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Intermediate – Middle School

The Confederation Debates: British Columbia Intermediate Mini-unit

This mini-unit for intermediate/senior-level classes helps students to understand and analyze the key ideas and challenges that preceded British Columbia’s entry into Confederation. The first section deals with the debates in the provincial and/or federal legislatures, while the second section addresses more specifically founding treaty negotiations with the First Nations. Each section can be taught independently.
The activities and attached materials will help students understand the...
Intermediate – Middle School

The Confederation Debates: Alberta Senior Mini-Unit

This mini-unit for senior-level classes helps students to understand and analyze the key ideas and challenges that preceded Alberta’s entry into Confederation. The first section deals with the debates in the provincial and/or federal legislatures, while the second section addresses more specifically founding treaty negotiations with the First Nations. Each section can be taught independently.

The activities and attached materials will help students understand the diversity of ideas,...
Intermediate – Middle School

The Confederation Debates: Alberta Intermediate Mini-Unit

This mini-unit for intermediate/senior-level classes helps students to understand and analyze the key ideas and challenges that preceded the creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The first section deals with the debates in the provincial and/or federal legislatures, while the second section addresses more specifically founding treaty negotiations with the First Nations. Each section can be taught independently.
Sample page of quotations from Frederick W.A.G. Haultain

A brief biography of Sir...

Letters from the Past


Overview


The student will write a fictitious letter as if they are a pioneer in the Canadian west in the early part of the twentieth century. The student is to include the changes and challenges homesteaders would face and the adjustments to their lifestyle these would cause. As well, the student also must include a drawing depicting their fictitious dwelling.

Background


This study focuses on the people who have contributed to Canada's history and development, beginning with the original...

Snapshot in Time - A Wartime Memory


Overview


The focus of the project is for students to create a postcard from the past. The aim for students will involve three steps.
• First to interview a grandparent or great grandparent about a memory. This memory may express what life was like for them as a child or perhaps a wartime memory.
• Second will be to obtain a photograph of the grandparent or great grandparent that will be used on the postcard. This may be achieved using a photograph, scanned photograph or drawing.
• Third will be...
Research and Writing

The ABC's of Canadian History


Overview


Students often experience difficulty in mastering the precise vocabulary used in social studies and history courses. Faced with this difficulty, they are sometimes reluctant to ask for clarification of the terms used. The result is a loss of learning opportunity. Here is a way of clarifying those concepts and literally keeping them in the forefront of the students' minds. It is based on one of our oldest educational learning tools... remember how you learned your ABC's.

Aims


...

"Who's Your Hero?"


Overview


Students will research and examine the qualities of a past or present hero in Canada. They will develop a personal definition of a hero, while working on a project that represents a Canadian Hero. Students will be provided with a project framework to guide them through the research process. After completing the research framework each student will represent their hero in their choice of medium. Projects can range from electronic, video based, posters, to drama and song.

Aims


•Examine...

If These Walls Could Talk: History as a lens to the past


Overview

During this unit of study, students will explore the individuals who made significant contributions to our history and the Canadian identity. This project could also be completed using provincial histories and identities.

The students will research Indigenous peoples and past explorers using multi-media (online resources and informational texts). They are expected to use this research to make a wall of a related structure, create a voice of the structure and present that to the class....
Research and Writing

Your Birthday in History


Overview


Have your students explore history and the Benchmarks of Historical Thinking concept Historical Significance. Students will discover noteworthy events that happened on their birth dates in history. Students will be asked to produce a project, with a format that fully complements and highlights the topic chosen. Research, interpretive, and presentation skills will be highlighted while working with history relevant to each student.

Aims


Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

• Plan and conduct...

Cemetery Studies


Overview


The public has long been fascinated with cemeteries. This program will make use of this fascination to engage the students while they learn. Cemeteries can be primary sources of information for much more than just social studies. This program will make use of the information available in local cemeteries to meet aspects of the mathematics curriculum.

Aims


Students will collect primary data found on the headstones and organize the data. Students will make use of a variety of methods...

Creating Autonomous Historians


Overview


Based on the concept of Literature Circles, the lesson will introduce students to History Circles, where small groups investigate a historical topic by each completing an individual task, sharing their work with their group, and planning as a group how to present their topic to the class or wider audience.

Aims


To introduce students to different aspects of the study of history, and allow them to approach a topic from a wide variety of learning styles.

In the introductory lesson,...

Blast to the Past


Overview


This is a culminating activity which will be done after teaching the Canadian History unit. Use this activity to have students research additional biographical information on an important Canadian historical figure. Students will be given time to use the library and computer lab to research and develop their multimedia presentation. Through this research, the students will learn the contributions their historical figure made to Canada.

Aims


Students will develop and demonstrate the...

Black History Brochure


Overview


This social studies project has strong language arts and art connections. Students will design and produce a brochure to promote some aspect of Black history in Canada. Each student will focus on a historical figure, community, event, or institution which has made an important contribution to Canadian history.

Aims


• Listening to and analyzing information from various sources/media
• Discussing information and ideas with understanding and sensitivity
• Taking notes and highlighting key...

Using the Minutes to Think Critically


Overview


The Heritage Minutes illustrate the possibilities of story-telling. This critical thinking exercise will help guide you through the deconstruction of four Heritage Minutes: Peacemaker, Vikings, John Cabot, and Jacques Cartier. The activities can be easily adapted to any of the Heritage Minutes you want to use in your classroom.

Aims


An invaluable skill for any student is the ability to critically examine available historical evidence and develop an awareness of its possibilities, as...

Maurice "Rocket" Richard


Overview


This lesson is based on viewing the "Maurice "Rocket" Richard" Heritage Minute. Richard was a legendary hockey player for the Montréal Canadiens. He won numerous trophies, and set several records during his 18-year career.

Aims


Students will research changes in sports to understand historical change, and they will research and write biographies of their favourite sports stars.

Students will write sports stories; think critically about the idolization of sports stars; and analyze the...

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