Columbia lists categories in their order of precedence as they apply to ceremonies and occasions of a provincial nature.

This activity invites students to consider the concept of precedence in relation to official functions (i.e., Who sits in front of whom? Who is introduced first?) Students are asked to prepare for a ceremonial banquet (e.g., Royal visits, Opening of the House, visiting dignitaries, 2010 Olympics). They will each be assigned to research and analyze an assigned role to determine the Order of Precedence for such official functions.

Day 1:

Introduce and discuss the concept of precedence and social hierarchy in an egalitarian society. Are there times when some are more equal than others? Each student is assigned a role/title typed on an index card and given research time to justify this person's status in order of precedence.

Day 2:

Students present at random what they have learned about their roles. "I am important because.." (The rest of class listens attentively and takes notes to help them justify ranking a full table.)

Day 3:

Students in pairs or triads do the ranking activity. In other words, they fill in the blanks from 1 to 17 and prepare a written justification for their choices. Finally, we share with the students the official ranking and discuss the differences.

Materials and Resources

1. Individual index cards with assigned roles (minimum 17)
2. One sheet with roles randomly listed with blanks for numbering
3. Table of Precedence for teacher plus one copy for each student for debriefing
4. Lined paper for note taking
5. The Table of Precedence attached as Appendix 1

Evaluation of Activity

The results of research in written and oral form. The written submission should be neatly written on back of the index card.

Written justifications for students' rankings. (N.B.: This is not based on precise ranking, but on students' ability to articulate and logically justify their ranking choices.)

Submitted By

Susan Fonseca, School District #35 (Langley)
Patrick Truelove, School District #37 (Delta)

NOTE: The ideas and opinions expressed in this classroom activity belong to their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Public Education and Outreach office only edits for clarity

Appendix – Handouts

Printable Version of Appendix 1 (PDF)

Appendix 1

Table of Precedence for British Columbia

1. The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (Notes 1 and 2)
2. The Premier of British Columbia (Note 3)
3. The Chief Justice of British Columbia (Note 4)
4. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
5. The Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia (Note 5)
6. The Leader of the Official Opposition of British Columbia (Note 6)
7. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
8. Church representatives of faith communities (Note 7)
9. The Justices of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia with precedence to be governed by the date of appointment
10. The Puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of British Columbia with precedence to be governed by the date of appointment
11. The Judges of the County Courts of British Columbia with precedence to be governed by the date of appointment
12. The Members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia with precedence to be governed by the date of their first election to the legislature (Subject to Note 6 andNote 8)
13. The Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia
14. The Commander Maritime Forces Pacific
15. The Heads of Consular Posts with jurisdiction in British Columbia with precedence to be governed by Article 16 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
16. The Mayor of Victoria
17. The Mayor of Vancouver
18. The Chancellors of the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria, and Simon Fraser University, respectively.

Notes

The Table of Precedence for British Columbia lists categories in their order of precedence as they apply to ceremonies and occasions of a provincial nature. At provincial functions where federal, foreign or diplomatic dignitaries are present, circumstances may dictate that provisions of the Table of Precedence of Canada or international rules of protocol be observed thus giving these dignitaries precedence over certain provincial categories. Similarly, circumstances may also dictate that precedence be given to host officials of lesser rank than dignitaries who may be present. When the date of appointment or election to office is the same, precedence within each category is determined by alphabetical order.

1. In the absence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia the Administrator of British Columbia assumes the role.
2. Former Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia take precedence after the Chief Justice of British Columbia. Precedence among former Lieutenant Governors is governed by the date of their Commissions.
3. Former Premiers of British Columbia take precedence after former Lieutenant Governors. Precedence among former Premiers is determined by the date of their accession to office.
4. Subject to Notes 2 and 3, Heads of Accredited Diplomatic Missions in Ottawa take precedence after the Chief Justice of British Columbia.
5. Members of the Executive Council take precedence from the Ministry for which they are responsible. Precedence of Ministries in British Columbia is determined by the date of origin of the Ministry.
6. Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada who reside in British Columbia take precedence after the Leader of the Official Opposition of British Columbia. Privy Councillors who are members of the Cabinet take precedence over those who are not members of the Cabinet by order of their first appointment to the Cabinet. Other Privy Councillors take precedence by order of their appointment to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.
7. Precedence among ecclesiastical dignitaries is to be governed by the date of their accession to their present office.
8. Members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia are followed in precedence by:
   1. Members of the Senate who represent British Columbia by order of their appointments; and
   2. Members of the House of Commons who represent British Columbia ridings by order of their first election to the House of Commons.

Note: Information received from the Protocol Office of British Columbia, December 1991.