Draft Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 6 Curriculum

Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2

Organizing Idea History: Understanding the history of our province, nation, and world and developing cultural literacy allow us to appreciate the varied richness of our shared human inheritance of original writings, artifacts, stories, beliefs, ideas and greatcultural and artistic achievements from different times and places. Lessons of the past and knowledge of diverse experiences help us overcome ignorance and prejudice and recognize our common humanity and dignity.

Guiding Question How do stories, fables, and personal experience help us explore andunderstand our world?

What is the history of First Nations and Inuit in the traditional territories ofwhat is now Alberta?

What did ancient and medieval civilizations contribute to today’s world thathas enduring value?

Learning Outcome Children recognize a timeline as a chronological narrative that includes stories,significant dates, and personal experiences.

Students explore First Nations and Inuit migration patterns, stories, and ideasas they existed on traditional territories before the arrival of people fromEurope and other parts of the world.

Students explore ancient civilizations and the ideas that have endured overtime and have contributed to our heritage and traditions.

Knowledge Understanding Skills & Procedures Knowledge Understanding Skills & Procedures Knowledge Understanding Skills & Procedures

about me and mycommunity:

birth date•

place of birth•

spoken language(s)•

kinship ties•

family tree•

personal timeline•

where and when wewere born andlanguages spoken athome

A personal timelinehelps us to organizepast events in aproper sequence overtime.

Know birth date (day,month, year) andfamous people withthat birth date.

timeline: First peoplesto now; chronology ofmigrations andsettlements

Humans first arrivedin North Americaabout 30 000 yearsago and migratedthroughout thecontinent.

Explain a simple visualtimeline and mapshowing migrationpatterns into andacross the continent.

The heritage fromancient Greece,ancient Rome, andother ancient culturescontinues to informand influence ourlives.

Big ideas, core beliefs,cultural practices, andmonuments haveendured and continueto influence our lives.

Identify thesignificance of ancientwisdom in our dailylives.

history of time(chronology):

before Christ (BC)•

anno domini (AD)•

before commonera (BCE)

•

common era (CE)•

decades•

centuries•

millennia•

time immemorial•

Historical time can berepresented intimelines.

Construct a timelineand explain itspurpose.

Draft Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 6 Curriculum

Social Studies (Draft) | August 2021 Page | 1


stories and fables thatillustrate personalidentities, reflecting adiversity of gender,language, race, andethnicity

vocabulary used todescribe time:

long ago•

before•

after•

now (present)•

next•

then•

Experience the senseof wonder awakenedby timeless stories,fables, and rhymesfeaturing childhoodexperiences orlegends from the past.

simple personaltimelines from birthto age five (going toschool)

Listen to shortreadings of timelessstories or fables anddevelop theconfidence to shareand exchangepersonal stories.

how to read a timelineand sketch a personalexample

earliest societies:hunters, gatherers,and cultivators; originof agriculture

creation stories fromlocal First Nations andInuit communities,such as Blackfootlegend of Napi andcreation stories fromCree, Dene, and Inuitcommunities

First Nations and Inuitspirituality can includebalance within nature,spirit world, earth,and sky.

First Nations and Inuitsocieties emergedover time with manylanguages and variedtraditions.

Early societiesemerged and wereorganized to providefor basic needs andsustenance.

Societies developtheir own ways ofexplaining humanorigins on Earth.

First Nations and Inuitcultures are rooted inthe land and patternsof nature, which werebelieved to havespiritual qualities.

Many differentIndigenous societiesinhabited the land ofwhat is now Albertaand North Americabefore first contactwith Europeans.

Explain the ways ofsurvival and means oflivelihood of FirstNations and Inuit invarious local andsurroundingcommunities.

Describe what thelocal First Nations orInuit believe aboutcreation and thespirits.

Describe Indigenousstories of the origin ofthe world and diverseIndigenous groupsthat inhabited theland of what is nowAlberta and NorthAmerica.

Ancient peoples toldstories that werepassed down fromone generation to thenext, such as mythsand legends ofGreece, China, andAfrica.

World religions thatbelieve in one God(monotheistic):Judaism, Christianity,and Islam havecommon roots.

art and architecture:Greco - Roman,Chinese, and Africanruins and monuments,such as Acropolis,Pantheon, RomanColosseum, GreatWall, Sphinx,pyramids

Classic architectureand monuments werebuilt to last and havelasted. They continueto impress and inspirepeople today.

World views are a setof beliefs andexperiences thatinfluence the way apeople or civilizationsees the world. Theyare reflected instories, religious texts,and architecture.

Read aloud Greek,Chinese and Africanmyths/legends andask students to retellthe stories.

Explain belief systemsassociated withJudaism, Christianity,and Islam.

Recognize examplesof classicalarchitecture andmonuments andexplain some of thereasons why theywere built.

Compare a world viewfrom an ancientcivilization to apresent one.





Guiding Question How do our personal stories compare with those from other times? How do the origins and legacies of ancient civilizations relate to the present? What aspects of past civilizations continue to influence the way we live?

Learning Outcome Children explore personal stories in relation to the experiences of others,particularly those in earlier times.

Students identify important ideas, social structures, cultural practices, andmonumental legacies that ancient civilizations have contributed to modernday.

Students analyze some major contributions of ancient Western and Easterncivilizations to life and society today.


my family andcommunity, now andin the past (oldendays)

Families andcommunities change,over time (now andback then).

Discuss how familiesand communitieshave changed overtime.

concepts andvocabulary associatedwith historical time:

ancient civilizations,exemplified byMesopotamia, Egypt,and China

stories, folk tales, andlegends, such as

before commonera (BCE)

•

common era (CE)•

hindsight•

looking back onthe past

•

years (weeks andmonths)

•

past, present,future

•

Napi and the Rock(Blackfoot)

•

King Midas andthe Golden Touch

•

Pandora’s Box(Greek)

•

The Monkey King(Sun Wukong)

•

The Jade Rabbit•

Pangu and thecreation of theworld (China)

•

Ancient civilizationsexisted but havevanished, leaving onlytraces remainingtoday.

People continue to befascinated with theevents, ruins, andremains left behind byearly peoples andcivilizations.

Ideas and remnantsfrom the past haveendured and continueto inspire spiritualbeliefs, art, andliterature.

Stories, folk tales,fables, and legendscapture culturaltraditions.

Describe a variety ofancient civilizations interms of theircultures, ideas, andmonuments.

Identify a fewremnants and ancientartifacts, such as firepits, petroglyphs,Clovis weapons, andfossils.

Listen to, read aloud,and retell the storiesof First Nations orInuit peoples and folktales of earlycivilizations.

Illustrate anunderstanding of oneor more stories or folktales.

ancient Greece:

great thinkers:Socrates, Plato, andAristotle asked newquestions in a formnow known asphilosophy, which inGreek means " love ofwisdom.

Ancient Rome originmyths:

Pax

Athens as city -state

•

Athens and Sparta•

gods andgoddesses

•

Alexander theGreat

•

Olympic Games•

Marathon•

Siege of Troy andWooden Horse

•

Atheniandemocracy

•

Romulus andRemus

•

Epic of Aeneas•

City of Seven Hills•

gods andgoddesses

•

Ancient Greececontributed to theemergence ofdemocracy, popularmyths, athletics,culture, and the arts.

Critical thinking wasadvanced by theGreeks.

Roman traditions andculture, includingRoman law andRoman infrastructurehelped Romaninfluence spread andcan still be seentoday.

Rome became anextensive empire, andboth Judaism andChristianity spread viathe Roman Empire.

The threemonotheistic religionsof Judaism,Christianity, and Islamall originated in theMiddle East and sharemany common andoverlapping beliefsand traditions, as wellas importantdifferences.

Explain thesignificance of Athensin the shaping ofmodern Westernculture.

Ask questions relatedto Athens and Sparta:

Arrange events inchronologicalsequence. Create atimeline for the riseand fall of the RomanEmpire.

Distinguish betweenRoman and Greekcontributions tomodern life.

Recognize cause andeffect.

Investigate

Which cultureallowed morefreedom?

•

Which one putmore emphasis onorder anddiscipline?

•

What are some ofthe theories for thecause of the fall ofthe Roman Empire?It was not the firstor last todisappear.

•

How might thisapply to othercountries orcivilizations?

•




Romana (RomanEmpire)

Judaism:

Christianity:

The oldest of thethree " Abrahamic" religions

•

Jewish peoplebelieve that Godmade a covenantwith Abraham andhis descendants.

•

After the Jewishpeople wereenslaved in Egypt,Moses led themback to ‘ThePromised Land’

•

Jewishcommunitieseventually spread,and were forced torelocate, aroundtheMediterranean,through theMiddle East.

•

Based on the life,death, andresurrection ofJesus Christ, whoChristians believeis the Son of God

•

Spread from asmall number ofJewish follows ofJesus in the middleof the first centuryacross the RomanEmpire

•

how the threemonotheistic religionsthat arose out of theMiddle East arerelated, and why Jews,Christians, andMuslims aresometimes called‘people of the book’?

Draw conclusionsfrom evidence: How isour culture stillinfluenced by earlyJewish, Islamic, andChristian cultures?




Islam:

After it becamethe official religionof the RomanEmpire in the early300s AD, it spreadrapidly acrossEurope and aroundthe world.

•

founded byMohammed, whoMuslims believewas the prophet ofGod (Allah) andreceivedrevelations fromhim

•

the Quran (610CE)

•

pilgrimage toMecca

•

march to Medina•

Islam spreadacross the MiddleEast, North Africa,and parts ofEurope (622 - 326CE), and later toAsia, Africa, andaround the world.

•




seeing the worldthrough your eyes andthat of others

We can have differentperspectives but wealso share a commonhumanity.

Explore cultural andethnic diversity inyour classroom,school, andcommunity.

Identify differencesand similarities.

oral cultures andtraditions: storytellingand art in earlyAmerican cultures

writing and writtenlanguages, originatingin Egypt,Mesopotamia, Centraland South America,and China

First Nations, Métis,and Inuit had differentlanguages and uniquecultural practices,such as Blackfootpeoples and the bisonhunt on the plains(Head Smashed - InBuffalo Jump).

Maya (CentralAmerica), Aztecs andMontezuma (Mexico),Inca (South America)

ancient Egypt:

ancient

pyramids•

Ra and his children•

Prince and theSphinx

•

pharaohs•

papyrus•

hieroglyphics•

mummies•

Queen Cleopatra•

Each Indigenoussociety had its ownlanguage and/ordialect.

development of earlywriting(Mesopotamia)Chinese writing:characters orpictographs/calligraphy

Teachings, ideas, laws,structures, andinventions fromancient civilizationshave endured andcontinue to influenceour lives.

Ancient China hadunique features andthese contributed tomodern times.

Explain the origin ofwriting.

Compare twodifferent AmericanIndigenous cultures,such as Blackfoot orPlains Cree and oneor more early Centralor South Americancivilization.

Develop a comparisonchart on types ofwriting andcommunication withassistance.

Compare the origin ofone of the first sets oflaws with today’slaws.

Describe the land ofthe Pyramids, how itlooked, and whatsurvives today.

Explain some uniquefeatures of ancientChina and what itcontributed tomodern times.

looking upinformation onInternet or in libraries(Maya, Aztec, Incapeoples)

Middle Ages(medieval times):

Anglo - SaxonEngland:

Charlemagne asHoly RomanEmperor (800 CE)

•

King of FrankishEmpire

•

feudal society(patricians,plebeians, knights,freedmen, slaves)

•

class structure(nobles andvassals, lords andserfs)

•

Hundred YearsWar

•

Joan of Arc•

origins of terms(Angles, Saxons,and Jutes)

•

adoption ofChristianity

•

monarchy -unification of adivided country

•

Alfred the Greatand Englishtraditions

•

Robin Hood,Norman Conquest

•

Domesday Book(first census)

•

Society in medievaltimes was structuredso that everyone wasresponsible to theking/monarch andbound by loyalty.

Medieval stories andfestivals are still partof our contemporaryworld, such as thestory of Robin Hood,Friar Tuck, and theSheriff of Nottingham.

The Anglo - Saxontradition laid thegroundwork for socialand legal organizationin England and theBritish colonies.

Understand howEngland got itsCommon Law out oflocal and socialcustom.

the origins of the SilkRoad trading routefrom Europe acrossthe Middle East andAsia to China; theconnections betweencultures and religions(Christian, Muslim,Buddhist) across thearea between Europeand China; movementof

Explain thesignificance ofCharlemagne’s rule inthe medieval era.

Ask questions:

Explain the changes inthe law in medievalEngland.

Ask a question:

Retell the story ofMarco Polo’s journeyto the Orient and backand what hediscovered in the FarEast.

Compare

Why would aperson becomesomeone else’svassal or servant?

•

Why is Joan of Arcconsidered aheroine in history?

•

Who didn’tconsider her aheroine and why?

•

Is the tale of RobinHood real orfiction?

•

Did he rob fromthe rich and give tothe poor?

•




China:

teachings ofConfucius

•

Emperor andForbidden City

•

gunpowder andfireworks

•

Great Wall ofChina

•

invention of paper(Han Dynasty, 100CE)

•

silk•

trade•

Explain differencesbetween ancient lawand today’s law.

Tell a story of whatlife was like in ancientEgypt.

Explain some featuresthat make Easterncivilizations, likeChina, different fromcivilizations mostlyfounded on Europeanlaws and cultures, likeCanada.

encounters with otherworlds: travels ofMarco Polo, Venetianmerchant (1271 -1295 AD): journeyfrom Italy to theOrient/China andback, the Silk Road,visit to Court ofKublai Khan; and,from the Chinese side,travels of Zheng He(1371 - 1433/5)(building on earlierexplorations by GanYing, Zhang Qian, andothers)

plagues: the BlackDeath (1347 - 1351)and its impact

Origins of theCommon Law

• people, goods, andideas

The first of theworld’s greatpandemics was theBlack Death.

the Black Death withlater pandemics,including the SpanishFlu and COVID - 19.




Organizing Idea Civics: Canada’s constitutional monarchy, democracy, rule of law, and citizenship are understood through knowledge of the origins and development of various contrasting political traditions and ideas.

Guiding Question How do rules or expectations contribute to a sense of belonging to family,community, or the wider world?

What aspects of past civilizations continue to influence the way people livewithin societies today?

What are some of the ways we are governed that can be traced back to theancient and medieval world?

Learning Outcome Students identify how a sense of belonging is supported through peoplegathering together while following simple expectations and rules. Students identify structures and governance of early civilizations. Students understand the history of hereditary rulership (monarchy) and the

origins of modern forms of democracy.


Social groups likefamilies, classrooms,and schools havebonds and simplerules.

Gathering in groupsinvolves followingsimple rules andexpectations in orderto govern ourselves.

Identify and explainhow social groups likefamilies andclassrooms worktogether.

Different societiesand social groupswere organized indifferent ways, andchose leaders indifferent ways; e.g.hereditarychiefs/kings, militaryleaders, or leaderschosen for specificskills (healing,religiousknowledge/insight) orcharacter by some orall of the group.

West coast and someinterior First Nationshave traditions ofPotlatch (PacificNorth West) and giftgiving.

talking circles: Thecircle symbolizeswholeness,completion, and a wayof discussing matters.

Two main types ofrulers includehereditary and chosenby the people.

Reciprocation throughgift giving is a key wayto acknowledge andbuild friendlyrelationships amongstFirst Nations cultures.

First Nations and Inuitdecision - makingpractices can includeassembling in a circle,saying a prayer, andincluding everybodyin discussion.

Explain who ruled inearly societies andhow it wasdetermined in ancienttimes.

Recognize the role ofprotocols andcustoms in FirstNations and Inuitcommunities, whichwere unfamiliar to theways of earlyEuropeans.

early democracy:

evolution of theRoman traditionthrough kings/tyrants:There were severalphases of Romangovernment that areimportant for theorigins of democracy,including kings,Roman Republic(consuls, senate andassemblies), andempire (emperor,senate).

origin of worddemocracy

•

Council of 500•

male citizens andnon - citizens(Athens)

•

Athenian democracyworked to providerights andrepresentation anddetermined who wasexcluded fromcitizenship.

The Romans practiseddifferent forms ofgovernment atdifferent times, firstrule by kings/tyrants,then a form ofdemocracy during theRepublic, and finallyImperial rule withsome elements ofmonarchy (emperors)and some elements ofdemocracy (senate).

Draw a diagramillustrating democracyin ancient Athens.

Explain the differencein the systems ofgovernment betweenthe Roman Kingdom,the Roman Republic,and Imperial Rome.




Groups provide asense of belonging:families, classes,friends, andresponsibilities to oneanother.

Fairness andresponsibility are partof being in socialgroups.

Families, schoolclasses, children’sgroups, andneighbourhoods aresimple examples ofassociations.

It is important to befair and responsible.

Identify the bonds ofconnection andsimple rules that helpus to work together ingroups.

Recognize fair rulesand why we needthem.

governing rules andsocial order: chiefs,kings, queens, andempires; rule bydivine right of kings

Most ancientsocieties had rulingelites who governedthe rest of the people.Common examples ofthese elites weremilitary leaders orhereditary leaders.

Draw a diagram ofrule by a chief, king,or emperor in relationto the commonpeople.

medieval social order:feudalism, kings,queens, lords, andloyalties of people assubjects

crown, monarchy, andthe rise of Parliamentin England (

, 1215)Magna

Carta

Hereditary rulers andbonds of loyalty heldmedieval societytogether.

