OUR ANCESTORS – SHARING THE JOURNEYPRINCEEDWARDISLAND - ELEMENTARY

Our Ancestors – Sharing the Journey

Lesson Overview:

The purpose of this lesson is to discuss our ancestors’ journey with special mention to the deportation of the Acadians. This will be accomplished using brainstorming techniques, discussions, and mapping, as well as graphing the ethnic origin of Canada in comparison with the class.

Grade Level:

Grade 6

Time Required:

2-3 class periods

Curriculum Connection (Province and course):

Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation Curriculum for Social Studies

People, Place and the Environment General Curriculum Outcome:

Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of people, places and the environment.

Prince Edward Island, Grade 6 Social Studies:

An understanding of the interactions among people, places, and the environment with related mapping skills. The Acadian Deportation will also be discussed.

Grade 6 Language Arts – Collections: “Discovering Links” Anthology

Math Curriculum – Graphing

Science – Adaptations

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards:

Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms

  • Mapping the Maritimes, various places in North America, and Europe

Essential Element #2: Places and Regions

  • Acadian regions
  • Regional changes

Essential Element #4: Human Systems

  • Patterns of migration
  • Cultural changes

Geographic Skill #3: Organizing Geographic Information

  • Preparing maps and constructing graphs

Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information

  • Interpreting statistics and using graphs

Link to Statistics Canada:

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required:

  • Outline maps of North America, Europe and the Maritimes
  • Additional Websites

Main Objective:

The main objective is to raise awareness of the plight of our ancestors, and to appreciate the many origins, which make up our great country.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  • Understand the concept of “Ancestors”, and the importance of their journey to Canada
  • Comprehend the “Acadian Deportation”
  • Interpret through map study where the Acadians lived and to where they were deported
  • Locate through map study from where our ancestors originated
  • Graph and compare the class’s ethnic background to Statistics Canada’s Census results of Ethnic Origin, making note of the new census, which took place in May 2006.

The Lesson:

Teacher Activity / Student Activity
Introduction / The lesson begins with a discussion of the definition of “Ancestor”. / Brainstorm where your ancestors may have originated.
Lesson Development / The teacher will facilitate a lesson on the Acadian deportation using the websites provided above for preparation. The websites listed in the additional sites are for the teacher to read for his/her information. If extra computer time is available, the students could be given the sites to “surf” for their interest. Ensure the hardships are adequately discussed. / Trace and map where the Acadians lived in the Maritime Region, and to where the Acadians migrated after the deportation. You will be required to inquire about your own ancestry from family members. You will map the different countries from where they originated, as well as compare your findings with the Canadian Statistics in the form of a graph. See “Student Direction Sheet” for a more detailed description.
Conclusion / The lesson will conclude when the tasks for assessment are completed.
Evaluate assignments:
1)Map of the Acadian Migration
2)Map of their ancestral origins
3)Graph the Ethnic Origins of the class, in comparison to Canada. / Hand in assignments.

Lesson Extension:

  • Fieldtrip to an Acadian museum
  • Interview other people of various backgrounds and origins to gain a better understanding of the journey
  • Write a journal imagining your family on the ship being deported to Louisiana

Assessment of Student Learning:

  • Completion of the assigned tasks
  • Ability of students to participate in a discussion and recognize the contributions of the migration of our ancestors (including the Acadians) to the creation of Canada today.

Further Reading:

“Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Life in Acadia” by Barry Moody

“Dear Canada, Banished From Our Home: The Acadian Diary of Angelique Richard” by Sharon Stewart

Our Ancestors – Sharing the Journey

Student Direction Sheet
  1. Using the Maritime map, label the following areas in which the Acadians lived before the deportation.

In Prince Edward Island:

Rustico

MontCarmel

In New Brunswick:

Shediac

Cocagne

Caraquet

Bathurst

Madawaska

St. John River

In Nova Scotia:

Clare (DigbyCounty)

Argyle (Yarmouth)

Cheticamp

Cheezecook

IsleMadame (RichmondCounty)

Antigonish County

GuysboroughCounty

  1. Using the map provided and a reference atlas, label the places in which the Acadians were deported to, or in some cases, continued to hide. Label:

England

France

New Brunswick (Canada)

Prince Edward Island (Canada)

Nova Scotia (Canada)

Quebec (Canada)

St. Dominique

Martinique

Falkland Islands

St. Pierre & Miquelon

French Guiana

Massachusetts

Georgia

Louisiana

New York

Connecticut

Maryland

South Carolina

Pennsylvania

  1. Using the map provided, label the country or countries in which your family originated.

Using the web site click on “Canadian Statistics”. Then go to “Tables by Subject”, then “Population & Demography”, then to “Ethnic Origin”, then to “Population by provinces and territories”. Use this information to compare the class’s origin to the origin of the province, or even to Canada. These statistics can be graphed in a graph of choice.

Canadian Council for Geographic Education (1

Statistics Canada (