General Outcome Lesson Plans
7.1 Toward Confederation
- Rebellions of 1837 – Exploring Cause and Consequence
- Rebellions and The Act of Union – Students investigate cause and effect relationships and evaluate solutions to issues by critically assessing effectiveness of the Act of Union
7.2 Following Confederation
- Effect of Government – Students examine how the First Nations people were affected by the actions of the Canadian Government (i.e., numbered treaties, establishment of Provinces and immigration).
- Museum Inquiry: Communication Technology – In this challenge, students investigate the relationship between the CPR, the settlement of the west and communication technology.
- Museum Inquiry: Irons and Butter Churns – Students investigate the changes in lifestyle of settlers in the prairies due to technological advances.
- Riel and Macdonald: Great Leaders? – Students understand that choices people make depend on their perspective. Students will also discover some of the reasons different groups of people supported different leaders.
8. Introduction to Worldview
- The World View Project – Through these activities, students will explore elements of worldview and how they are expressed by people living in different places
- Support Material – Canadian Worldview
- Support Material – Darfur Worldview
8.1 From Isolation to Adaptation: Japan
- Impact of Isolationism on Social Classes in Edo Japan – Students examine how the policy of isolationism affected the social classes and their perspectives.
- Download SMART Notebook Japan Continuum File – French and English
8.2 Origins of a Western Worldview: Renaissance Europe
- Renaissance Thinkers – Students research and rank the great thinkers/philosophers of the Renaissance. As an extension activity students report their rankings in the Renaissance Times newspaper.
- Renaissance Art and Literature Webquest – Students examine the worldview reflected Renaissance art and literature and the changes from Medieval times to Renaissance times and beyond
- Renaissance Art and Literature Support Material
- Renaissance Jeopardy: a Unit Review Project – Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, students develop a review game based on the television show “Jeopardy”.
- Renaissance Jeopardy Student Page
- Renaissance Jeopardy Game Template
8.3 Worldviews in Conflict: The Spanish and the Aztecs
- Which Was More Barbaric? – By analysing images of the Spanish Inquisition and the Aztec sacrifices, students decide which practice was the more barbaric.
- Spanish Expansion: The Worldview Made Me Do It – Students examine the elements of worldview that led the Spanish to expand their empire into South America.
9.1 Issues for Canadians: Governance and Rights
- Lobbying for Change – Students develop and implement a realistic, effective lobby plan for influencing government. Each of the 4 parts in this challenge can be used individually or as a whole.
- Equity of Rights and Freedoms for Youth – To what extent is the justice system fair and equitable to youth?
- Create Your Own Charter – Weighing the importance of individual rights and responsibilities, students create their own Charter of Rights and Freedoms that will apply to their classroom.
- The Ups and Downs of Immigration
9.2 Issues for Canadians: Economic Systems in Canada and the United States
- The Million Dollar Question – Students analyse the involvement of government in a market economy, then categorize , debate, and decide which reasons for intervention are most important.
- Roles in Mixed and Market Economies – Students analyse the role of the consumer and government intervention in the economies of Canada and the United States.
- Economies SMART Notebook support file
- Quality of Life and Consumerism – Students familiarize themselves with factors of quality of life and their relationships to quality of life.
- Scarcity and Tim Bits – A practical lesson on supply and demand.
- Create Your Own Political Party – Students create a political party complete with platform, budget and leaders’ debate.
- Political Party SMART Notebook support file
Performance Assessments
Grade 7
- Expanding a Nation – Students, as interpretive guides, take on the role of a resident in one of three provinces (British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland) and develop and support a position about whether or not to join Confederation.
- Louis Riel Day – After naming Louis Riel Day, the Manitoba government has heard dissent among its constituents about honouring Riel in this way and asked for input.
Grade 8
- Whose School Rules? – This final culminating project, students make a decision of a proposed school amalgamation using examples from the Renaissance, Japan, and Aztec curricular case studies.