The common people(noble citizens)secured democraticrights and responsiblegovernment.

Identify the profoundinfluence of hereditaryrulers and the clansystem.

Ask questions:

Was thethe

beginning ofEnglish democracythroughParliament?

• MagnaCarta

Why did kingsneed the consentof the nobles togovern (money tofund wars andcosts of court,dynastic stability)?

•




Organizing Idea Geography: Understanding the world we live in, and the relationship of people and places, is supported by knowing features of the natural and political world, such as oceans, mountain ranges, and boundaries.

Guiding Question How can maps and globes be used to help us understand the world andwhere we live and travel? Why do people move and settle in different places? Where did the earliest civilizations of the Middle East, Europe, and Asia

originate?

Learning Outcome Children explore maps and globes to identify where we live and how we findour way around. Students explain reasons for migration and settlement of ancient civilizations.

Students describe ways that ideas, beliefs, religion, and cultural practicesspread back and forth between the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, andeventually to other places around the world.


Maps and globesrepresent our world.

how to find your wayaround in school andthe local community

Read a map andconstruct aneighbourhood map.

maps and globesrelated to the earlyIndigenous andancient world:

Asia•

Beringia•

Arctic•

Tundra•

Woodlands•

Plains•

equator•

spatial understandingof key locations andpositioning in theAmericas and theearly world

finding the location ofplaces on a map:legend, directions,distance

Distinguish betweentypes of community,including city (urban)or farm (rural).

Discuss why people,past and present,often choose to settlealong rivers.

geographic locationand extent of ancientGreece, ancientRome, Islam, andmedieval Europe

Judaism, Christianity,and Islam originatedin the Middle East andNorth Africa, andspread from thereinto Asia, Europe, andeventually the worldto become worldreligions.

continents, oceansand seas, equator,hemispheres, poles,coasts, valleys,grasslands, desert,oasis

spatial relationshipsamong places in theancient world and inmedieval Europe

Draw a map of ancientGreece (Athens,Sparta, MediterraneanSea, Aegean Sea,Ionian Sea).

Trace the expansion ofIslam, beginning in622 AD.

Identify and explainlandform features inareas under study.




The world is roundand shaped like aglobe.

distances on maps(close, distant, and faraway) in metres andkilometres (andunderstand therelationship to yardsand miles)

North and SouthPoles, sevencontinents, oceans

We live on planetEarth and it’s shapedlike a globe.

Maps show thelocation of streets,schools, communities,and cities.

Distances can bemeasured on a map.

Key features of Earthcan be located on aglobe.

Identify the globe as arepresentation of ourplanet and knowwhere we live on thatplanet.

Discuss the idea thatthe world is round likea sphere and that weare held down bygravity.

natural disasters andtheir impact: famine,wars, disease,drought, floods, andfires

balance of nature andrespect for theenvironment

Natural disastersimpacted early andancient civilizations;armies and disease.

wildfires and windbreaks, conservationof scarce resources(water)

Study and explain achart showing impactof natural disasters onpopulations.

Recognize the valueof naturalconservation andmanagement ofscarce resources(protected lands,burial grounds).

migrations of peoplefrom across Europe toBritain (Germanicpeoples, includingSaxons, Angles, Jutes)and NormanConquest of England

Genghis Khan and theMongol Empire (1162- 1227): largest landempire in humanhistory

routes of Europeanexploration and trade:travels of Marco Poloand early Easterntrade along the SilkRoad from China tothe West

The Silk Roadoriginated as anetwork of traderoutes connectingEast and West, fromthe 2nd century BCEto the 18th century.

The Silk Roadoriginated during theHan dynasty (207BCE - 220 CE) andwas expanded by theChinese imperialenvoy Zhag Qian, aswell as throughmilitary conquests.

People migrate fromplace to place fordifferent reasons,including

fleeing conflict•

seeking refuge•

military campaigns•

religious passion•

rise and fall of theMongol Empire (1162- 1300): all - powerfulruler (autocratic ruler)governing withoutany limits

The Silk Road was avast trade route thatstretched betweenEurope and China.Goods such as silkand spices came Westfrom various regionsalong this route.Inventions such aspaper, printing,gunpowder, and thecompass came fromChina and changedthe world. Themeeting of diversepeoples along the wayresulted in theexchange of ideas,stories, and artworkand helped peopleunderstand oneanother.

Create maps showingmigration routes ofpeoples during theRoman Empire.

Explain the scale andimportance of theMongol Empire inhuman history.

Draw a map of earlytrade and culturalencounters by tracingthe journey of MarcoPolo to China andback, and Zheng andthe main tradingroutes and cities ofthe Silk Road.

Recognize and explainthe origin of the two -way silk and spicetrade with China andthe Orient.

Describe some of thesignificant encountersbetween differentpeoples, either inperson or indirectlythrough the goodsthey produced, alongthe Silk Road betweenEurope and Asia.




The Great Wall ofChina was extended,in part, to protect thetrade route.




Organizing Idea Economics: Knowledge of basic economic concepts, such as needs, wants, resources, labour, innovation, trade, and capital, will build toward an understanding of economic systems.

Guiding Question What are basic human needs and wants? How do people meet their needs and wants and make a living? How did bartering evolve to money exchange in order to better meet needsand wants through trade and business?

Learning Outcome Students compare needs and wants in relation to others. Students explain how work, money, and resources can help people meet theirneeds and satisfy their wants.

Students examine the development of bartering into a system of moneyexchange and explore how businesses meet the needs of communities.


Basic needs caninclude

Social needs caninclude

food•

water•

sleep•

clean air•

clothing•

shelter•

good health•

safety andcomfort/ stability

•

love•

friendship•

care•

learning•

Certain basic needsare essential andnecessary for survival.

People have needs forone another.

Discuss which needscome first and why ifyou have to makechoices.

Imagine that you arebeing transported ona small boat to adesert island. Whatthree items would youneed to survive?

Resources needed tofulfill needs and wantsare not equallyplentiful everywhere.

Once basic needs(food, clothing, andshelter) are obtained,humans seek more forthemselves andothers.

Working for a living inearly times wasdifferent than what itmeans in today’ssociety.

People produceproducts (crops,livestock) or services(tending the fields).

Identify the differenttypes of societies:meeting basic needs(subsistence) andproducing more thanpeople need forimmediate use(surplus).

Compare jobs in earlytimes with thosetoday.

Read a bar graphshowing productionof products.

Define what thedifferences arebetween needs andwants.

Bartering is anexchange of goods orservices withoutmoney.

Money hasadvantages overbartering by beingmore portable and byhaving an exact value.

Trading involvesbuying and sellinggoods or services.

Merchants andbusinesses sell goodsand services to raisemoney to purchaseother things.

basic economicconcepts of trade andexchange, goods andservices, bartering,money exchange,exports (leathergoods, wool) andimports (silks, spices)

the mutual benefits oftrade and exchange ofgoods/services, andpotential problems intrade relations

Play a game ofbartering goods andservices.

Draw a sketch of abarter exchange in theSilk Trade with China.

Read and interpret apie graph showingshare of trade(imports/exports) ofvarious products.

Human wants arewhat people desireand prefer accordingto their personaltastes.

Distinguishingbetween needs andwants is not alwayseasy.

Wants are personaldesires that are niceto have but are notrequired for humansurvival.

Individuals can look atneeds and wantsdifferently, dependingon many factors.

Compare the differenttypes of wants. Aresome more desirablethan others?

Discuss why differentpeople might havedifferent needs andwants.

concept of money inexchange for surplusproduction

distribution of naturalresources: Compareplaces that areresource rich andresource poor inancient times andtoday.

renewable and non -renewable resources

Money (currency) wasinvented to representvalue in exchange.

resource

People depend onresources that areeither renewable ornon - renewable.

Read a pie graphshowing shares ofproduction (produceand finishedproducts).

Distinguish betweenresource rich andresource poor placesand communities(plenty and scarcity).

Explain the differencebetween resource richand resource poorsocieties.

Distinguish betweenrenewable (water) andnon - renewable (coal)resources.

Commodities areresources or goodsproduced by people(craftsmen andmodern industries)and exported to otherplaces.

silk and spice trade ofthe Mongol Empire,including ancientChina

Societies developnatural resources andexport to other placesto sustain localeconomies.

Compare the citystate of Venice (inMarco Polo’s time)with Alberta today.Where did productsgo from Venice?Where do products gofrom Alberta? Drawlines on a map tocompare.




Indigenous principlesand values inbartering, trade,conservation, andsharing of resources

cooperativerelationships: Rolesand responsibilitieswere based onindividual gifts andskills, and then taskswere shared in acooperative way.

Individual members ofthe communitycontributed to thecommon good in ameaningful way.

Sharing andgenerosity havealways been valued inIndigenouscommunities.

Trade and gift givingwas common amongFirst Nations andInuit.

Describe collaborativepractices of local FirstNations or Inuit tomeet the needs of thecommunity forsurvival.

Explain roles andresponsibilities inlocal First Nations orInuit communities.

Explain how traderelations andexchange of goodsworked in local FirstNations or Inuitcommunities.

earning money,saving, and investing:People work for aliving, earning moneyin the form of income;save money for thefuture; and investmoney in hopes of aprofitable return.

Enterprisingmerchants andproducers ofgoods/servicesdemonstrateentrepreneurialabilities, creatingopportunities forwork.

Today, most peoplework for a living andare rewarded for theiractivities or paid fortheir business labour.

Employment iscreated byentrepreneurs in theform of jobs payingwages and salaries.

Describe how abusiness providesjobs, goods, andservices and canaffect aneighbourhood.

Identify localbusinesses that helpcommunities addressneeds and wants.




Organizing Idea Financial Literacy: Responsible choices to build a thriving life for self, family, and society are supported by knowledge, skills, and understanding of earning, investing, spending, borrowing, and financial security.

Guiding Question What’s essential for young children to know about money and managing theirpersonal resources?

What’s important to you in your life, and where does money rank in thosepriorities?

What do we need to know about shopping at the supermarket or localgrocery?

Learning Outcome Students explore the essentials of money matters and fascinating facts aboutmoney.

Students explore personal priorities in life, what comes first, and why moneyis needed in society.

Students examine money and the value of goods that are vital when shoppingfor food and essential needs.


Money has value andenables you topurchase things(goods and services).

coins, bills, and plasticforms: cents, nickel,dime, quarters,loonies, toonies,paper bills, andcredit/debit cards

Money has value as ameans of exchangefor goods and servicesand it comes indifferentdenominations.

Answer moneyquestions:

Is the moneyCanadian or fromanother country?

•

How do youknow?

•

What is it worth indollars and cents?

•

Money buys stuff weneed for life andthings we want, butsome of the mostimportant things inlife can’t be bought(e.g., love, a sense ofbelonging, friends).

Money is needed topurchase things andto secure some oflife’s basics, includingfood, clothing, andshelter.

Money can be abenefit (access tobetter things), but canalso cause problemssuch as greed anddebt.

Being money wiseinvolves making harddecisions aboutpriorities.

Examine what is mostimportant in life, thesource of comfort,well - being, andhappiness. Can moneybuy happiness?

What happens whenyou pursue onlymoney and ignoreother importantthings?

Being money wise isimportant when yougo shopping for foodand essential supplies.

Managing your moneyinvolves making a fewdecisions each day,including how muchto keep for savings,drinks, and treats, andhow much to sharewith friends.

Going shopping is areal - life situationthat provides a test ofhow much you knowand have learnedabout the value ofmoney, what thingscost, and how tomake sound decisionsabout personalspending choices.

Plan for a shoppingtrip. Make a shoppinglist, identify yourhousehold needs,review the weeklyspecials, and plan tostay within yourspending limits.

Consider the cost ofeveryday things: Howmuch is a chocolatebar? Milk? Bread?How much can bebought with $1, $10,$100?

Unique features ofCanadian moneyinclude emblems,animals, and faces onour money.the story of the loonie

Our money has someuniquely Canadianfeatures, such astypes and names,including the loonieand toonie.

Read aloud and retellthe story of howCanada got the loonieand then the toonie.What happened tothe old one - and two- dollar bills?

Being money wise isessential to settingpriorities and buildinga foundation of goodfinancial habits.

Your money decisionsreflect your values -what you think ismost important, yoursense of what’s rightand wrong.

Practise personalfinancial decisionmaking: What’s a wisepurchase?

Which purchases arequestionable orunwise? How can youtell one from theother?

Planning a mealinvolves shopping forfood and involvesmaking choices. Anumber of factorsneed to beconsidered, includingprice, quality,nutrition, and balanceof diet.

Meal planningrequires manyconsiderations.

Practise shopping atthe supermarket andthe grocery store.Make up a shoppinglist, set a limit forspending, and thenpurchase the items.How wise have youbeen in making yourdecisions?

Examine yourpurchases. Have youbought all the items?Did you stay withinyour limits? Are thereexamples of whereyou saved money inmaking purchases?



Grade 3 Grade 4


Guiding Question How did the world change with colonization of North America? How did Alberta and the North West develop during the expansion of the West?

Learning Outcome Students describe key events of European exploration, contact with First Nations, the fur trade, and the expansion ofNew France.

Students examine how fur trade rivalries, early explorations, North West Mounted Police rule, and Treaties led toearly settlement and to the transfer of Rupert’s Land to the Dominion of Canada.

Knowledge Understanding Skills & Procedures Knowledge Understanding Skills & Procedures

concept of " The Modern Age " -the European age of discovery,exploration, and colonization (EarlyModern Era, 1450 - 1750): thesearch for routes by sea to India,the East Indies - ChristopherColumbus to the " West Indies "(1492); Vasco da Gama aroundCape of Good Hope to India (1497- 1499); Ferdinand Magellan’svoyage of circumnavigation (1519 -1522)

early contact between Europeansand Indigenous peoples: JohnCabot and Grand Banks, sea silver(England, 1497), Jacques Cartier(France,1534 - 1541), and Ill -Fated Settlement at Cap Rouge

early encounters with Chief ofStadacona tribe Donnacona, takingof his two sons, and deterioratingrelations, scurvy, cedar bark tearemedy, finding of " Route toCanada "

origin of name Canada (Kanata),first social club (Order of GoodCheer, 1606), and meeting withSagamore Membertou (Mi’kmaq)

founding of New France: Samuel deChamplain (1605 - 1632), PortRoyal, Quebec Habitation,Stadacona, Hochelaga, Cross onMount Royal " claimed " for France

The European origins of theconcept of historical eras reflectthe dominant Old World - NewWorld perspective.

Although the first Europeanexplorers came to North Americasearching for routes to the EastIndies and for spices and preciousmetals, they found fish and fursthat attracted them to explore andcolonize New France and NorthAmerica, and the earliestsettlements struggled for survival.

Good relationships dissolved whenconflicts arose over taking "captives, " Donnacona and his twosons, back to France where theirreturn trip was delayed and theyeventually died.

The country’s name and popularsocial practices have Indigenousand French colonial origins.

France laid claim to much of earlyCanada from 1605 to 1760 and lefta lasting cultural heritage andfootprint.

Recognize the concept of Europeanages or eras and identify the " EarlyModern Era " of colonization.

Explain how fish and furs led to theexploration and colonialdevelopment of New France.

Examine the evidence to explainhow Indigenous - French relationsdeteriorated in the early years.

Explain the significance ofIndigenous ways, languages, andpractices in shaping early Canadianculture.

Construct a timeline showing thekey events in the founding, growth,and development of New Francefrom 1605 to 1763.

fur trade rivalries - competitionbetween the Hudson’s BayCompany (1760) and the NorthWest Company (Nor’Westers) forcontrol of the main trade routes,from Cumberland House (1774)onwards, including AnthonyHenday to the Rockies, LaVerendrye in the American West

fur trading posts in the Athabascaregion: Peter Pond and North WestCompany posts, Fort Chipewyan(1788), and Fort Edmonton (1795)

Women, mostly Métis, werepresent in fur trade country andmany intermarried with tradersliving (in thefashion of the country).

Plains Cree culture and the bisonas staple food - using all parts ofanimal, use of pemmican (highenergy dried buffalo meat withberries) used by frontier traders

clearing the way for agriculture -Captain John Palliser’s Expedition(1859 - 1862) and origin of PalliserTriangle - fertile prairie lands

transfer of Rupert’s Land to theDominion of Canada, 1869, andimpact on the North West

a la façon du pays

The Hudson’s Bay Company, basedin London, claimed all lands andrivers emptying into Hudson Bay(covering one third of thecontinent) and faced stiffcompetition from Montreal traderscontrolling the Great Lakes regionand further west.

Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabascawas home to traders, Cree, De’néand Métis peoples, and was thebase for Alexander Mackenzie’snorthern explorations.

North West Company traderAlexander Mackenzie (1789; 1792- 1793) travelled by canoe and footsearching for a Northwest passageto the Pacific. Instead, hejourneyed up a great river to theBeaufort Sea in the Arctic, thenacross the Rocky Mountains to thePacific Ocean.

Dried meat food was first producedby the Plains Cree from pulverizedbison meat and berries (pemmican)and was widely used by Arcticexplorers.

Palliser’s Expedition reportawakened people to the existenceof a fertile triangle and encouragedagricultural settlement.

