Social Studies 7: Perspectives on Colonization

How can I get what I want?

Created By PJ Krystowaty-Gabriel (ECES), David Law (RMS) and Terra Kaliszuk (AISI Instructional Coach)

Project Objective:

Students will assume the role of groups involved in the colonization of the New World to create a plan to reach their goals, negotiate with other groups, and analyze the most effective strategies for colonization.

CONTENT CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

7.1.4 assess, critically, the economic competition related to the control of the North American fur trade by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

• How did the First Nations, French, British and Métis peoples interact with each other as participants in the fur trade?

• How did the fur trade contribute to the foundations of the economy in North America?

• How was Britain’s interest in the fur trade different from that of New France?

7.1.5 assess, critically, the political competition between the French and the British in attempting to control North America by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

• In what ways did conflicts between the French and the British in Europe impact North America? (TCC, LPP)

SKILL CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

7.S.1 develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:

• evaluate, critically, ideas, information and positions from multiple perspectives

• re-evaluate personal opinions to broaden understanding of a topic or an issue

• generate creative ideas and strategies in individual and group activities

7.S.2 develop skills of historical thinking:

• analyze historical issues to form or support an opinion

7.S.4 demonstrate skills of decision making and problem solving:

• predict outcomes of decision-making and problem-solving scenarios from multiple perspectives

• propose and apply new ideas and strategies, supported with facts and reasons, to contribute to problem solving and decision making

7.S.5 demonstrate skills of cooperation, conflict resolution and consensus building:

• assume various roles within groups, including roles of leadership where appropriate

• identify and use a variety of strategies to resolve conflicts peacefully and equitably

• consider the needs and perspectives of others

7.S.7 apply the research process:

• integrate and synthesize concepts to provide an informed point of view on a research question or an issue

7.S.8 demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy:

• communicate information in a clear, persuasive and engaging manner, through written and oral means

• use skills of informal debate to persuasively express differing viewpoints regarding an issue

• elicit, clarify and respond appropriately to questions, ideas and multiple points of view in discussions

• listen to others in order to understand their perspectives

• offer reasoned comments related to a topic of discussion

Student Prior Knowledge – To be completed before project commencement:

-Canada’s First Nations:

  • Society structure
  • Decision making
  • Geographic locations
  • Basic relationships between groups

Project Organization

Student Groups:

  1. French Missionaries
  2. British Fur Traders
  3. French Fur Traders
  4. Haudenosaunee
  5. Anishinabe
  6. Mi’kmaq (extra – can be used as an exemplar or for an extra group if class size is large)

Preparation:

Set-up 5 to 6 groups

Access to Data Projector

Copy group profile documents (BritishFurTraderProfile.pdf; FrenchFurTraderProfile.pdf; MissionaryProfile.pdf; HaudenosauneeProfile.pdf; AnishanabeProfile.pdf; Mi’kmaqProfile.pdf) – one copy for each student

Copy NegotiationTrackingSheet.doc

Copy PlanGO_Blank.pdf

Copy IndividualAssessmentTask.doc

PROJECT PROGRESSION

DAY 1

  1. Introduce student groups to their profile information and group goal for the project.
  2. BritishFurTraderProfile.pdf; FrenchFurTraderProfile.pdf; MissionaryProfile.pdf; HaudenosauneeProfile.pdf; AnishanabeProfile.pdf; Mi’kmaqProfile.pdf
  3. BGRS Teacher Tip: It helps to go through one profile together, before students break-off into groups – this helps to clarify the project “big picture” and helps groups get started more efficiently.
  1. Together with their group, students will brainstorm to create a plan to accomplish their goal – each student should have a graphic organizer. After creating a general plan, students will also predict how successful their plan will be.
  2. PlanGO_Blank.pdf
  3. EXEMPLAR PLAN= PlanGO_EXEMPLAR.pdf

DAY 2

  1. Groups create detailed proposals to negotiate with the other groups. Each student must be responsible for writing down the proposals on their tracking sheet (they will take these sheet with them to the negotiating table).
  • NegotiationTrackingSheet.doc(includes EXEMPLAR)
  • Students DO NOT complete the “Outcome” column yet.

DAY 3

  1. Students break-off into jigsaw groups (one group member from each viewpoint) to negotiate their assigned proposal using the negotiation protocol. Students record the outcome of their negotiations.
  • NegotiationTrackingSheet.doc
  • NegotiationProtocol.ppt
  1. At the end of the negotiation session, together with their jigsaw group students will decide on the most successful and least successful negotiations that happened during the discussion.
  2. IndividualAssessmentTask.doc – Students complete page 1 of this assignment with their group.

DAY 4

  1. Students go back to their jigsaw groups and share their most and least successful negotiations, as well as accompanying explanations.
  • IndividualAssessmentTask.doc
  1. Individually, students consider the final assessment task (page 2) and brainstorm ideas to include in their response.
  • IndividualAssessmentTask.doc

DAY 5

  1. Students write their individual response to the final assessment task (page 2).