Created by
Historica Canada Teacher Community
Historica Canada Teacher Community
This lesson plan was created by members of Historica Canada’s teacher community. Historica Canada does not take responsibility for the accuracy or availability of any links herein, and the views reflected in these learning tools may not necessary reflect those of Historica Canada. We welcome feedback regarding the content that may be linked to or included in these learning tools; email us at education@HistoricaCanada.ca.
Overview
An emigrated Canadian will share his/her experiences in a class room setting.
Aims
- Enable students to develop strategies re: listening to an oral story
- Enable students to develop strategies re: posing questions to a visitor
- Enable students to continue to further develop oral communication skills
- Enhance students' skills in being a host to an invited guest
Background
The student imagines that they are a youth living in Europe in the 1800s. They have just decided to emigrate to Canada and need to find a way to tell their parents. What reasons will be given for this decision? How will they explain what made them decide to do this? Students will write a letter telling their parents the big news.
Discover possible reasons for wanting to emigrate from Europe to Canada during the 1800s.
- Research the situation in Europe at this time (specific year and country chosen by the student) which may prompt the young man in question to leave his native country.
- Research the situation in Canada at this time which may prompt the young man/woman to want to go to Canada, such as
- Working in the Sudbury mines in Ontario
- Working on the Canadian Pacific Railway
- Homesteading
Activities
Time Allowance: One hour
Procedures:
Research has previously been done so that the students have a basic understanding of why Europeans voyaged to Canada in the 1800s. They have already chosen the country they are leaving, and the year. They have spoken to their parents, grandparents, and other people in their community who have had this experience, or who know of someone who has had this experience.
The student will experience the gift of listening to a visitor with his/her personal story of coming from Europe to Canada. Also, the students will have the opportunity to interact with the guest speaker in order to understand and appreciate the human element of the shared story.
In a subsequent lesson, students will use the correct format to write a friendly letter in the specific time period chosen by the student. The letter should include heading, salutation, body and closing. The heading will be an appropriate European address. The date will be in the 1800s. The salutation will be rather formal as is the custom in this time period – perhaps Dear Mother and Father, etc.
Research has previously been done so that the students have a basic understanding of why Europeans voyaged to Canada in the 1800s. They have already chosen the country they are leaving, and the year. They have spoken to their parents, grandparents, and other people in their community who have had this experience, or who know of someone who has had this experience.
The student will experience the gift of listening to a visitor with his/her personal story of coming from Europe to Canada. Also, the students will have the opportunity to interact with the guest speaker in order to understand and appreciate the human element of the shared story.
In a subsequent lesson, students will use the correct format to write a friendly letter in the specific time period chosen by the student. The letter should include heading, salutation, body and closing. The heading will be an appropriate European address. The date will be in the 1800s. The salutation will be rather formal as is the custom in this time period – perhaps Dear Mother and Father, etc.
Evaluation:
Evaluation tools: teacher observation/listening rubric:
- Did the students gain a greater understanding of why people immigrated to Canada?
- Did the students successfully enter into the human element of the shared story?
- Were the students courteous and gracious to their visitor?
- Did the students share in the classroom discussion their impressions of the visit, what they learned, their appreciation of the human spirit, etc.?
The students can also complete a self-evaluation following the visit of the guest speaker in order to help them reflect on and develop their listening skills.
Evaluation tools: teacher observation/listening rubric:
- Did the students gain a greater understanding of why people immigrated to Canada?
- Did the students successfully enter into the human element of the shared story?
- Were the students courteous and gracious to their visitor?
- Did the students share in the classroom discussion their impressions of the visit, what they learned, their appreciation of the human spirit, etc.?
The students can also complete a self-evaluation following the visit of the guest speaker in order to help them reflect on and develop their listening skills.
Resources
Consult Passages Canada to connect your classroom with someone to share their story.
The Canadian Encyclopedia can be a valuable resource for providing background information on Canada's immigration history and multicultural heritage.
Supporting documents for this Learning Tool |
File type | File size | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
Student_Self_Evaluation.pdf
|
159 KB | Download |
Supporting documents for this Learning Tool
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Created by
Historica Canada Teacher Community
Historica Canada Teacher Community