Prime Minister John A. Macdonaldand his lead cabinet member,George E. Cartier, completed thedeal

Examine the evidence: Study someappropriate key passages of thecharter of the Hudson’s BayCompany, May 1, 1670. How muchland was granted to the Hudson’sBay Company by their charter?

Ask a question: Who was PeterPond and what role did he play inthe fur trade and exploration of theNorth West?

Continuity and change: How do thenames of major rivers help us toremember the past?

Ask questions: Why is pemmicanstill well known today? Which foodproducts are most like pemmican?

Cause and effect: What promptedPalliser’s Expedition and what wasits impact on agriculture in Alberta?

Ask a question: Was the takeoverof Rupert’s Land a good deal forthe Canadian government?



Grade 3 Grade 4

to transfer Rupert’s Land toCanada.

Seasonal survival skills shared byFirst Nations include

methods and techniques fortransportation on land andwater

•

accessing medicines and foodsources through gathering,hunting, and planting

•

food preservation methods•

ways to build sheltersappropriate to ways of life andseasons

•

ways to make clothing from theland

•

Some Indigenous peoplessupported newcomers withknowledge and teachings tosupport survival.

Some new settlers still struggled tosurvive in North America despiteIndigenous support; othersadapted better.

Research challenges new settlersfaced in what is now Canada andidentify how Indigenouscommunities sometimes supportedthem.

origin and advance of North WestMounted Police (NWMP) rule - lawand order to encourage settlement(1873 - 1905)

NWMP headquarters was in FortMacLeod, Alberta and later inRegina, Saskatchewan.

Perspectives on NWMP presenceamong First Nations and settlerswere both positive and negative,with the Mounties generally beingdistinguished as being morereliable and trustworthy than theirUnited States' counterparts.

Draw a sketch of the NWMP inuniform: Why are Mounties oftenshown on horseback?

Examine multiple perspectives onthe NWMP presence in theCanadian West and Northwestaccording to original accounts inprimary documents as well assecondary sources.

legend of Madeleine de Verchères,a 14 - year - old Canadienneheroine widely known for rallyingto the defence of New France

Most French inhabitants of NewFrance lived behind fortifications.

Since the time of Champlain,relations with the Iroquois haddeteriorated and towns andvillages lived under fear of attack asthe Iroquois sought to retainpossession of their lands.

Verchères was one such town,where Madeleine, daughter of theseigneur, rallied the defences in1692 while her parents wereabsent from their farm.

Madeleine de Verchères isconsidered a French - Canadianhero for her role in defending hervillage against the Iroquois.

Centuries later, Madeleine’s imagewas used to inspire women toengage in the war effort in Canada.

Weigh different viewpoints: Thelegend of Madeleine de Verchèrescan be seen from differentperspectives. To whom was theyoung Canadienne woman a hero?How might the Iroquois view heract in rallying the defences?

disappearance of the bison herds -depletion of bison (also known asbuffalo) population originallynumbering some15 millionmigratory animals

One of the earliest endangeredspecies was the prairie bison,decimated mainly by huntersshooting hundreds of bison onexpeditions.

Drawing conclusions: What causedthe near extinction of the PlainsBison? Who or what wasresponsible for the disappearance?

French colonial rule - early societyin New France: earliest Frenchinhabitants - apothecary LouisHébert and his family of Paris, JeanTalon, first census, daughters of theKing ( )

French settlement: seigneurialsystem, seigneurs and habitants,strip farms, Saint Lawrence andRichelieu rivers

les filles du roi

The vast majority of early colonialsettlers were from France, andFrench was the first Europeanlanguage spoken on the continent.

Early French settlers graduallybecame .

New France had a unique systemof land holding - the seigneurialsystem - with strip farms and "rangs " running along thewaterways.

Canadiens

Ask questions: What was daily lifelike for the earliest French settlers,traders, merchants, garrisonsoldiers, men, women and children?Write a note back to Franceexplaining conditions.

Explain how the seigneurial systemof New France worked, outliningthe duties and responsibilities ofseigneurs and habitants.

ranching and cowboy culture: cattleand horses are present on theprairie grasslands, arrival of horsesnorthward, grazing of cattle, firstNWMP cattle herd and horses(1879), lawlessness on the range,spread of cattle herds (25,000 headand 11,000 horses, 1882 - 1883,Big Four ranches in SouthernAlberta, south of Fort Calgary,1875), early Calgary was known as" Cow Town "

Ranching emerged on the Albertaprairie and it was pioneered by thefirst generation of westerncowboys riding horses importedfrom Europe via Spanish colonies(e.g., Mexico, Argentina).

Herding cattle grazed freely rightacross the American plains andnorthward into Canada.

Examine the evidence: Study themost common words used bycowboys roping horses and drivingcattle on the range. What words incowboy culture (lingo, ranch,rodeo, stampede, lariat, lasso,buckaroo) have Spanish origins?Why the Spanish influence?



Grade 3 Grade 4

Slavery in New France: Slaves andservants were common. Blacks inNew France were considered the "property " of white settlers and the

(rulebook) was used,even though it was not the officiallaw. Enslaved Blacks were broughtfrom Africa and sold as part of thetrans - Atlantic trade in goods.Some 3,600 slaves lived in thecolony in 1760 when New Francefell to the British.

Code Noir

Slaves existed in New France untilit was abolished in Upper Canada(1793) and then in all British NorthAmerican colonies in 1807.

Examine the evidence: Discussslavery in New France and considerwhy advertisements would beplaced in newspapers offeringrewards for the capture of arunaway slave.

Jerry Potts (1840 - 1896), was aleading scout, interpreter, hunter inthe North West.

Famous Black rancher John Ware(1845 - 1905), along with his wifeMildred and family, was a ranchingpioneer and folk hero in Alberta(Howdy, I’m John Ware, 2020).

John Ware’s funeral in 1905 wasone of the largest in Albertahistory.

Black rancher John Ware, born aslave in South Carolina, escapedinto Canada and with his wife,Mildred, was a pioneer with a 160 -acre homestead west of Calgary.

Jerry Potts’ mother was from theKainai - Cree and his father wasScottish, and he lived and workedwith Métis, European, and localFirst Nations, earning their trustand respect through his knowledgeof the prairies and his skill as ascout, hunter, and soldier.

Investigate the lives of John Wareand of Jerry Potts. How did theycontribute to the development ofwhat would become Alberta?

expansion of the fur trade tointerior and into the North West:finest beaver pelts (castor gross),voyageurs, coureur des bois, andCatholic missionaries. brandy trade,origin of Montreal fur trade,Nor’Westers

the " Black Robes " (Catholicmissionaries), Father Lacombe(1827 - 1916) priest and pioneer

The fur trade was important toNew France; the frontier wasfortified, and crop production wasmostly to sustain the localpopulation.

Weigh differing viewpoints: Whywas land important to Indigenouspeoples and the French fur traders?

Why was French the first Europeanlanguage spoken in what is nowAlberta?

grain growing and agriculture:settling in a prairie " ocean ofgrassland, " homesteading(loneliness and hardships - drought,early frosts, grasshoppers, grassfires), invention of Red Fife wheat(Rev, John Gough Brick, PeaceRiver district, 1892 - 1893)

origins of prairie grain elevators:first elevator, Gretna, Manitoba,1881, storing grain for loading onrail cars, multiplied from 90 in1890 to 454 by 1900

Harsh conditions on the Albertaprairie test the will of manyfarmers, especially in winters, andthe isolation and loneliness canmake life difficult at times. Frostresistant wheat prolonged thegrowing season over much of theprairies.

Grain elevators are known as "prairie sentinels " and dot thelandscape, alerting travellers to thenames of towns, and as symbols ofgrain growing in the region.

Write a letter expressing theconcerns of a prairie farm familysuffering through the hard times inthe early 1890s.

Weigh different viewpoints: Shouldprairie grain elevators be saved?How much of our history should bepreserved? Why?



Grade 3 Grade 4


Guiding Question What impact did British colonization have on the remaining British North American colonies in what became Canada What factors led to the creation of the province of Alberta in 1905?

Learning OutcomeStudents examine the fall of New France, British colonization, and how the American War of Independence alteredthe course of Canada’s evolution and how changes in Canada are reflected in the Canadian emblems, symbols, andsongs.

Students investigate the main factors leading to the creation of Alberta, including the building of railways andimmigration of diverse groups.


causes of the fall of New France -critical factors in Frenchabandonment of Quebec

Wars in Europe set the stage forthe fall of New France and itsabandonment.

Explain cause and effect: Whatcaused New France to fall to theBritish in 1760 and what was theimpact?

building and completion of theCanadian Pacific Railway (CPR) -from Regina to British Columbia(1883 - 1887), and mistreatment ofChinese railway workers (navvies),mass burials, and origin of Chinesehead tax:

Immigrants from China andIndia were early builders ofCanada and Alberta, working inrailway construction, forestry,and local merchandise trade.

•

Chinese immigrants settled inwhat were often called "Chinatowns. " Survivingexamples can be found inEdmonton and Calgary. Chineseimmigrants also settled in smalltowns across the prairies, wheremany were entrepreneurs andbecame business owners.

•

The building of the CanadianPacific Railway (CPR) wasconsidered a national project with "ties that bind " the Dominiontogether, but much of the workwas done by immigrant workers,including Chinese and Indianworkers.

Chinese and Indian immigrantssuffered racial discrimination andimmigration restrictions.

Exclusionist policies wereintroduced to restrict the numbersof Chinese and Indians entering theDominion. The " Yellow Scare "sparked open discriminationagainst Chinese immigrants, and a1906 - 1908 spike in migrants fromthe Indian sub - continent sparkedharsh restrictions, capping thenumbers admitted to fewer than100 per year.

Examine photos of " The Last Spike" of the Canadian Pacific Railway(CPR). What do they tell you aboutwhat actually happened in buildingthe line?

Examine the evidence of racialexclusion - compare the Chinesehead tax from 1885 to 1923 andIndian immigration " cap "restrictions from 1908 to 1957.

Compare and contrast the earlyChinese and Indian immigrantexperiences. What drew them tothe Pacific West and Alberta? Whydid they face overt discriminationand how did they fare?

Quebec under British rule (1760 -1776):

, and conciliationwith (French Canadians)

Royal Proclamation, QuebecAct, Peace of Paris

Canadiens

Consideration and treatment of theconquered French Canadians was amatter of necessity because

made up the vastmajority of the population.Canadiens

Examine the evidence: GovernorGuy Carleton’s (Lord Dorchester’s)reasons for recommending andsupporting the Quebec Act

Louis Riel, Métis nationhood, andthe suppression of the Red Riverand North - West resistances(1869 - 1885): Métis leader LouisRiel, Head of Buffalo Hunt GabrielDumont, and two resistances in1869 - 1870 (Red River) and 1885(North - West).

Métis scrip was an attempt by thegovernment to compensate Métisfor the loss of land base throughtheir acquisition of Rupert’s Land.Very few Métis were successful inexchanging scrip for land.

Following Riel’s death, the Métisfled west to what is now Albertaand as a result many Métis live inthe province today.

Métis leader Louis Riel was acontroversial figure - revered as ahero by French Canadians, admiredby Métis, yet at the time labelled atraitor and radical of the WesternFrontier.

Métis were displaced as a result ofthe purchase of Rupert’s Land.Métis were displaced from theirhomelands in Manitoba and facedchallenges in trying to settlefurther west.

Alberta is home to the onlyrecognized Métis settlements inCanada.

See history through different eyes:Why did the federal governmentconsider Riel a traitor? Why wouldMétis and French Canadians regardhim as a hero?

Explore the challenges that Métisfaced in moving to Alberta.Research experiences of Métis inattempting to apply for and receivescrip.

Identify the eight Métissettlements in Alberta.



Grade 3 Grade 4

Acadians and Indigenous peoples:the " Grand Dérangement "(Expulsion of the Acadians, 1755)and the Great Law of Peace (1763)- Proclamation Line andrecognition of Indigenous landrights in interior and North West

Thousands of French settlers wereexpelled with revolution brewing inthe American Thirteen Colonies(known as " Le Grand Dérangement" or " the Great Upheaval " ). It wasimmortalized in Longfellow’s poem," Evangeline.

Construct a timeline listing theevents that marked the Acadiandeportation and resettlement.

Alberta’s Francophone history:

Catholic missionaries and manyclerics founded towns whereFrancophone colonizers settled,including Vegreville, Plamondon,Morinville, Legal, Beaumont, andRouleauville (Calgary).

minority language rights:

Father Lacombe (1827 - 1916),priest and pioneer

language

explorers/voyageurs/guides/interpreters•

French main spoken language•

Francophone immigration•

French - speaking newcomerscame from French Canada, NewEngland, and other French -speaking countries in Europe

•

French - speaking Métis upheldFrench language rights andFrancophones gradually movedto Alberta from Quebec andother provinces.

•

The first French settlement(1872) was established atLamoureux; in the 1890s,French settlers were attractedby Father Jean - Baptiste Morin;and by 1898 the populationaround Edmonton numbered2,250 first language French -speakers.

•

Francophones contributed to theestablishment of the province ofAlberta today.

The Francophone communityremains a vibrant and significantpart of the Alberta landscape.

French settlements, distinct fromMétis communities, grew uparound Edmonton from 1877 tothe late 1890s.

Create a timeline retracingAlberta’s Francophone history.

Identify Francophone contributionsto Alberta history.

Compare the different localhistories of St. Albert andEdmonton (still distinct) withRouleauville and Calgary (theCalgary enclave was absorbed intothe Mission District because it wasthe home of the French Catholicmission, but street signs provideclues to its French Catholic origins).

Cause and effect: What minorityrights were extended in the

and what was theimpact?Manitoba Act



Grade 3 Grade 4

rights - (1870),(1875), and F.

W. G. Haultain and Alberta rights,1886 - 1891

Manitoba Act NorthWest Territories Act

American War of Independence(1776 - 1783):

divided loyalties - Americanrevolutionaries(Republicans/Patriots) andUnited Empire Loyalists(Loyalists/Tories)

•

Loyalist influence and Toryvalues - monarchy, respect,responsible government

•

The British sought to secure peaceand loyalty of the Indigenouspeoples with the promise of landrights.

The United States is anindependent republic born out of arevolution, while British NorthAmerica (Quebec and Canada) tooka different path, maintaining closeties with Britain, " the mothercountry. "

Ask questions: What is the basisfor the First Nations claim to muchof the land beyond the settled areaof New France?

Critical thinking: What makesCanadians unique when comparedwith Americans and the British?What do we have in common witheach?

great wave of immigration andsettlement - the " Last Best West "campaign (1896 - 1905), arrival ofGalicians/Ukrainians (Dr. JosephOleskiw and sponsored steamshipvoyages, 1895 - 1900, and Albertapromoter, John Plypow, Lamont,1894)

gold rush and opening of theKlondike: gold discovered atBonanza Creek, Yukon Territory,1896, rush of 40,000 prospectors,depletion of gold deposits, closingof last mine, 1966

creation of the province - originand terms of the

(1905), creating Alberta andSaskatchewan; Alberta’s F. W. G.Haultain fought for responsiblegovernment and favoured a largerProvince of Buffalo

Black settlement in Alberta: earlytrek from Oklahoma into Canada,settling in Amber Valley (1909),Junkins (Wildwood), Keystone, andCampsie, Alberta; pioneer storiesof Jefferson Davis Edwards andAgnes Leffler Perry; arrival of theKu Klux Klan (1920s); racism andeventual disappearance of AmberValley (1940s to 1971); successstories - lawyer Violet King andteacher Gwen Hooks

Early Chinese Canadian PacificRailway workers and pioneerspaved

AutonomyAct

Alberta experienced a slow, gradualtransition to provincial statusinfluenced by the advance ofwestern settlement.

The " Last Best West " was theCanadian government’s Europeanimmigration campaign slogan underWilfrid Laurier, promising free landfor thousands of settlers.

The Klondike gold rush opened upthe Yukon and people camethrough Alberta. It showed thehard realities of a boom - and -bust mining economy.

Joining the Dominion was theoption favoured by Ottawa, butthere were other alternativeproposals, including Haultain’s planfor a larger North West province.

Early experiences of newcomers,such as Black settlers, Chineseworkers and Hutterite farmers inAlberta illustrate what it’s like toface hardships in a new country.

Racism, discrimination, andexclusion were everyday realities,especially in the 1920s and 1930s.Some Black Albertans overcameprejudice and achieved individualsuccess. Many Chinese pioneerspersevered and establishedsuccessful local businesses.

Examine advertisements of theLast Best West campaign (1896 -1905). What attracted earlyfarmers? Would such a plan forAlberta work today?

Examine photographs of goldseekers in the Chilkoot Pass andexplore the life of " Klondike Kate, "Kathleen Eloise Rockwell, knownas Queen of the Yukon.

Examine the evidence: Study theAlberta Act and Autonomy Bill(1905) and describe the actualboundaries of Alberta.

Assess the significance of thegrowth and disappearance ofAmber Valley over the years.

Research the family history ofNorman (Normie) Kwong, 1929 -2016, the son of Chineseimmigrants from Taishan,Guangdong, China, who enteredCanada in 1907 and paid the headtax. Explain how Normie and hisfamily overcame prejudice andachieved success in Alberta.



