Unit Organizer

Subject: Social Studies Grade 5

Unit/Topic: Histories and Stories of Ways of Life in Canada

Unit Duration: 14 weeks Class on Monday, Thursday, and Friday

1. Unit Overview – Critical Inquiry Question

GLO– 5.2 Histories and Stories of Ways of Life in Canada

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the people and the stories of Canada and their
ways of life over time, and appreciate the diversity of Canada’s heritage

Inquiry Question: How have diverse figures in early Canadian history shaped the country?

2. Focusing Questions for Lessons (Related questions)

FNMI (Outcomes 5.2.2, 5.2.4)
Who are the FNMI people of Canada? What makes FNMI culture unique? What are the
unique FNMI groups in Canada? How do their ways of life differ? What are some significant
practices for different groups? What are the unique stories of FNMI people in Canada?

Settlers (Outcomes 5.2.3, 5.2.5, 5.2.6, 5.2.8, 5.2.9)

Who are the significant groups that first settled in New France? How were these groups
unique? How did settlers from the British Isles influence Canada’s development? What
influence did United Empire Loyalists have? How did immigrants from across Europe
influence Canadian history? How did immigrants from non-European countries influence
Canada’s development? (I.e. Chinese, African American’s, and India)

Fur Trade and NWMP (Outcomes 5.2.4, 5.2.7)

What was the fur trade? How did different groups influence the fur trade? How did the fur
trade shape Canada and influence Canadian identity? Why were the NWMP created? What
influence did the NWMP have on Canada’s development? How has the history of the NWMP
influenced Canadian identity?

3. Specific Learning Outcomes for Unit

Knowledge:
Students will:
5.2.2- examine, critically, the ways of life of Aboriginal peoples in Canada by exploring and
reflecting upon questions and issues*
5.2.3- examine, critically, ways of life in New France by exploring and reflecting upon
questions and issues
5.2.4- examine, critically, ways of life of the fur traders by exploring and reflecting upon
questions and issues
5.2.5- examine, critically, ways of life of the United Empire Loyalists by exploring and
reflecting upon questions and issues
5.2.6- examine, critically, the ways of life of immigrants from the British Isles during the Great
Migration by exploring and reflecting upon questions and issues
5.2.7- examine, critically, how the North West Mounted Police shaped ways of life in Canada
by exploring and reflecting upon questions and issues
5.2.8- examine, critically, ways of life of non-European immigrants by exploring and reflecting
upon questions and issues
5.2.9- examine, critically, how European immigrants shaped ways of life in western Canada by
exploring and reflecting upon questions and issues
*Questions and issues can be found in the Alberta Program of Study, Reflected in focus questions

Attitude:
Students will:
5.2.1- appreciate the complexity of identity in the Canadian context

Skills:
5.S.1- Develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking
5.S.2- Develop skills of historical thinking
5.S.3- Develop skills of geographic thinking
5.S.4- Demonstrate skills of decision making and problem solving
5.S.7- Apply the research process
5.S.8- Demonstrate skills of oral, written, and visual literacy

Key Terms/Concepts
Aboriginal Inuit
Anthropology Metis
Archeology New France
Coureurs de Bois Reserve
Elder Seigneurial System
First Nations Treaties
Francophone Voyageurs
Fur Trade
Habitants
Immigration

Lesson Breakdown
Week 1 (January 6-10)- Intro to Unit- SLO 5.2.1
-School events: Ski trip January 7
-Focus Questions: What is history? (How do we study history, types/sources of history, what
do we associate with Canadian history, etc.) and What is identity?
-Activities: Class discussion of questions related to above focus questions, Completion of
KWL charts after discussion, Creating collages of Canadian identity/history on front of
flipbooks
-Assessment  Formative: KWL Charts, observation of discussions, completed collages
Week 2 (January 13-17)- FNMI- SLO- 5.2.2
-Focus Questions: Who are the FNMI people of Canada? What makes FNMI culture unique?
What are some core FNMI beliefs?
-Activities: Students will plant beans after a discussion of the FNMI connection to the land
(specifically discuss Three Sisters), Class brainstorm and notes in flipbook about core
components of FNMI culture and beliefs
-Assessment  Formative: Observation of lesson/discussion