- A Window to the Past – Students analyse the worldview of individuals in different classes in the Aztec and 16th century Spanish societies to determine their effect on the domination of one culture over the other.
Grade 9
- It Could Happen to Us – Students take on the role of author for a Canadian financial magazine and write an opinion article exploring whether or not Canada could experience a global economic crisis to the same extent as the United States.
- Youth Criminal Justice Act – This culminating activity incorporates an understanding and application of the Youth Criminal Justice Act through researching a current event involving young offenders.
Skill Outcome Lesson Plans
Grade 7
- Analysing Political Cartoons – Originally designed for grade six, this skill-based activity is adaptable to grade seven.
- Detecting Bias in News Articles – Though this lesson was designed for Grade 6, it is easily adaptable for different grade levels.
- Supporting Positions Through Research and Debate – This challenge is adaptable for grade seven.
Grade 8
- Analysing Political Cartoons – Originally designed for grade six, this skill-based activity is adaptable to grade eight.
- Current Events Project – In this Humanities set of projects, students follow current event stories with critical thinking skills of identifying biases and recognizing the contributions and challenges of various media.
- Detecting Bias in News Articles – Though this lesson was designed for Grade 6, it is easily adaptable for different grade levels.
- Supporting Positions Through Research and Debate – This challenge is adaptable for grade eight.
Grade 9
- Analysing Political Cartoons – Originally designed for grade six, this skill-based activity is adaptable to grade nine.
- Detecting Bias in News Articles – Though this lesson was designed for Grade 6, it is easily adaptable for different grade levels.
- Supporting Positions Through Research and Debate – This challenge is adaptable for grade nine.
Technology Infusion
7.1 Toward Confederation
- Exploring Different Perspectives of Pre-Colonial Social and Economic Structures and Their Effects on Gender Roles – Learners investigate the effects of European imperialism, impacts on the economic structures of Aboriginal societies and more.
- The Great Deportation of the Acadians – In this critical inquiry, students discover reasons for the deportation and write a letter to Longfellow’s poetic character, Evangeline
7.2 Following Confederation
- Louis Riel: Hero or Traitor? – Students research the Red River Resistance and create a perspectives timeline or poster.
- Conflict at Red River: A Change in Viewpoints – Students create a timeline in which text boxes and pictures are inserted. Changes in viewpoints over the last century are a focus in this investigative work.
- Sample Assignments
- Ethnic Origins PowerPoint
- Encouraging Immigration – Students design a questionnaire and create a graph of the results
- Change and its Impact: Canada Since 1918 – Students explore the right to vote, and create some persuasive writing to reflect their learning.
- What Makes a Legend? Webquest – Students investigate the actions of one of five significant women in Canadian History to determine the extent to which she is a legend.
8.2 Origins of a Western Worldview: Renaissance Europe
- What on (Google) Earth? Italian City-States in the Renaissance – create a virtual tour of one of Italy’s Renaissance city states using Google Earth along with trade routes.
8.3 Worldviews in Conflict: the Spanish and the Aztecs
- Aztec Worldview in Pictures – Students create a video story of Aztec worldview, to be shared in a pavillion,working as various “specialists” in this comprehensive project.
- Examining Worldview through Digital Storytelling – Students create digital narratives from the perspective of a historical figure addressed in case studies throughout the school year.
- A Day in the Life of…(An Aztec Young Adult) – Students create a digital story illustrating the daily life of the Aztecs prior to the arrival of the Spaniards.
- A Day in the Life Support Material
9.1 Issues for Canadians: Governance and Rights
- The Impact of Advertising on Shaping Citizenship and Identity – This lesson is designed to critically assess the persuasiveness of government advertisements and political campaigns.
- Digital Storytelling: Treaty Agreements – Students make reasoned judgements on the principles of the Indian Act and how it shaped Treaties 6, 7, and 8.
9.2 Issues for Canadians Economic Systems in Canada and the United States
- Satirizing Advertising – Using humour and satire, students create a series of fictional spoof ads that exploit and poke fun at the role of marketing in consumerism.