Grade 3 Grade 4

the way for further migrations,settling in larger centres. By 1910,Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat,and Lethbridge all had Chinesedistricts. Most Chinese immigrantsfaced anti - Chinese sentiment andestablished local businesses,including stores and laundryservices. The life story of formerEdmonton football star Norman(Normie) Kwong (The ChinaClipper) and his family is atestament to their success.

symbols, emblems and flags ofCanada: flags - Union Jack to RedEnsign to Maple Leaf (1964); coatsof arms (Dominion, 1921, Alberta1907/1980); national anthems -God Save the King/Queen (1744),Maple Leaf Forever (1867), Canada(1939); symbol - the poppy(Remembrance Day, November 11,1918); and national animal emblem- the beaver (1975)

Changing symbols and emblemstell the story of Canada’s gradualevolution from a British colony to aself - governing Dominion and amore Canadian, less British societyover time.

Explain the significance: What dothe changes in Canada’s flags tellus about the evolution of ournation?

resilience of the Hutterites: TheGerman - speaking ChristianAnabaptist group arrived in Albertafrom the American Mid - Westafter the First World War, settlingin little colonies, seeking freedomof worship and escape fromenforced military service. TheHutterites wore traditionalclothing, lived in separatecommunities, and faceddiscrimination and limits on furtherpurchase of rural land.

The Hutterites came seekingrefuge and religious freedom andsurvived, overcoming localresistance and discrimination.

Research and report on what youlearn about Hutterites in Alberta,their religious beliefs, social andcultural life, and the sources of theresistance to their settlements.How did the Hutterites manage tosurvive in villages near Magrath,Cardston, and Pincher Creek andeventually secure a place forthemselves in Alberta?

the first mosque on the prairies -The first mosque built in Canada,was Al - Rashid Mosque inEdmonton, Alberta. It was erectedin 1938 and was initiated by aMuslim woman, Hilwie Hamdon,with funds from Jews, Christians,and Muslims. The mosque wassupported by Mayor John Fry.There were about 700 Muslims inCanada at the time. The Al - RashidMosque was built shortly after thefirst U.S. mosque in Ross, NorthDakota.

The mutual support across religiouslines and the architecture of the "onion dome " and " cupola dome "churches of the prairies can tell usa lot about the history of Alberta.

Study photographs of the Al -Rashid Mosque (1938).

What’s distinctive about themosque’s dome? Who was thearchitect? Which aspects of thebuilding reflected Greek Orthodoxand Ukrainian influences?Distinguish between " onion " and "cupola " domes?



Grade 3 Grade 4


Guiding Question What were the earliest forms of government in Canada from New France to British colonial rule What shaped the government and politics of Alberta and makes the province unique?

Learning Outcome Students examine how government and society in New France were distinctly French and how it gradually evolvedinto a British system with its own governors, parliament, and courts.

Students explore the transfer of Rupert’s Land, Treaties, the establishment of a provincial government, and politicalideas that advanced the development of Alberta.


government in New France: King,Minister of Marine and Colonies,Governor, Bishop, and Intendant(Count Frontenac, 1672 - 1698),Bishop François Laval (1659 -1688), and Intendent Jean Talon(1665 - 1672), captains of militia -colonial rule by correspondence,playing card money (Jacques deMeulles, 1685), women’shorsemeat protest (

)les femmes

Québecoises, 1757

French colonial government wastop - down from the King in Franceto the Governor (New France)ruling in cooperation with theSovereign Council, the CatholicBishop and the Intendant (colonialadministrator) and sparked periodicprotests

Identify the weaknesses in thegovernment of New France. Howeffective was it in making changesor responding to troublesomeissues? How long did it take to geta decision?

transfer of Rupert’s Land to theDominion of Canada (1869) and itsimpact on Alberta - a new frontierfor Western expansion, controlledby Ottawa, 1869 - 1905

Treaties and reserve system: TheBritish Crown negotiated treatieswith First Nations peoples inAlberta territory - Treaty 6 (CentralAlberta, Carlton and Fort Pitt,1876); Treaty 7 (Southern Alberta,Blackfoot Crossing, Fort Macleod,1877), and Treaty 8 (NorthernAlberta at Lesser Slave Lake, 1899).Three treaties, 45 First Nations on140 reserves, covering 812,771hectares of reserve land

Treaties are living documents thatstill apply today and are afoundational part of Alberta.

struggle for provincial rights:Frederick W. G. Haultain and thestruggle for self - government - thefirst clash with Ottawa - theHaultain Resolution (1892) andamendments, status as advocate ofresponsible government in Alberta

What is now Alberta wastransferred from the British Crownto the Dominion Government inOttawa, a step on the road toterritorial self - government.

First Nations and the Crown eachhad reasons for the signing oftreaties.

Each treaty is unique and includedprovisions related to land use andrights.

All people living in Alberta areTreaty people.

Prominent member of theTerritorial Legislative Council,Frederick W. G. Haultain of FortMacLeod, Alberta, challengedBritish Colonial Officerepresentative Lieutenant -Governor Edgar Dewdney, andcampaigned for " responsiblegovernment " - a governmentaccountable to the people’s electedrepresentatives.

Identify the extent and boundariesof Rupert’s Land at the time of thetransfer to Canadian governmentadministration.

Make a chart showing the threemajor treaties in Alberta, the maindate and location of the signing,the region covered, and provisionsincluded within each treaty andrepresentative nations.

Discuss the meaning of " We are allTreaty people. "

Weigh differing viewpoints: DoesFrederick W. G. Haultain deservemore recognition as the father ofresponsible government in Alberta?



Grade 3 Grade 4

British monarchy and parliamentarydemocracy:origin of English charter ofdemocratic rights, terms of

(1215), immediate impact inEngland (King is responsible tocouncil of barons), and contributionto democracy, law, and humanrights in Canada

The safeguardedthese rights: access to swift justice,protection of church rights, no newtaxes without permission, limits onfeudal dues/taxes, and protectionfrom unfair imprisonment.

first English council of 25 baronsestablished to watch over the King,and ensure the rights of

were respected, eventuallybecoming the House of Lords inParliament of England (like theSenate in Canada)

The Great Law of Peace is theconstitution on which the IroquoisConfederacy was founded.

MagnaCarta

Magna Carta

MagnaCarta

The essential principles of liberty inthe English - speaking world andthe origins of Parliament can betraced back to the(Latin for Great Charter).

The made the King(monarch) accountable to a councilof barons representing the people,and influenced governmentsaround the world.

One of the two Houses ofParliament, the appointed UpperHouse (Senate of Canada) is alegacy of the .

The Great Law of Peace set outhow the confederacy would begoverned, how conflicts would beresolved, and how peace would beupheld.

Magna Carta

Magna Carta

Magna Carta

Examine the evidence: Study somekey age - appropriate clauses of the

(1215) that would stillbe relevant today. Why are suchideas as protection from unfairimprisonment still importanttoday?

Compare and contrast theand the Iroquois Confederacy

Great Law of Peace.

Weigh viewpoints: Was thea lasting legacy in Canada?

Magna Carta

MagnaCarta

MagnaCarta

provincial government in Alberta:established following first election(1905), with a small ProvincialAssembly of 25 seats and some25,336 voters, which expanded to59 seats and 298,087 voters in1921, when the United Farmers ofAlberta (UFA) took power

The Alberta Legislative Assembly isbased in Edmonton, the provincialcapital, and the province isgoverned by a Premier in Council(with his cabinet), based upon theBritish parliamentary system.Unlike the federal government,there is only one legislative body,not two (House of Commons andSenate), as in Ottawa.

Discuss and debate: " One Houseof Assembly is all Alberta needs toprovide sound and effectivegovernment. "



Grade 3 Grade 4


Guiding Question Why is geographic knowledge essential for understanding historical changes, movements of people, and the spread ofcolonies around the world? How does geographic knowledge support understanding of Alberta’s past and present?

Learning Outcome Students locate and discuss how geographic locations of colonies, exploration routes, migrations of people, andchanging boundaries is important in understanding past and present developments. Students examine people, places, locations, and boundaries related to Alberta over time.


First Nations and Inuitcommunities lived across NorthAmerica at the time of FrenchEuropean contact.

exploration routes to the Pacificcoast: routes of James Cook (1768- 1778), George Vancouver (1792 -1793), Alexander Mackenzie(1793), David Thompson (1799 -1800), and Simon Fraser (1807)

Indigenous peoples lived in manydifferent places, spoke differentlanguages, and had differingcultural practices.

Many major river systems inWestern Canada got their namesfrom early explorers.

Interpret maps showing differentIndigenous cultural and languagegroups across North America at thetime of French European contact.

Locate the routes of earlyexploration in Western Canada.

Ask questions: Why are the majorrivers named after European orAmerican traders and explorers?What are the names of the rivers inthe local Indigenous language?

The North West Territories wasdivided in 1882 into fiveadministrative districts, includingAlberta, Athabasca, AssiniboineEast, Assiniboine West, andSaskatchewan.

Geographic locations can bedescribed using specific positioningon the globe. Places in Alberta arelocated at meridians of longitudeand parallels of latitude. Longitudestarts at the Prime Meridian inGreenwich, UK (0 degreeslongitude) and latitude starts at theequator (0 degrees latitude). TheInternational Date Line is 180degrees longitude. Time zonesfollow the meridians.

Alberta place names have a widevariety of origins and can bedifferent in Indigenous languages.

Local place names with Frenchorigins include Lamoureux, Leduc,Lacombe, Bonnyville, Morinville,Beaumont, Trochu, Riviere - qui -Barre, and Vegreville.

The names of two of the fiveoriginal districts became the officialnames of the two provinces of theDominion in 1905, Alberta andSaskatchewan.

All places in Alberta, Canada, andthe world have specific geographiclocations on the globe, atintersection points of latitude andlongitude.

Indigenous names for places helpto explain their history andsignificance.

Alberta has approximately 2000communities and natural sites withFrench - influenced names.

Draw a map of the division of theNorth West Territories in 1882,showing the locations of each ofthe five districts and then draw theactual boundaries of the provincesof Alberta and Saskatchewan as oftheir creation in 1905.

Test your geographic skills: Find thegeographic locations of towns andcities in Alberta, includingEdmonton, Calgary, Vegreville,Lloydminster, Lac La Biche, Banff,Brooks, and Pincher Creek.

Examine place names: Some localIndigenous language place namesinclude Edmonton (Beaver HillsHouse, Cree), Calgary (Elbow,Blackfoot) and Fort Chipewyan(Land of Willows, Dene).

Identify the location ofFrancophone settlements and drawa map identifying the originalFrench settlement towns.

historical maps showing changingboundaries of New France (1610 -1760) and British North America(1763, 1783, and 1815)

New France and British NorthAmerica expanded and boundarieschanged over time.

Trace the changing boundaries ofNew France and British NorthAmerica between 1610 and 1815.

Analyze the maps: Why did thecolony of New France grow soslowly compared to the AmericanThirteen Colonies?

Landforms maps show the surfacerelief and elevations above sealevel of physical features across thewhole landscape, showingmountains, hills, valleys, passes,and small depressions (coulees).

Map scales provide a way ofcalculating distance from one placeto another on a map, usuallymeasured in either centimetres tokilometres or inches to miles.

Alberta is a province with vastplains, mountains, foothills, hills,and many lakes, rivers, and creeks.Elevations above sea level rangefrom the lowest point at SlaveRiver Valley (573 feet [175 metres])to the highest point at MountColumbia (12,294 feet [3,747metres]).

Calculate the change in elevationfrom Fort Chipewyan to theCrowsnest Pass in the RockyMountains. (That’s the kind ofclimb Alexander Mackenzieundertook by canoe and on foot inthe 1790s.)

Use a map with a scale: Calculatethe distance in kilometres travelledby the North - West MountedPolice from Battleford to DuckLake during the 1885 Métisresistance. At this time, the area ofAlberta and Saskatchewan wascalled the North - West Territories.



Grade 3 Grade 4


Guiding Question How can available resources and products inform trade and choice, past and present? How are goods and services exchanged in trade?

Learning Outcome Students compare resources, products, and choice to trade in early colonies and present day Alberta. Students examine trade and transportation and its influence on the distribution of goods and services, past andpresent.


Metropolis and hinterland is a wayof describing the trade relationshipbetween a mother country ordominant trading centre andoutlying colonies, societies, orcommunities (Paris, France andNew France, Montreal and theNorth West).

Main products of New Franceproduced for export to Franceincluded furs, fish, whale blubber,and wheat.

Main staple products imported intoNew France from the mothercountry included ships, muskets,blankets, woolen goods, horses,pots, and metal goods.

Products produced in New Francefor local consumption includedbread, maize (corn), oats, barley,peas, cattle.

New France supplied France withhighly prized furs (beaver pelts),fish, and wheat (for bread) andimported most of its finishedgoods. The mother country limitedthe New France economy bysupplying staple products.

The fur and fish trade wereprofitable for France and thecolony was expected to produceproducts to feed the people: food,drinks, canoes, wooden goods, andwheat for bread.

The French trade system wastriangular trade (mercantilism)linking France, New France, and theWest Indies (sources of sugar,fruits, and vegetables).

Draw a map diagram of triangulartrade linking France, New France,and the French West Indies. Labelthe three - cornered trade flowsand products going in and out ofFrance.

Make a concept map to illustratethe production of goods in NewFrance - for export and for homeconsumption. Show linkagesbetween wheat and bread, cattleand leather goods.

balance of trade in the fur trade ofthe North West - a case studyexamining the Fort Chipewyantrade region, 1822 to 1899, signingof Treaty No. 8 (Patricia A.McCormack, Fort Chipewyan andthe Shaping of Canadian History,1788 - 1920s, 2010, Map, p. 5)

timeline of important events:

1822 - first York Boats built atFort Chipewyan

•

1826 - Hudson’s Bay Companywithdrew liquor from tradingdistrict

•

1869 - Hudson’s Bay Companymonopoly ended when Rupert’sLand surrendered to Canada

•

1881 - small pox epidemic•

1882 - 1883 - Fort Chipewyanbypassed by HBC trail toAthabasca Landing

•

1886 - Transportation by YorkBoats ended

•

1887 - Great famine•

1893 - 1898 - Gold seekerspassed through on route toKlondike

•

A balance sheet shows thedifference between revenuescoming in (for goods and services)in relation to expenses (costs goingout) in a business or trading area.The balance sheet is directlyaffected by surrounding economicconditions and ups and downscaused by changing conditions.

Make a balance sheet for trade atFort Chipewyan from 1822 to1898, plotting the ups and downsof total trade (profits vs. losses) inrelation to the ups and downs ofconditions.

Alberta has historically been aresource economy, producinggoods, services, and ideas thatpeople in the province, in Canada,and around the world need andwant. Resources and productsinclude oil and gas, coal, livestock,grains, food, honey, softwood.

Products exported include oil andgas, sulphur, cement, stone,minerals, and fuels.

discovery of oil at Leduc No. 1 andthe post - World War 2 oil boom

The resources that Albertaproduces have changed over time.

Explain why Alberta is a leadingresource - producing region andwhy its products are needed orwanted in other parts of thecountry or the world.

Compare the products produced inAlberta in 1945, 1980, and 2020.

How has Alberta’s economydiversified over time?

Why might it be good andnecessary for the Alberta economyto continue diversifying in thefuture?

Transportation hubs are importantto Alberta’s trade and economicactivity and changed from the earlyyears to modern times fromwaterway and railway centres tohighway junctions and airports.

Changes in means oftransportation can affect whichplaces are transportation hubs asthe Albertan and Canadianeconomy continues to diversify.

Identify and compare major Albertatransportation hubs in 1800, 1900,and 2000.

Make a map of major Albertatransportation hubs and trace thechanges in Alberta, over time.Where do they link to aroundCanada and the world?



Grade 3 Grade 4


Guiding Question What are the essential principles and advantages of knowing the basics about making wise and responsible financialchoices? Why is developing a business plan a good idea when managing an operation or planning a new project?

Learning Outcome Students develop insights about wise management of what they have. Students develop a business plan to support historical understandings of the construction of the Canadian PacificRailway.


Being " money smart " is a basicskill in today’s world and it’simportant to be able to manageyour own money and resources.

Building a foundation of goodhabits of caring for the things youhave at an early age helps you tomake the most effective use ofyour resources. Knowing the valueof money and how to manage it ishelpful in everyday home, school,and extra - curricular activities.

There are many ways of giving toothers, regardless of whether youhave money, but managing yourmoney well can mean that youhave more ways to share or donateto worthy causes.

Personal money matters: Whatmoney is spent on you - per day,per week, over a month? Whatproportion goes to basic needs,entertainment, or fun activities? Doyou stock up or save some thingsin case you need them later? Doyou share with others?

Discuss how saving can start at anearly age. An individual does notneed to wait to have more moneyor be older to start saving money.

Features of a business plan include

type of business•

description of business•

costs•

market•

tracking of revenue andexpenses

•

profit•

Planning and managing: Using abusiness plan involves studying thebenefits in relation to costs andhelps businesses be moresuccessful.

Identify basic features of a businessplan.

Explain how a business plan helpsto guide decision making in abusiness or in carrying out a newproject.

Asking questions: How is yourfamily like or unlike a business(budgeting, costs, profit)?

the value of saving - for desiredpurchases and for help during a "rainy day " (when losses aresuffered and others need yourhelp)

Saving is part of wise personalplanning. It allows you to save - upfor bigger purchases and alsocomes in handy during a " rainy day" or period of financial lossesaffecting you or your familymembers.