Week 3 (January 20-24)- FNMI- SLO 5.2.2

-Focus Questions: What are the unique FNMI groups in Canada? How do their ways of life
differ? What are some significant practices for different groups?
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Interactive First Nations Maps/Creating Maps
(https://geo.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/cippn-fnpim/index-eng.html), Videos
-Assessment  Formative: First Nation Maps

Week 4 (January 27-31)- FNMI- SLO 5.2.2

-School events: PD Day January 31 (No Classes)
-Focus Question: Continuation of last week’s questions. If needed: Who are the FNMI groups
in Alberta?
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Research on different groups, Planning for next week’s
summative assessment
-Assessment  Formative: Observation of student participation, Planning sheets

Week 5 (February 3-7)- FNMI- SLO 5.2.2

-Focus Question: What are the unique stories of FNMI people in Canada?
-Activities: Students will work on their concluding project for this section of the unit
-Assessment  Summative: First Nation homes building project (Students will pick a First
Nations group from an area in Canada and build a replica of their homes based on knowledge
of the culture)

Week 6 (February 10-14)- Settlers- SLO 5.2.3

-School events: Teachers Convention February 13 and 14 (No classes)
-Focus Questions: Who are the significant groups that first settled in New France? How were
these groups unique?
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Settler simulation (Based on Acquiring Component One
https://www.canadashistory.ca/education/lesson-plans/terra-an-immigration-simulation)
-Assessment  Formative: Observation of students during simulation

Week 7 (February 17-21)-Settlers- SLO 5.2.5 and 5.2.6

-School events: No School Monday February 17
-Focus Question: How did settlers from the British Isles influence Canada’s development?
What influence did United Empire Loyalists have?
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Read and Discuss Settler Stories
-Assessment  Formative: Student participation in discussion
Week 8 (February 24-28)- Settlers- SLO 5.2.9
-Focus Question: How did immigrants from across Europe influence Canadian history?
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Case Study: European Groups in Alberta
-Assessment  Formative: Completed case study worksheets

Week 9 (March 2-6)-Settlers- SLO 5.2.8

-Focus Question: How did immigrants from non-European countries influence Canada’s
development? (I.e. Chinese, African American’s, and India)
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Read and Discuss Settler Stories
-Assessment  Formative: Response to settler stories

Week 10 (March 9-13)- Settlers / Start Fur Trade and NWMP- SLO 5.2.8 and 5.2.4
-Focus Questions: What was the fur trade? How did different groups influence the fur trade?
-Activities: Settler Letters, Fur Trade Game
-Assessment  Summative: Write a letter from the perspective of a settler to your family back
home, Formative: Observation of Fur Trade Game and Related Discussion

Week 11 (March 16-20)- Fur Trade and NWMP- SLO 5.2.4

-School events: Interviews March 19 and PD Day March 20 (No Classes)
-Focus Questions: How did the fur trade shape Canada and influence Canadian identity? Why
were the NWMP created? What influence did the NWMP have on Canada’s development?
-Activities: Notes in flipbook, Creating Map of Trade Route and Post,
-Assessment  Formative: Self-Assessment of Participation in Settler Section, Summative:
Completed Maps

Week 12 (March 23-27)- Fur Trade and NWMP- SLO 5.2.7

-Focus Question: How has the history of the NWMP influenced Canadian identity?
-Activities: NWMP Recruitment Activity, Notes in flipbook, Introduce Final Project and
Provide Planning time
-Final Project: Students will role play as a person from one of the groups we discussed in early
Canadian history. Students will then create a piece that reflects knowledge and additional
research of this individual’s experiences during the early years in Canada. This can be done by
creating a journal, letters, PowerPoint presentation, comic strip, skit, etc.
-Assessment  Formative: Participation in Recruitment Activity, Observations of students as
they plan their project

Week 13 (March 30-April 3)- Final Project

-Students will be given this entire week to work on their final projects for the unit
-Activities: Work time for final project
-Assessment  Formative: Observations of students as they work on their project, Self-
Assessment at the end of the week
Week 14 (April 6-9)- Final Project
-Project due at the end of Monday’s class
-Activities: Completion of final project
-Assessment  Summative: Students will be assessed on their completed project based on a
rubric provided at the beginning of the project.