Unit A2:
Creating Canada (the West)
What factors and key players were involved in the development of the Canadian west, and how did this development influence the Canada we live in today?
Canada: 1867 vs 2014
Last season on “Canadian History”, the colonies debated whether or not to join together to form a united nation. On July 1, 1867, four colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec and Ontario) celebrated Confederation and became the Dominion of Canada. But what happened next? How did these four colonies grow into the 13 provinces and territories of today? What was happening in the prairies during Confederation, and what happened after to create our modern nation?
Compare these maps of Canada. What is different? What had to happen to create these difference? What colonies did we not explore during our investigation of Confederation, and what was happening there?
Big Ideas
- Canada expanded rapidly after 1867 and several factors contributed to the development of the Prairies, British Columbia and the Yukon
- This expansion had extensive, long-term effects on the lives of the First Nations, Métis and fur traders who lived in these regions
- The history of the west has become embedded in Canadian culture (art, music and institutions)
Class KPD Chart: The Development of the West
What we KNOW
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What we PREDICT
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What we DISCOVER
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Culminating Task:
You have been hired as a historical fiction writer by a Canadian publishing firm. Your task: to write a historically-accurate short story set during the Red River Resistance (Rupert's Land, 1869-1870).
As an author, you will research the Red River Resistance, create a main character that embodies one of the perspectives of the Rebellion, and write a historically-accurate fictional narrative (around 5 pages, typed).
You must hand in to your publisher:
As an author, you will research the Red River Resistance, create a main character that embodies one of the perspectives of the Rebellion, and write a historically-accurate fictional narrative (around 5 pages, typed).
You must hand in to your publisher:
- a research organizer and short story proposal
- a rough copy with revisions
- a final good copy, and an “author’s note” detailing the historical background
- a cover page with an appropriate illustration