# Nationalism: Identity, Nation, and National Interest This worksheet supports Related Issue 1 of Social Studies 20-1, which asks to what extent nation should be the foundation of identity ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24614)), and touches on Related Issue 2's question about the pursuit of national interest ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24626)). You will define key terms, distinguish related concepts, and explain your reasoning using examples from course content. ## Exercises **1. Matching: Types and Dimensions of Nationalism** Nation and nationalism can be understood through several dimensions ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24620)). Match each dimension on the left to its best description on the right by writing the correct letter in the blank. | Dimension | Blank | Description | |---|---|---| | 1. Ethnic | ______ | A) Nationalism rooted in a shared connection to a specific territory or homeland | | 2. Civic | ______ | B) Nationalism based on shared ancestry, blood ties, or common descent | | 3. Linguistic | ______ | C) Nationalism grounded in participation in shared political institutions and legal citizenship | | 4. Geographic (relationship to land) | ______ | D) Nationalism built around a shared spoken or written tongue | **2. Multiple Choice: Nation and Nation-State** Course outcomes require analysis of the relationship between nation and nation-state ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24621)). Choose the best answer. Which statement most accurately distinguishes a "nation" from a "nation-state"? A) A nation is always smaller in population than a nation-state B) A nation is a group of people who share a common identity, while a nation-state is a political entity with defined borders and government whose population is intended to correspond to that nation C) A nation-state cannot contain more than one nation within its borders D) A nation is a legal term, while a nation-state is an emotional concept **3. Fill in the Blank: Factors Shaping Nationalism** Nationalism develops in response to a combination of factors ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24622)). Complete each sentence with one of the following words: historical, geographic, political, economic, social. a) The __________ factor might include a shared border dispute or control over resources within a territory. b) The __________ factor might include a revolution or war that unites a people around a common cause. c) The __________ factor might include shifts in class structure or urbanization that bring people into closer contact. d) The __________ factor might include trade dependence or resource wealth that shapes a group's collective interests. e) The __________ factor might include the structure of government and the distribution of power among institutions. **4. Short Answer: Expressions of Nationalism** The course examines a range of expressions of nationalism across different contexts, including the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, Canadian nationalism, Québécois nationalism, American nationalism, First Nations and Métis nationalism, and Inuit perspectives ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24623), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24619)). Choose two of the examples listed above. For each one, describe one specific way that group or era expressed its national identity. Example 1: ______________________________ Description: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Example 2: ______________________________ Description: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ **5. Multiple Choice: Nationalism and Ultranationalism** Related Issue 2 requires students to analyze the relationship between nationalism and ultranationalism ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24632)). Choose the best answer. Which of the following best describes the relationship between nationalism and ultranationalism? A) They are unrelated concepts that developed independently of one another B) Ultranationalism is an extreme form of nationalism that may involve aggressive or exclusionary pursuit of national interest, sometimes at the expense of other groups C) Ultranationalism refers only to nationalism practised outside of Europe D) Nationalism always leads to ultranationalism given enough time **6. Short Answer: Why Identity Matters** Course outcomes ask students to appreciate why peoples seek to promote their identity through nationalism, and to recognize that understandings of identity, nation, and nationalism continue to evolve ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24618), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24615)). In three to five sentences, explain why a group of people might feel a need to express or defend its national identity. Then explain one way that understandings of nationalism have changed over time or differ between historical and contemporary contexts. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ## Answer Key 1. Ethnic = B; Civic = C; Linguistic = D; Geographic = A 2. B 3. a) geographic, b) historical, c) social, d) economic, e) political 4. Answers will vary; accept any accurate, specific description tied to one of the six named examples in [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24623) (for example, revolutionary France adopting the tricolour flag and "La Marseillaise" as unifying symbols, or Inuit perspectives expressed through land claims and self-governance agreements). 5. B 6. Answers will vary; accept responses that reference a group defending or asserting identity in the face of external pressure, assimilation, or a desire for recognition, and that identify a genuine shift in how nationalism is understood, such as a move from purely ethnic definitions toward civic or multiple/overlapping forms of identity. --- *AILI homework sheet · language en · model claude-sonnet-5 · generated 2026-09-17 · id 85e4853b-c7f6-40c4-8213-4b0cf466618c* ### Sources - node:n1: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24618) - node:n2: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24615) - node:n3: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24614) - node:n4: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24623) - node:n5: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24626) - node:n6: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24620) - node:n7: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24619) - node:n8: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24621) - node:n9: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 2 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24632) - node:n10: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 › Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace nationalism? › Related Issue 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24622) - node:n11: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24613) - node:n12: Social Studies › Social Studies (10–12) › Social Studies 20-1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/24598)