Plan a party for your class with abudget of $100. How much wouldyou spend for food so thateveryone has enough? How muchfor fun activities? If you havemoney left over and it was yours todecide, what would you do with it?

A business plan is a document thatsummarizes plans to carry outprojects over time. Plans normallyinclude the following: type ofbusiness, description of business,costs (construction), market(potential customers), sources ofrevenue (funding, tickets), costs(land, rails, tracks, engineers, andworkers), and possible profits.

Constructing the Canadian PacificRailway (CPR) was the biggestbusiness project at the time.

Developing a business plan helpsto ensure the success of a businessor a project, large or small, byassessing the potential benefits(gains) and possible costs (losses).

Make a business plan to plan forthe Construction of the CanadianPacific Railway (1881 - 1885). Itwill be a risky plan to effectivelymanage resources and keep initiallosses to a minimum. What are thecosts and the benefits in economicand human terms?

Choose a contemporary example ofgovernment support for regionaldevelopment. Why dogovernments provide support?



Grade 3 Grade 4

Paying for goods and services:Money (currency and banknotes/dollar bills/credit cards) areused to purchase goods today.Flashback - Barteringgoods/products led to theintroduction of money.

Spending money: Consumers todayhave plenty of choice, far morethan in colonial times: spend (oncars or iPhones), save (for a house),invest (in a company), and donate(to a charity/good cause).

Choosing to keep some money foryourself for later (pay yourself first)before you spend it can be animportant first step to prudentmoney choices and a wise lifelonghabit.

Choice related to money involvestrading one thing for another.

The outcome of a choice related tomoney may have consequencesthat can be both intended andunintended.

Borrowing money to buy goodscarries risks as well as rewards.Lending money is the same.Borrowing more than you canafford is unwise.

Make a list of the many forms ofmoney in today’s economy: coins,bills, plastic, electronic.

Ask a question: What happenswhen a colony/province/familylives beyond its means (borrowsmoney and spends more than itearns in income)?



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question What was the impact of the Great Migration on early modern Canada? How do the United States and Canada compare in their origins, early development, and founding events?

Learning Outcome Students investigate and explain the impact of the Great Migration and the War of 1812 in shaping society, culture,and institutions in British North America.

Students examine and explain the extent to which the United States and Canada share a continent and emerged outof both commonly shared and distinctly different historical experiences.


The Great Migration (1800 - 1850)and the arrival of eight millionimmigrants from England, Scotland,and Ireland to British NorthAmerica and the AmericanThirteen Colonies. The populationof British North America (UpperCanada, Lower Canada, NovaScotia, New Brunswick, andNewfoundland) was 461 000 by1806, but rose to 750 000 by 1821and reached 2 300 000 by 1850.The flood of immigrants came froma cross - section of classes,propertied and impoverished, andnationalities, English emigrants,Catholic and Protestant Irish,Highland and Lowland Scots, andGerman - speaking Lutherans.Newcomers survived roughAtlantic sea crossings and laid claimto land in the so - called " newcountry. "

Colonial War of 1812 - 1814 andthe peace settlement:

causes of the War of 1812 andthe declaration of war

•

key military events, includingbattle of Detroit

•

British alliance with Tecumseh•

Sir Isaac Brock at QueenstonHeights (1812)

•

Tecumseh’s death(Moraviantown 1813)

•

British campaigns of 1814•

Peace Treaty of Ghent (1814)•

The Great Migration of Britishpeoples shaped the society,customs, structures, and practicesof the population, most clearlyshown in the pioneer experiencesin Upper Canada. Most of thesettlers were men, but thepopulace also included pioneerwomen like Susanna Moodie,clearing a farm near Peterborough,Upper Canada, in the 1830s, andliving in the more settled town ofBelleville, Upper Canada, in the1840s.

The War of 1812 - 1814commenced with an Americanattack on Upper Canada, led to aretaliatory series of British attackson the east coast of the UnitedStates, and resulted in a draw withno changes in boundaries. It mayhave reinforced a sense ofsolidarity among British NorthAmericans and produced symbolsof national pride.

Examine the evidence: Read aloudand study short age - appropriatepassages (in the original language)from Susanna Moodie’s famousaccounts,and . Why wasSusanna Moodie so discouraged inthe early years and what changedto lift her spirits?

Explain continuity and change witha timeline showing the events inthe War of 1812 from 1812(invasion of Upper Canada) to 1815(battle of New Orleans).

Identify the turning points in thecontinental war.

Roughing It in the BushLife in the Clearings

Early colonial America:

Early French settlements in colonialAmerica:

Jamestown (tobacco/Virginia)•

Plymouth(Pilgrims/Massachusetts)

•

Massachusetts Bay (JohnWinthrop/Puritans)

•

New Amsterdam (Manhattan)•

Pennsylvania (Quaker/WilliamPenn)

•

Florida•

Cajuns in Louisiana•

Acadians in British NorthAmerica

•

The American Thirteen Colonieswere colonized by many differentdissenting groups, many seekingpolitical rights and religioustoleration, including Pilgrims,Puritans, and Quakers.

French settlements survived andpersisted in both countries longafter the political division of thecontinent.

Explore the origins of Americannational character: How much didGovernor John Winthrop and thePuritans of Massachusetts BayColony contribute to shaping theidea of an American identity?

Compare how French minoritypopulations fared in both countriesin the USA and Canada - theCajuns of Louisiana and theAcadians of Maritime Canada.



Grade 5 Grade 6

The tale of a young UpperCanadian woman, Laura Secord,warning the British before thebattle of Beaver Dam (June 23,1813) is legendary.

legend of Laura Secord, Canadianheroine of War of 1812, separatingmyth from reality, and why herwarning the British was nothonoured until 1853

Her reputation inspired thecreation of Laura Secord chocolatecandies.

Watch the video, the " LauraSecord " episode in the CanadianHistorica Heritage Minutes Series,and discuss whether it fairlyrepresents her role.

Ask questions:

Why do stories like LauraSecord become popular?

•

What role do they play inshaping our understanding ofhistory?

•

What other stories could wetell about the War of 1812?

•

The battle for Quebec, September1759: General James Wolfe and hisBritish forces scale the Quebeccliffs and defeated the Frenchunder Marquis de Montcalm on thePlains of Abraham, leadingeventually in September 1760 tothe surrender of Quebec.

Conquest and revolution: twodifferent transformations - theBritish conquest of New Franceand the American Revolution andtheir impact on each society -remaining British (Loyalist tradition)and breaking away (republicanpatriot tradition) from the Britishcolonial empire

The battle for Quebec claimed thelives of both the French and Britishmilitary commanders, and onefamous 1770 painting, BenjaminWest’s " The Death of Wolfe "captured the scene in vivid fashionfrom the British viewpoint.

The conquest of 1760 turnedQuebec British, and Americans inthe Thirteen Colonies (fromMassachusetts to Florida) chose tobecome independent of British ruleon the continent. It’s commonlyagreed that the AmericanRevolution created two societies,the United States of America andwhat became the Dominion ofCanada.

Examine and analyze BenjaminWest’s famous painting " TheDeath of Wolfe " to see how anAnglo - American artist saw thebattle and particularly Wolfe’sdeath at the moment of victory. :

Does it present the fallen Wolfeas a martyr?

•

Were those grouped aroundhim actually present at thattime?

•

Why could it be regarded asone of the best - known imagesin 18th - century art?

•

Struggle for reform and the unionof the two Canadas, in act of union,1820 - 1841:

William Lyon Mackenzie’s YongeStreet Rebellion (1837): why itfailed and what it contributed todemocratic reform

origins of the conflict overpolitical reform - British colonialrule (family compact and clergyreserves)

•

land owning system•

American republican influences•

struggle for political rights, andstirrings for radical change(William Lyon Mackenzie inUpper Canada/rebels, and Louis- Joseph Papineau in LowerCanada/Patriotes)

•

Stirrings for democratic reformsparked two different rebellions inUpper Canada and in LowerCanada, each with similar sources,except for the racial conflictunderlying the Patriotes Revolt inLower Canada.

" Fiery rebel " William LyonMackenzie of Toronto initiated afailed rebellion, but he planted theseeds of democratic reform in thepopulace.

Read aloud and discuss theappropriate passages of speechesand writings touching on the rootsof the Rebellions of 1837: SirFrancis Bond Head (governor,Upper Canada), on the " SocialFabric " (A Narrative, 1839),William Lyon Mackenzie, " RiseFreemen from North of the Ridges," 1837; and Louis - JosephPapineau (Leader of patriotes) on "Democratic Institutions, " Speechto Legislative Council, La Minerve,1833).

Examine images of the Patriotesthat have been used to depict therebellions. What messages do suchdrawings communicate about thepeople and events, and why aresuch images still well known inQuebec today?

Examine historical images of theburning of the Parliament buildingsin Montreal, Canada East, in1848.Why were British loyalists upsetenough to torch the colonialassembly?

American invasion of Canada,1775: American General RobertMontgomery led an invasion in acampaign launched as part of theWar of Independence. Americansfaced local resistance in Quebecand eventually abandoned theattempt at occupation. FirstNations were divided and allied onboth sides of the war. Some FirstNations remained neutral in theconflict. Founding fatherBenjamin Franklin visited Montrealin a failed attempt to turn the eliteinto joining the War ofIndependence against Britain.

The American War ofIndependence and coming of theLoyalists:

The Iroquois Confederacy alliedwith the British forces in thewar.

•

Thousands of United EmpireLoyalists settled in Quebec,Nova Scotia, and NewBrunswick.

•

Settlement of the St. John Rivervalley provided the base of thepopulation for the creation ofNew Brunswick, 1784.

•

American independence forcesinvaded Canada via two routes,trying to take Montreal andQuebec City, because theybelieved the French - Canadianswould welcome Americans asliberators.

The Iroquois Confederacy alignedwith the British side in theAmerican War to assert theirsovereignty and push back againstAmerican settlement further west.

Loyalists included African -Americans opposed to slavery andFirst Nations allies of the BritishCrown, including Joseph Brant,chief of the Mohawks.

Loyalists of many backgrounds(British, Indigenous, German, andAfrican) settled in Quebec, NovaScotia, and New Brunswick.

Analyzing the situation:

Conduct an investigation into themotivations of First Nations(Joseph Brant and Six Nations) insiding with the British in theAmerican War of Independence.Retell the life of Joseph Brant inyour own words.

Examine the evidence: Who werethe United Empire Loyalists?Compare the perceived image ofthe " Loyalist " as being British withthe reality of the diversity ofgroups drawn to the British side inthe American War ofIndependence.

Why did the Americans thinkthat the conquest of Canada in1775 would prove easy?

•

How were the American forcesactually turned back?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

Responsible government:

Lord Durham’s Report of 1839•

the Union of the Canadas(1841)

•

Governor General Lord Elginand the achievement ofresponsible government in theCanadas (1848)

•

In Nova Scotia, Halifaxpublisher and reform advocateJoseph Howe and reformers ledthe movement.

•

Achieving responsible governmentwas a step toward democraticgovernment because it ensuredthat the Governor General wasrequired to rule with the " adviceand counsel " of an elected body -in this case, the elected membersof the Assembly. Today, in Ottawa,it’s the House of Commons.

Draw a diagram to illustrate theidea of responsible governmentshowing Upper Canada in 1836and in 1849.

Continental War: the War of 1812- 1814 and its impact on Canadianself - image:

heroism of Sir Isaac Brock atbattle of Queenston Heights(1812)

•

the burning of the two capitals•

Fort York and French -Canadian resistance inspired byLieutenant Colonel Salaberry inthe victory over the Americansat the 1813 Battle ofChateauguay

•

The American invasion ofUpper Canada ended with theBritish victory in 1814 atLundy’s Lane on the NiagaraFrontier.

•

Thomas Jefferson, former USpresident, expected an easy USvictory in the War of 1812. InAugust of 1812, correspondencebetween Thomas Jefferson andWilliam Duane states Jeffersonbragged that acquiring Canadawould be as easy as " a merematter of marching. " The facts ofhistory proved him wrong.

Weighing perspectives:

Why would Americans likeThomas Jefferson assume thatCanadians could be wooed intojoining the United States?

•

When Americans looked at thenorthern British colonies, whatdid they see?

•

Why were the vast majority ofBritish North Americansunmoved by appeals fromWashington?

•

Origins of British Columbia:

Governor Douglas was animportant historical figure; borninto the wealthy Scottish merchantclass on his father’s side and hismother was " free coloured "Barbadian Creole, which means shewas of African descent

James Douglas, governor ofVancouver Island (1851 - 1863)and governor of BritishColumbia (1858 - 1864)

•

growth and expansion of Pacificcolony

•

establishment of borders andboundaries - the forty - ninthparallel to the Pacific formedthe border between UnitedStates and Canada

•

Colonial expansion sparked debateover the future of British rule inPacific coast colonies (Oregon,Washington, and British Columbia).The British claim was staked byJames Douglas, overseeing anexpanding fur trade empire.Douglas negotiated land purchasetreaties and the British agreed todraw the line at the forty - ninthparallel.

Describe how James Douglasexpanded and developed BritishColumbia and its coastal trade,sometimes at the expense of theinterests of local First Nations.How should we remember hiscomplex legacy?

Symbols of nationhood:

the retaliatory raid onWashington blackened theWhite House

•

the battle of Fort McHenry(1814) produced an anthem,Star - Spangled Banner

•

the legacy of Indigenous -British alliances was cementedby Shawnee chief Tecumseh

•

The war led to the erection ofBrock Monument and awardingof the War of 1812 medals.

•

The War of 1812 produced anenduring mythology and a numberof symbols of emerging Canadiannational sentiment, includinglandmark battle sites, monuments,and war medals.

Examining historical significance:

What should we rememberfrom the War of 1812?

•

Which of the symbols andmonuments deserve to remainas a historical marker?

•

Which monuments should bebuilt but are missing?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

Confederation and adding to theDominion, 1867 - 1873: TheBritish North American colonies,facing threats related to theAmerican Civil War (1861 - 1865),came together in a federal unionwith four original provinces,Ontario (Canada West/UpperCanada), Quebec (CanadaEast/Lower Canada), Nova Scotia,and New Brunswick. The newDominion of Canada was officiallyborn on July 1, 1867, now knownas Canada Day. Joining later wereManitoba (1870), British Columbia(1871), and Prince Edward Island(1873).

The Dominion of Canada beganJuly 1, 1867, with four originalprovinces (Ontario, Quebec, NovaScotia, and New Brunswick) andfirst Prime Minister John A.Macdonald succeeded in strikingdeals to secure the admission ofManitoba (1870), British Columbia(1871), and Prince Edward Island(1873).

Continuity and change: Make atimeline to explain the sequence ofevents in rounding out theDominion from 1867 - 1873.Explain which territories were leftout until much later (1905 - 1949).

American Civil War and CanadianConfederation (1861 - 1867): TheUS Civil War was fought betweenthe northern states (Union) and thesouthern states (Confederates),who wanted to secede, largelybecause the southern economywas heavily dependent on slavery,which many in the north wanted toabolish.

The US Civil War was the result ofa country founded on an ideal ofequality that still upheld slavery inmany of its states (3.5 millionslaves out of a population of 31million). It was the bloodiest war inhistory till that time, 750 000 dead.The north won, and theemancipation proclamation led tothe Thirteenth Amendment, whichabolished slavery.

the American threat and themovement to unify the BritishNorth American colonies under theCrown of Great Britain

The United States Congress,controlled by the Democratic party,ruled in the thatescaped slaves must be returned totheir owners.

Fugitive Slave Act

Social life in Confederation times:Mercy Coles, daughter of PEIPremier George Coles, journeyedoverland to Quebec Conference(October 1864) and wrote a journalof her perspectives of social life atthe time in Ottawa political circles.

According to Mercy Coles, womenlived in " separate spheres " duringConfederation times in the 1860s.

Write a short scene for a playstarring Mercy Coles and focusingon one of two age - appropriatereal - life episodes: talking withPremier Leonard Tilley (a widower)and her father George Coles duringthe stagecoach ride to QuebecCity, or her spell of illness in theQuebec Hotel and the visit of Dr.Charles Tupper to check on hercondition.

Continental tensions, 1849 - 1871:Border tensions arose over asuccession of contentious issues:

burning of Parliament buildings(Montreal, 1848)

•

Annexation Manifesto (1849)•

(1850)• Fugitive Slave Act

Underground Railroad (1850 -1860)

•

ending of Reciprocity Treatybetween Canada and UnitedStates (1854)

•

Ottawa chosen as capital ofprovince of Canada

•

construction of Parliamentbegins (1859)

•

Trent Affair•

risk of war (Britain and UnitedStates 1861)

•

outbreak of Civil War (1861)•

Fenian border raids (1866)•

migration of American settlersnorthward

•

Treaty of Washington (1871)•

In the 1861 Trent Affair, Britain andthe United States came to the brinkof war. This encouraged themovement towards CanadianConfederation.

Instead of the northern UnitedStates, Canada became the mainescape destination for escapedslaves via the UndergroundRailroad, a network of friends andassociates. African - Americanfugitive slaves followed the NorthStar (Polaris), a symbol of freedom,to Canada.

