Roleplay Project Plan

Over the next two weeks, you will be participating in a roleplay project. This project will challenge you to be creative, to step out of your comfort zone, and to use your imagination. The purpose of this project is to understand what life was like for the many groups of people living in Upper and Lower Canada in the early nineteenth century. Once we have completed this project, my hope is that you will realize that these people, while diverse, were no different from the people in our society today. They lived, loved, and worked. They had hopes, dreams, families, and social circles.

Think about the people close to you in your life; the ones that matter most. Think about your daily routines, your home, your school, your neighbourhood. Imagine what it would feel like if all of those things suddenly changed or were taken away from you, based on a large event or political decision that you had no control over. How would you feel? That feeling is, to a lesser extent, what many of these people felt, too.

There will be three phases of this project. Phase 1 starts today. You will have until halfway through class on Tuesday. Phase 2 will begin halfway through Tuesday’s period. Phase 3 will begin on Thursday. If I feel that you are all creating exceptionalprojects and need more time, I will push Phase 3 until Friday. The phases are explained below. Each phase must be completed by the indicated time. Phase #2 and #3 will be revealed

Phase #1

  1. You will be divided into seven groups of four. There may be one group of five. You may choose your own groups.
  2. You will draw a community out of a hat. You and your group members will assume the identity of that community.
  3. This “community” is where you live. It is your friends, family, your beliefs, your job. You are dependent on it for your well-being in Canada. Without it, you are alone. Your community represents your very identity. Depending on which cultural group you drew, this community could look very different. It could be a quaint settlement/farmstead. It could be a nomadic fur trading company, trailblazing through the frontier in the North West Territory. It could be a rich, gated neighbourhood within a bustling colonial city like York.
  4. Research your community. Try to get a sense of what daily life was like there by finding five sources. These sources should address work, recreation (sports or outdoor activities, for example), religious beliefs, and lifestyle. One of these sources must be primary, the other four may be primary or secondary. You may find more if you wish. Your sources will help you address the following:
  5. Each member within your community needs a name.These characters are fictional, but they live and operatewithin a nonfictional world. Keep this in mind.
  6. Each member within your community needs a job or occupation that contributes to your community. For example, you may be a business owner, a navigator/explorer, a blacksmith. There are numerous jobs within each of these communities.
  7. Your community needs to have a belief system. For example, if you are French, you may be Catholic. If you are a First Nations group, you may have a creation story.
  8. Choose an image that represents your community. You may create this image or use google images.
  9. One final note: try to have fun with your characters! Think about what kind of person they are, what they like and dislike, and some flaws that they may have. This will make them seem more real. Use the character sheet I have provided for you on the blog to organize your character’s traits and information.
  10. Have your community information sheet and character sheet finished by midway through Tuesday’s period. This sheet should be clear and organized. It should be done in point form with your sources listed at the bottom of the document. All of the information outlined above must be included.