A letter from Kanata:A Grade 6 WebQuest about Canada’s First

Nations and European explorers

Task

The Process

Resources

Evaluation

Conclusion

Introduction

Credits

Teacher Page

Introduction

Welcome to the early 1600s, a fascinating time to be alive in this enormous land that stretches from one

ocean to another! Encounters are about to happen…which will change the fate of many, many people

and their descendants. You and your team will help us understand the stories of some of these people, as they might have told them themselves, in letters

home.

Introduction continued…A couple of years ago, a small group of people arrived from Europe in the new world. They soon realized they could not hope to understand this vast land all by themselves. They didn’t speak the language, they knew none of the local customs, and they were not prepared for the geography, the weather or the way people did things.

They decided to hire a group of young natives to act as their guides and interpreters, to help them figure out what life might be like if they stayed and settled down. It has been two years, and the Europeans and the natives have learned a lot about each others’ ways. The Europeans are putting together a package of information to send back home to their friends and family, telling them how things are going. At the same time, the young Natives are doing the same thing!

The TaskYou and two teammates are either the Europeans or the natives, and together, you will assemble a document telling your friends and family what you have learned about these strange people over the past two years.

You’ll describe some aspects of their culture,

how it’s different from your own, and your thoughts and concerns about the

future for you and them, together in this land.

The Process

With your team, explore the resources listed.

Together, choose your group’s identity. Use Inspiration to map out your individual roles, and research areas.

If you’re Europeans, you might be explorers, labourers, fur traders, wives or daughters, nuns, priests … Are you from a First Nation community? Which one? Learn about about where “you” are from – which region? What does that mean, in terms of how you live?

As you proceed, I will provide you with a progress checklist, character and note-taking charts, guidance with Inspiration, and examples of good student work. Make sure you consult the rubric

to be sure you’re meeting expectations!

Onward…(more process)

In role, each of you will research at least three areas from the list, or another area that interests you. Try not to overlap with your team members’ research areas.

Choose three topics from: food, fashion, housing, art, music, religion, health, attitudes about land, money, education, values, government, family life, livelihoods, transportation, weather, landscape, pastimes…

What others can you think of?

Consider the following:Here are questions to guide your research, as you investigate your three topics:

How are these strange people different from you? How are they the same?Why might that be?

Your friends and family want to know what might happen if you and the other group continue to be involved in each other’s lives.

In what ways could your own lives change? Why might that be?What are the possible advantages to each of you if you continue to live together in this territory? What could go wrong? What do you most want your friends

and family to know about yourlife?

On your own, complete comparison charts for each of your research areas (I will give you these)

Back to your team! Share all your findings with other members.

What do your findings have in common with theirs?

Together, plan your product.

The Research

The ProductTogether, you will create a “letter home” in any format you choose. Combine all your team’s findings in some way to put together…

• a narrated slideshow• a video interview with

your characters• a Glogster using

sound, video, graphics and text,

• an actual package of letters, or

• a Storybird.

ResourcesYou have copies of the class text, and we’ve learned the basics – who came here, and who was already here. Now, here are online resources for you to use: articles, maps, virtual museums, videos, music and games !

o http://www.canadiana.ca/hbc/intro_e.html This website shares stories about exploration, the fur trade, and the Hudson’s Bay Company – with lots of images and sections on characters in our past

o http://kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/genCategory15933.html This site from the Toronto Public library has links to First Nations games, sites where you can hear different native languages, Canadian Geographic historical maps and more

o http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/ Stories about first contact between native and explorer groups, with some good photos of artifacts

o http://www.civilization.ca/ The virtual museum of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, with exhibits of native art, artifacts and early Canadian life

o http://eciexplorerproject.wikispaces.com/Explorer+Resources An exploration wiki with links arranged under the names of many different explorers

o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVY8LoM47xI This video is the “other Canadian anthem,” Stan Rogers’ “The Northwest Passage.”

…more resources…o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhy5jje6JLA

Check out this video of aboriginal music!

o http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com/main.html The short film at this site will teach you a lot about native spirituality, including creation stories.

o http://www.etfo.ca/Resources/This one is a resource full of classroom activities based on native life: transportation, dwellings, First Nations heroes, and more.

o http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R-x5QOSqP3E This BBC video shows how an iglu is built.

…and more resources!ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etn92Ms8plo&feature=related

This video shares the Ojibway creation story.

o http://www.historica-dominion.ca/content/videos

Watch Heritage Minutes here about exploration and native culture.

o Finally, there is a wonderful collection of short animated videos on topics like “I Wish I was an Explorer,” “The Vikings are Coming!” and “The Age of European Exploration.” You’ll need to

use your password for the Ontario Educational Resource Bank to get to these at

o https://resources.elearningontario.ca/

Evaluation The next page shows the

rubric we will use. Note that part of your mark is yours alone, but your group will

also receive an overall mark based on your achievement

as a team.

You and I will each complete a rubric to evaluate your

success.

EvaluationSuccess Criteria: 1=Rarely 2=Sometimes 3=Usually 4=Always 1 2 3 4In role, I gather relevant information to identify, describe and compare three areas in native and European life, and explained how differences might lead to conflict.

I organize my information, together with my own ideas, to demonstrate understanding of differences and/or similarities between these cultures, and show understanding of possible explanations for those differences and similarities.

I demonstrate understanding of three possible impacts of contact, both positive and negative, on members of both groups.

Our team demonstrates effective use of collaborative skills —we share the workload, we encourage accountability in team members, and we resolve conflicts fairly.

We demonstrate effective time management skills; we share resources, ideas and information.

We choose an appropriate format for team presentation of our team’s findings and ideas, and use it effectively to communicate the results of our inquiries.

Our product demonstrates creativity, and engages its audience through effective use of graphics, sound, video or other media.

We use appropriate conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitalization) accurately.

We employ relevant vocabulary with accuracy.

Our ideas and information are organized for maximum clarity.

All required elements are present; we have answered all assigned questions.

ConclusionIn your journal, consider this: whenever two groups of people encounter each other for the first time, they will both be changed in some way. When we consider Canada’s current relationship with its First Nations peoples, how does what you learned on this WebQuest help you?

Well done — you’ve nearly completed your first WebQuest! You’ve developed good teamwork skills, improved your technology skills, and built understanding of the period of first contact between European explorers and First Nations members.

Credits

The WebQuest model was developed by Professor Bernie Dodge, at San Diego University, with assistance from Tom March. This WebQuest is modelled on their work, as they describe it at http://webquest.org/index.php

Useful guidance for creating WebQuests can be found at Kathy Schrock’s website for educators, http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide, and on Ellen Finkelstein’s blog post, Create a WebQuest in PowerPoint, at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/

Teacher PageI’m Nancy

Fischer, a grade six Language Arts

and Social Studies teacher. This is my first

WebQuest!