Examine the myth of theundefended border: Today,Canadians and Americans takepride in maintaining peace alongthe forty - ninth parallel and inhaving " the world’s longestundefended border. " Take a closerlook at the period from 1775 -1871. Was it an undefendedborder back then?



Grade 5 Grade 6

Debate over the real Father ofConfederation: Three prominentBritish North American politiciansplayed key roles in theachievement of CanadianConfederation:

John A. Macdonald (Kingston,Canada West)

•

Georges E. Cartier (Montreal,Canada East)

•

George Brown (theGlobe/Toronto/Canada West)

•

It is much debated whetherMacdonald, Cartier, or Browndeserves most credit as the " father" of Confederation.

Prominent Canadian politicalcartoonist J. W. Bengoughprovided his personal views incaricature drawings, and one of hispolitical cartoons looked at whowas the real Father ofConfederation.

Examine and discuss J. W.Bengough’s famous cartoon, "Confederation, The Much -Fathered Youngster. " What dideach of John A. Macdonald,Georges E. Cartier, and GeorgeBrown contribute to the formationof the Canadian union?

1609 - 1924: the American " Indianwars " :

Some 70 armed settlersattacked the Paspahegh capital(August 9, 1610), burning thehouses and cutting downcornfields, beginning the firstAnglo - Powhatan War (1610 -1614).

•

passage of(1830)

• Indian Removal Act

Sioux War (1876 - 1877)•

Battle of the Little Big Horn andCuster’s Last Stand (1876)

•

Sitting Bull and the GhostDance movement

•

Battle of Wounded Knee (1890)•

Isolated skirmishes continuedwith the Apache Wars up until1924, considered the end of thelong period of conflict betweenthe American government andFirst Nations.

•

Indigenous peoples were displacedand forced onto reservations inboth the United States and Canada.The American Indian Wars weretragic encounters. The AmericanRepublic encroached on Indigenoustraditional territory and dispatchedthe US cavalry to escort FirstNations to reservations.

Explain the historical significance:Compare the American andCanadian approach to recognizingFirst Nations rights with respect totraditional territory.



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question How was early modern Canada affected by the Atlantic slave trade, abolition, and Canadian immigration policy? How do Canada and the United States compare in their histories and policies relating to religious and ethnicpluralism?

Learning Outcome Students examine how slavery, the fight for abolition, emancipation of enslaved people, and Canadian immigrationpolicy helped shape early modern Canada. Students investigate Alberta’s and Canada’s ethnic and religious diversity.


Slavery was officially abolished bylaw in Upper Canada beginning in1793, (Governor John GravesSimcoe) and then across the BritishEmpire beginning in 1807 (

) and 1833 (), though it took longer

for the practice to end in someplaces.

William Wilberforce (1759 - 1833)was a leading British abolitionist,who spoke passionately in theBritish Parliament against the slavetrade.

Arrival of the Black Loyalistsseeking freedom during and afterthe American Revolution (1776 -1783):

SlaveTrade Act SlaveryAbolition Act

More than 3000 Black peoplemigrated to Nova Scotia.

•

About 1500 settled inBirchtown, Nova Scotia, andendured hardship anddiscrimination.

•

About 1200 of the Blacksettlers left Halifax in 1792 tofind a better life in Sierra Leone.

•

Remaining Black settlersformed first generation of BlackCanadians and many remaintoday in Nova Scotia.

•

Earliest Black migrants, known asBlack Loyalists, arrived in 1770s,settling in Nova Scotia, where theysuffered hardships anddiscrimination. Some 1200abandoned Nova Scotia for SierraLeone in Africa, and remainingsettlers formed first generation ofAfrican Nova Scotians.

Recognize the causes and effectsof American slavery and itsimplications upon British NorthAmerica and Canada, especially thevoyage and settlement atBirchtown, Nova Scotia.

The metaphor of a mosaic versus amelting pot has value when appliedto the cultural outlook and thepattern of immigration, ethnicity,and willingness to accommodatedifferences. It oversimplifies thereality because the two countrieshave shared similar immigrationpolicies and experienced similarproblems with racism, integration,and discrimination.

Compare the myth and the realitiesof the Canadian mosaic and theAmerican melting pot: Choose twoCanadian provinces and twoAmerican states for comparisonpurposes. Study the ethnoculturalcompositions of the respectivepopulations at different points intheir history.

Does the popular metaphorhold true?

•

Would the metaphor holdbetter if we were comparingCanada and the United Statesto more historicallyhomogenous European or Asiancountries?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

slavery in the southern UnitedStates

•

the (1850)and its impact in Canada

• Fugitive Slave Act

the Underground Railroad•

Abraham Lincoln and theEmancipation Proclamation(1864)

•

the Thirteenth Amendmentabolishing slavery

•

the persistence of laws andcustoms ( " Jim Crow " )maintaining segregation

•

The route to freedom in Canadawas known as the UndergroundRailroad and its end point was atAmherstberg, near the border townof Windsor, in Canada West, whichis Ontario today. Fugitive slavesestablished farms all oversoutheastern Ontario.

Historical thinking exercise:Explore the Underground Railroadexperience.

Today’s Canada and Alberta arebecoming increasingly ethnicallydiverse and is projected to becomeincreasingly so over in the next 20years. In Alberta, the ethniccomposition of the population willshift significantly.

Canada’s latest ethnic compositionstatistics and projections forgrowth 20 years later

Contemporary Canada and modernday Alberta aspire to be open,welcoming, and inclusive societies,exemplifying multiculturalism andacceptance of differences.

Canada welcomes people fromaround the world to ourmulticultural society. At the sametime, most newcomers have toshow English or French languageability and meet educationqualifications to immigrate toCanada and must pass a citizenshiptest to become a Canadian citizen.

Examine the latest Canadiancensus data on ethnic diversity andprojections for changes 20 yearslater.

Make a pie graph to represent thechanging ethnic composition ofAlberta from the most recentstatistics compared to 20 yearslater, based on Statistics Canadafigures and projections. Clearlyindicate the shifts in ethniccomposition by ethnic group. Whatare the biggest projected changes?

Immigration and racism: Sikhs andthe Komagata Maru incident, 1896- 1914:

refusal of port authorities toallow Komagata Maru to dock

•

arrival of the first Sikhs withsome working on the railway, inforestry and lumbering

•

the first Sikh gurdwarasestablished in Vancouver (1908)

•

Restrictive immigration policyaffected the Sikhs and people ofcolour seeking refuge in Canada.Some 376 migrants on theKomagata Maru were blocked fortwo months from coming ashore.The Pacific coast provinceremained " British " and true to itsname.

Tackle an ethical issue: Baring thedoor to the Komagata Maru in1914 was a clear act of racialdiscrimination. Explain why,referring to the evidence of whathappened. Examine thecomposition of the groups thatmade up the passengers.

Why did they charter the boat?•

What was its route?•

What happened to them?•

The religious diversity of Albertareflects the diversity of the overallpopulation. Although a majority ofAlbertans identify as Christian, avariety of religions are growing inAlberta, as are the number ofpeople who identify as non -religious. These religions includeIslam, Sikhism, Judaism, Hinduism,and Buddhism.

Canada and Alberta’s latest censusdata on Albertan and Canadianreligious diversity

Just outside the city of Edmontonexists one of the largest gurdwarasin Canada.

Calgary and Edmonton are home tothe majority of Alberta’s Jewishpopulation

Freedom of religious practice isencouraged, but we sadly knowfrom history that acceptance cancome less easily - in part, becausenewcomers bring new andunfamiliar religious faiths andpractices. But fear of the unknowncan be no excuse for intolerance.Students will specifically studyother faith traditions so thatunfamiliar practices becomerespected and understood in apluralistic society.

Examine the latest census data onAlbertan and Canadian religiousdiversity.

Research and produce a report onreligious diversity in the local andsurrounding community using themost recent Census Canada data.



Grade 5 Grade 6

Christianity: principal teachings:

Jesus Christ is Son of God•

the Trinity (Father, Son, andHoly Spirit)

•

Sermon on the Mount•

New Testament (including thefour Gospels, that tell the life ofJesus)

•

Christmas•

the Cross, crucifixion•

Salvation, heaven and hell•

well - known stories (parables)and teachings: good Samaritan;prodigal son; lost sheep; emptytomb; rich man and eye of aneedle; meek inherit the earth;first shall be last; conversion onthe road to Damascus.

•

Learning about what other peoplebelieve and what their religionsmean in their daily life can breakdown prejudice.

Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Christianity.

Judaism: principal teachings of theJewish religion:

• belief in one God

• the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)

• the Torah (first five books of theTanakh)

• the Talmud (code of Jewish law)

• covenant between God and theJewish people

• the mitzvoth (613commandments)

• law, justice, and socialresponsibility

• kashrut (kosher dietary laws)

• well - known stories: Garden ofEden; Noah’s ark and the rainbow;Abraham, Isaac, and the Covenant;David and Goliath; Exodus fromEgypt; Moses and parting of theRed Sea, the Ten Commandments,and the Promised Land;Destruction of Solomon’s Temple;Jonah and the Whale; Psalms


Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Judaism.



Grade 5 Grade 6

Islam: principal teachings of theMuslim religion:

The five pillars: 1) One God,Allah; 2) prayer; 3) alms (gifts);4) fasting; 5) pilgrimage, Mecca

•

the Quran (Muslim holy book)•

major Muslim stories fromIslamic texts: Yusuf and hisjealous brothers, Habil andQabil, Harut and Marut,Suleyman, Dawud (David), jinn,and the Ant story, the prophetYunus, Ibrahim’s courage,miracles of Allah, story of theheifer, belief in angels,Mohammed and the ArchangelGabriel in the cave

•


Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Islam.



Grade 5 Grade 6

Hinduism: principal teachings ofthe Hindu religion:

Dharma (ethical conduct);karma (the consequences ofone’s actions in life for thefuture of one’s soul);immortality of the soul (atman)through cycles of rebirth orreincarnation (samsara) until thesoul achieves liberation(moksha) from this cycle.

•

Hindus believe in a supreme, all- encompassing being calledBrahman, as well as many godsand goddesses, including Shiva,Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesh, Rama,and Krishna.

•

The Hindu holy books arecalled the Vedas

•

Hinduism is the oldest of themajor world religions, with itsorigins pre - dated recordedhistory; it has no humanfounder and has many traditionsand practices.

•

Buddhism: principal teachings ofthe Buddhist religion:

By following a series of ethicaldisciplines and spiritualpractices (the Three UniversalTruths, the Four Noble Truths,and the Eightfold Path) asentient being can transcend allsuffering and attachment toimpermanent things and attainnirvana, a non - self orenlightened emptiness free ofall attachments.

•


Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Hinduism.

Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Buddhism.

Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Sikhism.



Grade 5 Grade 6

Buddhism grew out ofHinduism and is based on theteachings of called the Buddha,whom Buddhists believe wasborn Siddhārtha Gautama andlived in the 4th or 5th CenturyBC in what is now modern dayNepal and India.

•

Meditation is a commonspiritual practice of Buddhism,and monasticism has played animportant part in the teachingand preservation of the religion.

•

Sikhism: principal teachings of theSikh religion:

• one God, religious faith foundedby Guru Nanak, Dev Ji, 10 gurushave guided Sikhism

• five tenets of Sikh faith:compassion (Bhai Daya Singh); duty(Bhai Dharam Singh); courage (BhaiHimmat Singh); honour (BhaiMohkam Singh); royal (Bhai SahibSingh)

• three duties:

- Nam Japna: meditating on God'sname to control the fiveweaknesses (thieves) of the humanpersonality

- Kirt Karna: work hard andearn/make a living honestly,without exploitation or fraud

- Vand Chhakna: sharing withothers, helping those with less whoare in need

Sikhism



Grade 5 Grade 6

is a distinct religion, even though itexhibits Islamic and Hinduinfluences. The Sikh communityhas both religious and secularfollowers. It is a relatively newreligion that arose at the same timeas Protestantism in the Christianfaith.

Confucianism and Taoism: principalteachings of Confucius: Follow

, or " The Way. " Theof Confucius:

Fundamental questions:

Guidance is provided by Confuciuson each of these questions. Heexemplified the ideal model of a "gentleman " (a well - cultivated andvirtuous person, rather thansomeone belonging to a particularsocial class). The fundamentalvirtues:

Daode Jing, the Taoessential Analects

concept of (virtue, rightconduct, humaneness,benevolence)

• ren

concepts of family,relationships, citizenship, andgovernment

•

What is the ?• Dao or Tao

What is , virtue?• De

How is related to ?• De Dao

Why does every persondeserve respect?

•

Could some persons deservemore respect than others?

•

What is an ideal human?•

Is it possible to have an idealgovernment or society?

•

honesty, reciprocity, andhumaneness/benevolence

•

strong belief in traditional ritual,the family, and piety honouringfamily and ancestors

•


Describe the main ideas and beliefsof Taoism and the principles ofConfucianism.



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question How were Indigenous people in early modern Canada affected by agreements, treaties, and legislation, including theresidential school system?

How do Canada and the United States compare when looking at interactions with Indigenous peoples and other racialminorities?

Learning Outcome Students examine how the negotiation of treaties and the imposition of the Indian Act and the residential schoolsystem impacted First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Canada, both in the past and present. Students compare residential school policy and the early fight for racial equality Canada and the United States.


First Nations and Indigenous landrights: western expansion ofsettlement and the displacement ofIndigenous peoples (treaty system)

The defined howFirst Nations communities weregoverned, who is an " Indian, " andwho is excluded. Seeking to accessmore land, the Dominiongovernment sought to assimilateIndigenous peoples intomainstream Canadian society.Amendments between 1880 and1905 banned Indigenous peoplesfrom conducting their ownceremonies, leaving the reservewithout permission, purchasingalcohol, selling agriculturalproducts, wearing regalia, andtraditional dancing.

Indian Act, 1876

The was created for thepurpose of controlling andassimilating Indigenous peoplesand communities in Canada inorder to gain access to traditionalIndigenous territories.

The Canadian government signedtreaties with Indigenouscommunities across Canada to gainaccess to lands for settlement,resources, and railroad expansion.

Indian Act Describe how the placedlimitations on First Nations andcommunities and defined theirlegal status, rights, and privileges.

Examine the evidence: Why didCree chiefs such as Mistahi -maskwa (Big Bear) andPîhtokahanapiwiyin (Poundmaker)refuse to sign Treaty No. 6 in1876? Explain why he claimed thatthe white man had no right to theland in the North West.

Read the terms of the treaty still inplace in your region of Alberta.What do they say? Who are theybetween? How are they stillrelevant today? What does " Weare all treaty people " imply?

Indian Act Assimilation and AmericanIndigenous residential schools

Assimilation was the explicit goalof American Indian Affairs policywith respect to educatingIndigenous children in day andboarding schools. The UnitedStates government passed the

in 1819.Federal funds were provided tobenevolent groups and churchorganizations to educateIndigenous peoples.

Civilization Fund Act

In 1824, the American governmentcreated a Bureau of Indian Affairsto administer the fund.

Similar to Canada, policies andpractices within the residentialschool system of the United Statesof America included restrictionsand punishment for speakingtraditional Indigenous languagesand practising cultural traditions.

Religious organizations tookprimary responsibility for educationof Indigenous children.

The of 1819was responsible for the assimilationof Indigenous people of the UnitedStates and led to the creation ofresidential schools.

Civilization Fund Act

Residential schools were managedby religious organizations and weretasked with assimilating Indigenouschildren into the mainstreamculture, referred to as a "civilization process. "

Indigenous children were forcedfrom their homes and put inresidential schools.

Identify the ultimate goal ofAmerican Indian policy: Why didthe United States government seekto educate Indigenous children intomainstream American culture?What lessons can be learned fromthe experience?

Examine the impact of thecompulsory attendance law and itseffects on Indigenous peoples andcultures.

Compare two Indigenous affairspolicies, theand the Canadian of1876, to identify similarities anddifferences. Compile a comparisonchart identifying the key similaritiesand differences in the twoapproaches.

Civilization Fund ActIndian Act



Grade 5 Grade 6

Origins of Indigenous residentialschools: The wasamended in 1884 so thatattendance at residential schoolswas mandatory for Indigenouschildren from the ages of 7 to 16.

Indian Act

Impact on Indigenous boardingschool students:

Students in residential schoolswere not allowed to speak theirown languages or practice theirculture.

•

Parents who resisted turningover their children to the IndianAgents faced fines,imprisonment, or threats ofpermanent loss of their children.

•

Conditions of the residentialschools were poor and familyvisitors were restricted ordenied.

•

Instruction styles andstructures were different fromtraditional learning systems ofIndigenous communities.

•

Students were forced toabandon their languages andtraditional customs andpractices.

•

The curriculum was focused onvocational occupations. Thousandsof residential school students diedand those that re - enteredmainstream society are known assurvivors.

Disease,

The harsh realities of the CanadianIndigenous residential schoolsystem from 1884 to the 1970sremained largely hidden untilrecent years. The full scope of thetragedy was revealed in June 2015with the release of Justice MurraySinclair’s major report for thefederal Truth and ReconciliationCommission (2008 - 2015).

Listen to an Interview with ChiefWilton Littlechild on the residentialschool experience. How does ChiefLittlechild tell how he survived andeventually become a successfullawyer in Alberta and advocate atthe United Nations?

Examine the evidence: Considerthe mistreatment of Indigenousresidential school students.

Why is it important to knowabout what occurred?

•

How does this knowledgesupport reconciliation?

•

Racial segregation on the NorthAmerican western frontier: the riseand fall of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK):Racial intolerance broke out intothe open with the arrival of theKKK, revived in Georgia in 1915,spreading from its southern baseinto the American and CanadianWest from 1920 to 1923. The KKKtargeted the Black community,people of colour, and Catholic andJewish people. The slogan " OneFlag, One Language, One School,One Race, One Religion " attractedthousands who held massmeetings, carried torches, andtormented Black people and othergroups from the 1920s, until wellinto the 1930s in Canada. Theactivities of the KKK arediminished and are no longeropenly practised in Canada. InCanada, it is unlawful for one groupto promote hatred of anothergroup.

The Ku Klux Klan appealed toAmericans and Canadians who feltdistracted by social changes andthe advances of groups theybelieved were inferior. Deep racialprejudice and a misguided and anti- scientific belief in the inherentsuperiority of one race overanother fueled the movement. TheKKK sought to enforce racialsegregation, such as keeping Blackpeople and other groups out ofmainstream white society. In someplaces, it was such a powerfulorganization that, especially in thesouthern United States, somepoliticians, policemen, and evenjudges were members.

Examine the evidence:

Where was KKK membershipthe highest?

•

Why did it find some support inCanada?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

malnutrition, lack of medical care,and neglect of children contributedto thousands of deaths. Formerresidential school students areknown as survivors and the wholesystem remains a black mark onCanada’s national reputation as acompassionate, tolerant, and caringsociety.

The impact and abuses weredocumented in the 2015 Truth andReconciliation Commission report,which issued 94 " Calls to Action. "

The tragedy of Canada’sIndigenous residential schools isbetter known since the Truth andReconciliation Commissioninvestigations and report. Personaltestimonies are revealing and oneof the most powerful is ChiefWilton Littlechild, a Cree fromErminiskin Reserve, Alberta, raisedlargely at residential schools from1951 - 1964.

Read aloud passages from the FinalReport of the Truth andReconciliation Commission (2015)and take notes to summarize thekey findings and most importantrecommendations.

Asking fundamental questions:How have Indigenous people beenaffected by the loss of languageand culture?



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question What are the similarities and differences between First Nations and Canadian forms of government? How does the American political system compare to Canada’s political system, and what are some of the mostimportant reasons for those differences?

Learning Outcome Students compare and contrast governing structures, laws, and practices of the Iroquois Confederacy and Canadianforms of government.

Students compare democracy and rulership, constitutions, the rule of law, community responsibility, and individualrights in Canada and the United States.


The Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)Confederacy, established by FiveNations in Upper State New Yorkborderlands, provides a windowonto Indigenous governancestructures and democraticprinciples. The law was written onwampum belts, conceived byDekanawidah, known as the GreatPeacemaker, and his spokesperson,Hiawatha.

The Great Law of Peace, orIroquois (Haudenosaunee)Confederacy constitution, provideda statement of the core principlesof cooperation and set of lawscommitted to mutual support forgroup strength and support,survival, and respectfulrelationships with others. TheIroquois (Haudenosaunee)Confederacy was made up of fivenations: Mohawk, Oneida,Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. Asixth nation, the Tuscarora, wasadded in 1722.

The Great Law Of Peaceestablished how the confederacywould be governed, how conflictswould be resolved, and how peacewould be upheld. Each nationwould maintain its own council,with chiefs chosen by the clanmothers, to address communitymatters. The grand counciladdressed overall issues affectingthe whole confederacy and wasintended

The Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)Confederacy is a model of a goodgovernment - a federated union ofnations, united with commondemocratic principles, laws, andpractices aimed at maintainingpeace and harmony and providingstandards of conduct. It wascooperative and the nations werebound together in aninterdependent relationship withgive and take between the membernations.

The confederacy was a matriarchal(women - led) society, unlike earlyEuropean society headed by menwith a patriarchal line of authority,kings, and male - dominant culture.

Women were the heads of societyas they were recognized for theirgifts. Clan mothers wereresponsible for selecting a maleleader as spokesperson or chief.The system modelled showingrespect, sharing supplies, andavoiding conflict as ways of livingtogether. Everyone was expectedto perform specific functions toensure community well - being andsecurity.

Examine the evidence: Identify themain provisions of the Great LawOf Peace (

).

Asking questions:

Weighing the viewpoints: Did theGreat Law Of Peace shapeAmerican democracy?

Haudenosaunee Guide forEducators

What opportunities did thepeople have to participate indecision making?

•

To what extent did theconfederacy embrace theprinciples of equity andfairness?

•

American Declaration ofIndependence: Thomas Jefferson’sVision, 1776:

The core ideas of Americandemocratic creed were captured inthe famous Declaration that gavebirth to the Republic:"

"

"

"

"

"

Democracy in America:

When in the Course of humanevents, it becomes necessary for onepeople to dissolve the political bandswhich have connected them withanother … a decent respect to theopinions of mankind requires thatthey should declare the causes whichimpel them to the separation ...

A Prince whose character is thusmarked by every act which maydefine a Tyrant, is unfit to be the rulerof a free people ...

We hold these truths to be self -evident, that all men are createdequal, that they are endowed by theirCreator with certain unalienableRights, that among these are Life,Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...

Alexis de Tocqueville’s Vision(1835): One of the classicdescriptions of the Americandemocratic way of life waswritten by a French aristocrat,Alexis de Tocqueville, after atour of the United States in the1830s.

•

The American Revolution spirit,expressed in the Declaration ofIndependence, may have givenbirth to two countries, the UnitedStates by design and Canada byaccident, in reaction against therevolutionaries.

A segment of the Americanpopulation, called British Tories,resisted American independenceand some migrated to Canada asUnited Empire Loyalists.

The Loyalist refugees included twonotable groups who refused to joinin the Revolution, former Americanslaves of African heritage, and acolony of Iroquois, led by chiefJoseph Brant, displaced by the warwho settled around Brantford asthe Six Nations of Grand River.

The French observer Alexis deTocqueville, studying the Americanprison system, noted the morehumane approach in the treatmentof convicts. While French prisonswere brutal and harsh places full ofhuman abuses, he noted that theUnited States considered isolationand removal of freedom to be aharsh enough sentence.

Identify the significance of the twodifferent reactions to theconditions that gave rise to theAmerican Revolution.

Why were Americans inspiredto take up arms and overthrowBritish rule in the ThirteenColonies?

•

Were the American coloniessuffering under British rule and,if so, how?

•

How might have the King ofEngland, George III, acteddifferently?

•

Asking key questions aboutThomas Jefferson and theDeclaration of Independence: Thedocument proclaimed that " all menare created equal, " yet its primeauthor was a Virginia slave owner.

Is there evidence that Jeffersonwas acknowledging his ownguilt with phrases such as: " Itremble for my country when Ireflect that God is just: that hisjustice cannot sleep for ever " ?

•

How was this quote realized inthe bloody American Civil War?

•

How long did it take for theseideals to be realized in theUnited States?

•

Debate the issue: Write a shortspeech defending the AmericanRevolution



Grade 5 Grade 6

as a way to unite the differentnations and create a peacefulmeans of decision making to live inharmony.

The Iroquois Confederacy was amatrilineal society, where women,clan mothers, had considerablepolitical authority and influenceand the clans were made up ofextended family who tookresponsibility for protection,leadership, peacemaking, wisdom,and spirituality. Membership in aclan could be hereditary or throughcommunity appointment, marriage,or adoption.

The people of the longhouse: Alonghouse was a dwelling forseveral families and alsofunctioned as a central place fordecision making and culturalgatherings.

His book, ,presented a description ofAmerican democratic ways andview of the equality of people inmainstream society.

• Democracy in America or rejecting the appeal of theAmerican patriots bent on breakingaway from British rule andtraditions.

Weighing different perspectives:

How did American society andits prisons look to the Frenchsocial reformer Alexis deTocqueville?

•

Why did he view the new worldsociety differently?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

Original Canadian constitution: The, passed

into law March 29, 1867, andeffective July 1, 1867 (DominionDay, later Canada Day)

Theestablished a constitutional

monarchy with a Britishparliamentary system, composed ofa Parliament with two legislativebodies, the House of Commons(elected lower house withMembers of Parliament fromacross Canada) and the Senate(appointed upper house),representing the provinces.

The Canadian system is a federalsystem with a federal/nationalgovernment and provincialgovernments with power sharedbetween the two levels. In thepreamble to Section 91, thenational government is responsiblefor " peace, order, and goodgovernment. "

The official head of state remainedthe King or Queen, as representedby the Governor General (King orQueen’s representative) and theprime minister governed with thesupport of the elected council(cabinet) or the ministry.

Governing authority is based uponthe fundamental principle of "responsible government " (powersof

British North America Act

British North AmericaAct

The original British Westminstermodel simply conferred on theDominion government " all therights and privileges " found in theBritish tradition embodied inconstitutional monarchy withparliamentary power at the heart ofgovernment.

" Peace, order, and goodgovernment " are considered thecore political values, in starkcontrast to the United Statesprinciple of " life liberty and thepursuit of happiness. "

The Canadian government systemis modelled after the British systemwith ideas borrowed from theUnited States and also found inAustralia.

Examine the evidence: Comparetwo different views ofConfederation of Governor GeneralLord Monck and John A.Macdonald.

Develop and produce a shortcomparison chart comparing thecompromise: Canadian constitutionwith the Iroquois Great Law ofPeace, using the followingheadings:

Project learning: Complete aproject, produce a short report, anda plan for an interview with a majorhistorical figure in Canada’s earlyhistory. Choose one of thefollowing figures:

basic philosophy•

federal system•

main decision - making body•

process for making decisions•

role of women in politicalsociety

•

John A. Macdonald•

Louis Riel•

Big Bear•

Poundmaker•

Crowfoot•

Shanawdithit•

Aatsista - Mahkan•

Harriet Tubman•

Mary Ann Shadd•

Two constitutions: the Americanrepublic and Canadianconstitutional monarchy

Responsible government meansthe cabinet is responsible to theelected House in Canada.

In Canada, the government governsin the name of the Sovereign (HerMajesty’s Government and HerMajesty’s loyal Opposition).Ministers of the Crown areaccountable to Parliament, and thegovernment must call a newelection if it loses the " confidenceof the House "(Eugene Forsey,

).

The US has a veto system toensure checks and balances onarbitrary rule.

How CanadiansGovern Themselves

Each political system, a republicand a constitutional monarchy,have their own strengths and flaws.

Canada is a constitutionalmonarchy while the United Statesis a republic.

The Westminster system is knownas " a republic in disguise, " whilethe US has something like an "elected monarch with term limits. "

Draw a comparison: Explain thequalities and drawbacks of eachsystem using an authoritativehandbook, such as

, by SenatorEugene Forsey.

Draw comparisons in a chart listingthe key differences and similaritiesbetween Canada’s constitutionalmonarchy and a republican form ofgovernment.

Explain to what extent theWestminster system is actually " arepublic in disguise, " while the UShas something like an " electedmonarch with term limits. "

Assessing significance: Why is thephrase " peace, order, and goodgovernment " considered importantin Canada?

How CanadiansGovern Themselves



Grade 5 Grade 6

monarch limited by theconstitution), especially by thepowers of Parliament.

Josiah Henson•

Susanna Moodie•

George Brown•

George E. Cartier•

Hector Langevin•

Mercy Coles•

George Simpson•

Alexander Mackenzie•

F. W. G. Haultain•

Amor de Cosmos•

Donald A. Smith•

Sam Steele•

Gabriel Dumont•

George Vancouver•

James Douglas•

Simon Fraser•

John Molson•

Mildred Ware•

Pat Burns•

John Palliser•

Henry Wise Wood•

Matthew Begbie•

Wilfrid Laurier•

Honore Mercier•

A. C. Rutherford•

Charles Stanley Monck•

Stephen Angulialik•

Peter Pitseolak•

Lucy Maud Montgomery•



Grade 5 Grade 6

Nellie McClung•

Emily Murphy•

Henrietta Muir Edwards•

Louise McKinney•

Irene Parlby•

Government has three branches:

Checks and balances in the system:The Governor General isappointed, but the executive iselected and drawn fromParliament, normally the electedHouse of Commons. Since theexecutive (prime minister andcabinet/ministry) is drawn fromParliament, it can be defeated inthe elected House. It’s differentthan in the United States, wherethe president can only be removedby Congress via formalimpeachment and convictionprocess.

Recent changes in the Canadianconstitution: In 1982, Canadapatriated its constitution fromBritain and nine of the 10 Canadianprovinces agreed with the federalgovernment to a new constitution,which included most of the

(nowthe ) andadding new provisions, mostnotably the Canadian Charter ofRights and Freedoms. Now lawspassed by Parliament and mostactions

executive (Governor - General -in - Council/cabinet, includingthe prime minister)

•

legislative (two houses ofParliament)

•

judiciary (courts, including theSupreme Court)

•

BritishNorth America Act

Constitution Act, 1867

The core principles of Canadiangovernment were guaranteeing therights and privileges of Britishparliamentary democracy, threedistinct branches of government,checks and balances, and a federalsystem with power sharedbetween two levels of government,national and provincial.

Explain the rationale of havingthree branches of government anda system of checks and balances.

Federalism: Canada has10 provinces and the US has 50states, plus territories.

Each political community (country,province, state) has responsiblegovernment and is sovereign in itsown sphere.

A federal system requires differentpolitical bodies to work together.

Compare federal systems:

How do the two different formsof federalism compare?

•

What’s similar and differentbetween the United States andCanada?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

of the government (executive) mustcomply with the provisions of theCharter.

Separation of powers: Politicalpowers are separated in bothsystems as a check on arbitrarydecision making and to make itharder for one group of people, orfaction, from gaining absolutepower.

The Canadian Parliamentary -cabinet government is accountableto the House of Commons andensures this principle.

The United States has separationof powers in Congress, presidency,and Supreme Court. Only Congressmay declare war (though this hasnot been the practice since WorldWar II) and ratify treaties.

Appointments must be confirmedby the US Senate.

The US Supreme Court is part ofthe judiciary, which is one of thethree branches of government.

In the US system, Congress wasgiven most of the power (thepower to legislate and the " powerof the purse " ), although thepresidency has increased inauthority over time, with thegrowth of the federaladministration in the 20th century.Similarly, the judiciary (especiallythe US Supreme Court) has cometo exercise much more power overCongress and the executivebranches

Separation of powers was inspiredby the constitution of Athens andthe Roman Republic. The Americanfounding fathers were educated inthis classical political history and itinformed how they built theconstitution of their " modern "democracy.

The system in Canada is differentfrom the United States as theconcentration of power is in theexecutive (the " government " orthe " cabinet " or the " ministry, "made up of ministers and the primeminister, which is accountable toParliament). Members of the Houseof Commons are, in turn,accountable to the people viaelections.

Explain the background context:Explain clearly where the idea ofthe separation of powers comesfrom in ancient times and how theAmericans applied it to their newrepublic.

Drawing conclusions: Explain howthe Canadian (British Westminster)system is built around aconcentration of power in theexecutive.

Cause and effect:

How long have Canada’s FirstNations had the right to vote infederal elections?

•

How did they acquire the rightto vote in federal elections?

•

Who supported extendingvoting rights?

•

What were the obstacles, andhow were they overcome?

•

Compare the Canadiansituation with that in the UnitedStates.

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Grade 5 Grade 6

than originally intended.

In Canada, the executive branchhas the exclusive power ofappointment, declaration of war,and making treaties. (For a treaty tobe binding in Canadian law, it mustbe incorporated into law byParliament, like any other law.)

Theallowed for Canada to create

its own Supreme Court. Initially,the Supreme Court was formalizedin 1875 under AlexanderMackenzie’s Liberal government. AJudicial Committee of the PrivyCouncil in the United Kingdomserved as the place for final appealsunder Canadian law until 1933 forcriminal cases and 1949 for civilcases.

Voting rights did not always applyequally for women, First Nations,Métis, and Inuit, or for people ofcolour.

British North America Act (BNA),1867



Grade 5 Grade 6

Two houses of government: Thelegislative branch of both systemsis bicameral, meaning it has twochambers rather than onelegislative body or assembly.

The federal Parliament in Canadahas two houses, the House ofCommons and the Senate, and theUnited States has two houses ofCongress, the Senate, and theHouse of Representatives.

Some of Canada’s provinces hadupper houses but all are nowunicameral.

In Canada, members of parliamentare elected while senators areappointed. In the United States,Congress people, the president,and senators are all elected toprovide regional representationand each state has equalrepresentation (two per state).

Regional representation in Canada:Provinces are allocated weightedrepresentation in the House ofCommons, and the Crownrecognizes certain groups left outof the system. Senaterepresentation is by region, not byeither equal representation (as inthe

fixed terms and fixed electiondates in the US

•

elected Senate vs. appointedSenate

•

The United States and Canada bothhave bicameral systems to ensurechecks and balances againstarbitrary use of power. Thepresident is restrained by Congress,and the prime minister isaccountable to the House ofCommons and the CanadianSenate reviews all legislation toensure " sober second thought "before bills become law.

The Canadian Senate is appointedby the Governor - in - Council onthe advice of the prime minister,and senators can serve up the ageof 75, whereas the United StatesSenate is elected directly to six -year terms by the people of eachstate and senators can serve asmany terms as they are elected for.

Compare the make - up of theUnited States Congress (House ofRepresentatives and Senate) andthe Canadian Parliament (House ofCommons and Senate).

Debate the issue:

How are they similar?•

How are they different?•

Why are some provinces inCanada given morerepresentation in the House ofCommons or the Senate thanothers?

•

What are the barriers toproviding more representationto underrepresented provinces?

•

Does Canada need anappointed federal upper houseor Senate?

•

What role does the Senate ofCanada actually play in ourgovernment system?

•

Why did the provinces do awaywith their second houses?

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Grade 5 Grade 6

United States) or by population.

First Nations have recognizedstatus. It was granted to FirstNations before they acquiredvoting rights in the system (section35 of Constitution).

Overall powers in the two systems:Sections 91 and 92 of theCanadian constitution dividepowers of government betweenthe federal government (whichused to sometimes be called the "Dominion government " ) and theprovincial governments.

Section 91 of the CanadianConstitution says, " It shall belawful for the Queen, by and withthe Advice and Consent of theSenate and House of Commons, tomake Laws for the Peace, Order,and Good Government of Canada,in relation to all Matters notcoming within the Classes ofSubjects by this Act assignedexclusively to the Legislatures ofthe Provinces. " It says " theQueen, " but in practice this meansthe federal parliament.

Federations like Canada and theUnited States divide powersbetween the federal andprovincial/state governments indifferent ways.

Compare: List the powers of thefederal government and thepowers of the provincialgovernments.

Why do you think power wasdivided the way it was?

•

How does the fact of federaltaxation let the federalgovernment influence howprovinces exercise their powers(federal spending power)?

•

How do cities (municipalgovernment) fit into this(creations of provincialgovernment)?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question What do geographic representations tell us about the natural features of Canada? What do historical maps show us about changes over time in terms of migration, conflict, and boundary changes?

Learning Outcome Students examine landform regions, major bodies of water, climate zones, and political boundaries in Canada. Students examine continental migrations of people, cross-border conflicts, and boundary changes in a spatial context.


Traditional Indigenous lands inearly Canada: geographic locationsof the First Nations people at thetime of contact with Europeans:Times of contact vary, dependingupon the region. For the East Coastand the St. Lawrence River - GreatLakes region, the date was 1534(Jacques Cartier’s records). For thesouthern Plains, it was 1754. Forthe West coast, it was 1778.

First Nation, Métis, and Inuitterritories and regions can best beunderstood in connection to land,kinship ties, seasonal travel routesand settlements, trade networks,cultural groups, and languagefamilies. Most maps are snapshotsin time that do not capture themigration patterns of Indigenouspeoples over time.

Examine a map of Canada showingFirst Nations peoples at firstcontact with Europeans, andidentify the regions inhabited byFirst Nations, Métis, and Inuit inwhat is now Canada.

Identify and trace the seasonaltravel routes or trade networks ofFirst Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

Understand historical First Nationseast - west and north - south traderoutes with other First Nationscommunities. For example,communities now located inAlberta traded with communities(Navajo, Blackfeet) located in theUnited States.

Why do the First Nations havetwo names?

•

Why did the names get "anglicized " ?

•

Migrations of First Nations andInuit before European contact: FirstNations and Inuit in northern NorthAmerica did not live in one placeover the entire span of the 30 000years before contact withEuropeans. Archeological finds andsurviving records have been usedto reconstruct those movements.Some First Nations were moresettled in concentratedcommunities, while othersmigrated from place to place inresponse to changes in climate,growing seasons, and themovement of animal herds.

Displacement of the First Nations:The disruptive process ofdisplacement is graphicallyillustrated in the map tracing theforced relocation of various FirstNations from 1770 to 1890. Thetrail of tears of the Cherokee from1816 to 1839 is well known, butmany others have goneunrecognized in most historybooks.

Conventional maps showingIndigenous peoples beforeEuropean contact living in distinctareas tend to simplify the patternof settlement and obscure themovement of peoples over time.

Maps reveal the extent ofdisplacement of Indigenouspeoples in what is now the UnitedStates.

Compare two maps: Examine mapsshowing traditional territories ofIndigenous peoples and themigrations of Indigenous peoplesbefore contact with Europeans innorthern North America. Why is itso difficult to get an accuratepicture in maps?

Draw conclusions: Examine a mapshowing the displacement ofIndigenous peoples in NorthAmerica.

What caused the upheaval anddisplacement of America’sIndigenous peoples?

•

How does the pattern comparewith the experience to thenorth in British North Americaand early Canada?

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

A geographic region encompasseslandforms, bodies of water, climate,and natural barriers.

Landform regions of Canada:

Main bodies of water:

Climate zones of Canada: Sevenmajor climate zones have beenidentified:

Canadian Shield•

Great Lakes•

St. Lawrence Lowlands•

Appalachian Region•

Interior Plains•

Hudson Bay or Arctic Lowlands•

Western Cordillera•

Innuitian Mountains•

Atlantic Ocean•

Pacific Ocean•

Arctic Ocean•

Gulf of St. Lawrence•

St. Lawrence River and Seaway•

Great Lakes•

Hudson Bay and James Bay•

Nootka Sound•

Salish Sea and Strait of Georgia•

major rivers, including theMackenzie, Fraser, ThompsonColumbia, and North and SouthSaskatchewan River systems

•

A landform region is an area ofphysical landscape space withunifying characteristics, such ascontinuous open water, mountain,plateau, valley, or lowland terrain.

A climate zone is an area ofphysical landscape with identifiablecommon climate and weathercharacteristics.

Climate is a region’s weather over along period. Each of the zonesdepends on conditions such asproximity to large bodies of water,altitude, and latitude. The majordeterminant of whether a climatezone is hot or cold is its latitude, orgeographic position north of theequator.

Mapping skills: On an outline mapof Canada, draw the main landformregions, bodies of water, and majorriver systems.

Conduct Internet research:Investigate the Indigenous namesof these bodies of water and thereasons why Europeans renamedthem.

Making connections: How are theclimate zones related to theregion’s position on the globe andin relation to major bodies of waterand physical landscape features?

Research and write a report onCanada’s Arctic, focusing on one ofthe following themes:

climate and weather•

physical landforms•

geographic boundaries•

Indigenous communities•

economic activities•

politics and government•

Border disputes and conflicts:Sharing a continent with theAmerican Thirteen Colonies andthe American republic has notalways been a peaceful experience.Since 1775, a number of cross -border conflicts can be identified:

American invasion of Quebecduring the Revolution (1775)

•

War of 1812: Americaninvasion of Upper Canada (1812- 1813) and Lower Canada(1813)

•

Oregon boundary dispute(1844 - 1846)

•

the Canadian Confederates St.Albans raid (Vermont, 1864)

•

Fenian raids in Niagara frontier(battle of Ridgeway, 1866)

•

Alaska boundary dispute (1867- 1903)

•

Historic maps showing changingboundaries over time are importantand useful in helping to understandborder disputes and colonialcontinental wars.

The North American boundary linebetween the United States andCanada was a " defended border "up until the Treaty of Washington(1871) and it was marked by cross -border raids and boundarydisputes. All of the boundarydisputes were eventually resolvedat the negotiating table. Since1871, the border has been largelyundefended, making it " the longestundefended border in the world. "

Draw a map and explain the borderconflict: Choose one of the borderconflicts and conduct research toreconstruct the sequence of eventsand examine previous mapsgenerated to explain your chosenconflict. Prepare to provide anillustrated explanation of theconflict.



Grade 5 Grade 6

Atlantic•

Great Lakes - St. LawrenceLowlands

•

Prairie•

Cordillera•

Pacific•

Arctic•

Subarctic•



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question What does the economy look like in the different regions of Canada? What does economics tell us about the global economy and the continental relationship in North America?

Learning Outcome Students examine the economic regions of Canada. Students compare the relative economic strength of the United States and Canada and examine where North Americafits in the world economy.


The three basic economicquestions:

Market economy: A type ofeconomy most often associatedwith Western countries, such asCanada and the United States.

Main characteristics of a marketeconomy:

What to produce?•

How to produce?•

For whom to produce?•

originated with the rise of tradeand commerce in the markettowns of the Middle Ages

•

includes private property,freedom of choice, competition,limited government intervention

•

prices and wages mostly set bysupply and demand for goodsand services

•

All economies respond to the threebasic questions in different ways,and, in the case of Canada, theeconomy is generally governed bythe market with some governmentinvolvement to promote sharing ofservices and resources.

Scarcity is the condition of notbeing able to have all of the goodsand services that are needed ordesired.

In a market economy, consumersand businesses play a determiningrole in economic life.

Analyze the economy of Canada:Why is Canada’s economy oftendescribed as a mixed marketeconomy?

How does the market respond tothe problem of scarcity? Whomakes most of the economicdecisions - consumers orgovernments?

The global or world economy is aterm used to describe theeconomic activity within andbetween countries.

A world economy can include

Production is the making of a goodor service.

Distribution refers to supplyinggoods or services to business tosell to consumers.

Consumption is the good or servicebeing used or consumed.

Great inequalities exist amongnational economies in the worldand the problem is termed " thewidening gap. "

trade of goods and services•

sharing of economic values•

production•

distribution•

consumption•

The global economy is dominatedby a few major national economies,led by the United States, China, theEuropean Union, and Russia, basedupon volume of domesticproduction (gross domesticproduct).

Inequalities exist between nationaleconomies, separating theadvanced industrial economiesfrom the developing countries. TheUnited States and Canada are bothadvanced industrial economieswith high rates of productionmeasured in GDP per person.

Production and consumption areconnected, and more advancedeconomies produce more than theyconsume and increase their wealth,measured in national income andincome per capita/person.

Study the production (grossdomestic product) of the top 10nations in the world economy andthe comparable figures for the 10nations at the bottom in terms ofGDP per capita.

What can happen to an economyover time if it is dependent onresources that can make big swingsup and down in value (boom andbust)? What are the advantages ofa more diversified economy?

Why do we use production andproduction per capita as aneconomic indicator?

•

Is it an accurate measure ofrelative prosperity?

•

What are other ways tomeasure a society?

•

Compare rankings of countriesby happiness, corruption,consumption, and carbonfootprint (total and per capita)to rankings by GDP and percapita GDP.

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

Economic regions of Canada:

Prosperity and wealth of a regioncan be influenced by its resources,their abundance and scarcity,including income, supply of labour,quality of land, and growingseason.

Atlantic Canada•

Quebec•

Ontario•

the West•

British Columbia•

the North•

Geographic circumstances canaffect the property anddevelopment of regions andwhether they are a reasonablywealthy " have " region or anunderdeveloped or " have not "region.

Limited resources and/or difficultaccess can lead to scarcity andunderdevelopment of some regionsand communities.

Examine the evidence: Comparethe production of Canada’seconomic regions, utilizing thelatest gross domestic product(GDP) and GDP per capita/personfigures for each region.

Identify and explain the disparitiesthat exist between and within theeconomic regions of Canada.

Which regions are the biggestproducers in terms ofproduction?

•

Which regions have the highestand lowest GDP per person?

•

Which regions are mostdiversified?

•

Continental scale: comparing twonational economies, the UnitedStates and Canada: some importanteconomic facts and figures

Most recent data for both theUnited States and Canada:

population size•

total land area•

total production (GDPaccording to IMF)

•

gross domestic product, percapita

•

government debt (as % of GDP)•

total trade (exports andimports)

•

fresh water (per person)•

Comparing the basic facts forpopulation, land area, andeconomic activity demonstratesthat Canada is slightly bigger inphysical size, but the United Stateshas a much larger population and amuch bigger economy. Closeobservers of United States -Canada relations commonly use aratio of 10 to 1 in comparing theUnited States to Canada. That ratiois based upon relative populationsize.

Examine the evidence:

How reliable is the ratio 10 to 1in comparing the United Stateswith Canada?

•

Study the basic facts andexplain whether the ratio is areliable guide in comparing thetwo countries. Does it apply tothe scale of the economy,measured in production?

•

Should the 10 to 1 ratio beused in drawing comparisons?

•

Comparing world economicsystems: Four main types ofsystems were identified byAmerican economist RobertHeilbroner:

Three distinct types were firstidentified; then the last one added,representing a mix of commandand the social market or the marketand command.

traditional: custom andtradition, bartering over goods(market towns)

•

command: governmentcontrolled and led or owned,cooperative(socialism/communism)

•

market: private enterprise,competition, consumer choice(capitalism)

•

mixed: a combination identifiedas mixed market or mixedcommand (social democracy orenterprise)

•

World economic systems can beclassified and better understood bystudying their essential featuresand applying one of the fourcategories. Such classifications canchange over time, usually followinga political upheaval or an abruptshift in economic policy by thegovernment.

Analyze economic systems of theUnited States and Canada, anddevelop a comparison chartexamining the main features ofeach system. Do either of them fitthe pure type, or are they bothmixed economies?



Grade 5 Grade 6


Guiding Question Why do we save and invest in our everyday life? How do you prepare a budget for a small, local enterprise?

Learning Outcome Students investigate how decisions about saving and investing are made and are important for individuals and ahealthy Canadian economy. Students create a budget as an essential step in managing an enterprise in a market economy.


Basics of banking: Saving andinvesting has its own vocabulary:

Canada’s first bank was the Bank ofMontreal, founded in 1817.

bank account•

saving•

chequing•

balance•

deposits•

withdrawals•

debt•

service fees•

debit card•

credit card•

interest•

e - transfers•

Online banking and automatedteller machines (ATMs) are toolsthat can assist with money skillsand decisions.

Develop your financial literacy:Examine a bank account in yourfamily or an example fromelsewhere and a printout oftransactions.

What’s the purpose of saving? Howmight saving help you to achieve apersonal goal? Give some examplesof what might be possible.

A budget is a financial documentproviding an estimation of incomeand expenses over a future periodof time, normally a year.

Personal income is money receivedin exchange for providing a good orservice or through an investment.An expense is the cost required fora good or service.

Enterprises make money whenincome from sales of products orservices exceeds expenses.

Money is not good or bad. It is atool, a resource - it can work foryou or against you.

Budgeting is a valuable economicpractice that can help you "balance your books " and ensurethe success of an enterprise. It isalso helpful in encouraging soundand responsible financial decisionmaking.

Practice problem solving: One ofthe following local issues needs tobe addressed and it’s youropportunity to try something new.Take on one of these personalchallenges:

Discuss how your money can workfor you. How can it work againstyou (e.g., interest earned vs interestpaid)?

A youth club providing after -school community basketballprograms are in financialdifficulty and needs help to turnthings around. Prepare a budgetto address the problem, listingyour revenues and expenses,and a plan to break even at theend of the sports season.

•

Identify a need in thecommunity that is currentlybeing unmet, large or small, andplan to take some action tocreate a service or a product.Turn your idea into a businessby preparing a budget to get itoff the ground, showing incomeand expenses and a plan tomake a little money for yourselffor a community group.

•



Grade 5 Grade 6

Interest on deposits andinvestments: The formula forcalculating interest involvesprincipal (size of deposit), rate ofinterest, and term of deposit.

Interest on money in savings orinvestment funds can be paid outto you or earned and retained inyour account.

Distinguish between deposits andloans: Identify situations where anindividual can earn interest or payinterest.

Calculate the interest to be paidback on a bank loan.

The value of goods goes up ordown in the marketplace. A rise indemand will increase its value andmake some money (appreciate), butrepeated use of a good or servicemay cause it to wear out or showits age (depreciate). Motor vehiclesand bicycles lose value when youdrive them off the car lot or cyclehome for the first time. Money putinto business or rare collectiblescan grow your money (appreciate).

Borrowing for appreciating assetsis sometimes called " good debt. "Borrowing for depreciating assetsis sometimes called " bad debt. "

A wise financial practice is toconsider whether buying an itemmakes good sense or may result inpersonal losses. Buying a rarehockey card or a piece of art mightbe a good decision if it appreciatesor grows in value. Goods showingwear and tear can provide valuableor necessary service, like a vehiclethat gets one to work or school,but go down in value with time anduse.

Make a wise decision: Dreaming ofbuying a new pair of Tessa Virtuefigure skates or a rare hockey card(Connor McDavid or WayneGretzky rookie card)? How muchwill the skates depreciate in a yearwhen you outgrow them? Is thehockey card likely to appreciate invalue over time? Make a personallist of factors to consider. It’s a lotof money, so be sure it’s a wisemove.

Discuss the potential risks andbenefits of " good debt. " What arethe potential risks and benefits of "bad debt? "

Loans: money borrowed fromothers, including banks andfinancial institutions: The loan cancome from family, friends,institutions, or alternative financialservices.

Borrowing money in the form ofloans can cost money in the formof interest on the amountborrowed and over the term of theagreement.

Be money wise with borrowingmoney from others, includingbanks.

Why is it wise to deal withchartered banks or creditunions?

•

Why are " pay day loans " riskyand expensive?

•

Investments: Putting money intoinvestment funds, stocks, andbonds can be a way to earn moneyfor knowledgeable investors.

Interest earned can vary greatlywith the investment and theestimated risk associated with thedeposit or investment. Someinvestments are " high risk " andothers " low risk " or " no risk " inthe market.

Calculate the interest on variousaccounts and investments:

What is the interest paid onregular chequing accounts,savings accounts, and termdeposits?

•

When does saving becomeinvesting?

•



Draft Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 6 Curriculum

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