Cabot

I have never really paid much attention to the story of John Cabot, since his "discovery" of Newfoundland was not followed up with attempt at trade or settlement until much later. I generally don't include him in my list of significant events:
1) Christopher Columbus "discovered" South America and promoted settlement and trade on behalf of Spain
2) Jacques Cartier "discovered" Canada and Samuel de Champlain led settlement in "New France" on behalf of France
3) Sir Walter Raleigh "discovered" America and promoted settlement in Jamestown on behalf of the English (oh, and Henry Hudson "discovered" Hudson's Bay and claimed it)

So this article that just appeared in the Vancouver Sun is interesting, because it claims that John Cabot may have seen Newfoundland before Christopher Columbus spotted South America. Again however, I am not sure how significant this is. What matters more is what those men and the countries they represented DID with their discoveries. The reality was that in the time of John Cabot, King Henry 7th was not so interested in colonization, and so the discovery was not significant for England until later.

Prince of Wales Library

Nobody likes links that result in a list of links, but here you are. Every once in awhile, this is preferable to just googling something. This is the most useful list of social studies links I have encountered, nicely organized. Skim through the list for new ideas to add to your bookmarks.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity is the lifeguard who is ready to save the "common people" drowning in a sea of "high tariffs". Unfortunately, he is held back by "greed", "moneyed interests", and "special interests". Then there is globalization saying "shake 'em off they're only barnacles".

Of course, conservative governments in Canada always acted in the interests of business and maintained high tariffs. However, due to globalization business interests have now changed.. Conservatives now are all about free trade, and only labour groups oppose it.

Many of the cartoons that I use in class were taken from this book by Charles Hou (former Socials 10 teacher in BC):

Great Canadian political cartoons, 1820 to 1914

One of the 28th

One of the 28th: A Tale of Waterloo

by GA Henty

I just finished reading this book by GA Hentry that I found in the "rare" section of a local used book store. I have previously explained why I enjoy reading stories by Henty.

This particular tale is of a young British lad that is captured by French privateers and carried off to the Indies, escapes and finds his way home, falls into a large inheritance, gets an army commission, and fights in the battle of Waterloo.

Not directly related to Socials 10 content, but is great context for the French/English relationship. It also gives background on the defeat of Napoleon (and the reason that Canada is British instead of French). Of course the language is outdated, and Henty does get a little lost in the minutiae of the battle in the last few chapters, but this was a very enjoyable read.

Here is the amazon link:

A Tale of Waterloo, One of the 28th

Pocahontas

I have previously made a post about the movie Pocahontas, but since I have now figured out how to post documents on blogger I decided to attach these files:

Pocahontas - What really happened
Pocahontas - Assignment

In the cartoon, we are presented with this narrative:

•Big Bad Europeans vs. Noble Savages

•The American Hero saves the day!

•Natives beliefs lead to compromise

•Peace wins out over conflict

In reality, I propose that the history of Eastern North America went more like this:

•Good/Bad Europeans vs. Good/Bad Natives

•The “American” immigrants were often worse than their leaders in Britain

•Mutually beneficial relationship?

•Brief peace, but conflict won out

More Queen Victoria

The stamps from my album pictured here (catalogue values of $3, $0.45, $0.45, $0.45, $1.75, $3.45, $37, $164) are part of a series of eleven stamps (catalogue numbers 74-84) that were all issued at the end of 1898 to 1900.  I am missing the 6,7,&8 cent stamps from the series. These stamps are very similar to the series issued in 1897, but notice the numbers in the bottom left and right corners (instead of maple leafs) that distinguish this set from the more valuable previous one.

Events before 1815

Socials 10 starts in 1815, and there is some prior context that students should know in order to understand what was going in Canada by 1815. 


My review unit starts with
-European history
-Early contact in North America
-Significant Events before 1815


I then review the following events, because again they give context for the rest of the course. I don't ask the students to memorize dates (other than 1763), but they should be able to match the event to a description. 


1534 - Jacques Cartier - the explorer that named this region "Canada"and claimed it for France and the Catholic Church.
1670 - Rupert's Land - Britain gave the Hudson’s Bay Company “ownership” over all of the land draining into Hudson’s Bay.
1713-1763 - Acadian Expulsion - Britain gained control of Acadia (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I.) and deported the French to other areas.
1759 - Plains of Abraham - Britain gained control of Quebec City and France was not able to re-enforce troops in North America.
1763 - Treaty of Paris - France surrendered Canada to Britain in exchange for Guadeloupe, St. Pierre and Miquelon.
1763 - Royal Proclamation - Britain banned all further settlement, or private negotiations of First Nations land, until formal treaties were signed.
1774 - Quebec Act - Britain guaranteed the rights of the French to practice their own religion and enforce their own laws in Quebec.
1783 - American Revolution Ends - Many French and First Nations people fought for Britain, but lost. After the war, many loyalists, slaves, and Natives moved North.
1791 - Constitution Act - This divided Upper Canada (mostly English) from Lower Canada (mostly French).
1803 - Louisiana Purchase - The United States purchased most of the midwest from France (Napoleon had just recently conquered it from Spain).
1812-1815 War of 1812 - Americans tried to invade Canada, but they were unsuccessful. 


Here is a copy of my powerpoint lesson. Feel free to modify and use:
Significant Events in North America before 1815

Women's Suffrage

THE DOOR STEADILY OPENS

The broom reads "women's suffrage" and each of the men at the table are labeled with things such as "special privilege" and "vice". I like the devil in the background serving drinks. Of course the idea is that by allowing the woman into the room, she will be able to sweep out corruption from society. Corruption fueled primarily by alcohol, as in 1900 prohibition was seen as a woman's response to a man's problem. Interesting...

Many of the cartoons that I use in class were taken from this book by Charles Hou (former Socials 10 teacher in BC):

Great Canadian political cartoons, 1820 to 1914

The Fur Trade in Canada

The Fur Trade In Canada: An Illustrated History

This book details the history of the fur trade in Canada, and is very informative but reads like a textbook with few exciting bits. What I like about this book is that is does not stop in 1867 but carries on with the history of the fur trade to the present day and talks about more recent history as well. Of course, it does have pictures too which always helps.


In Socials 10, I usually do a review of the fur trade before chapter 4 on Manitoba History. It seems to flow into the story of the Metis. But bits and pieces come up throughout the course, since the fur trade was so pervasive in Canadian history. 


Here is the amazon link:

The Fur Trade in Canada: An illustrated history

Prime Ministers of Canada

This website entitled "First Among Equals" is a government of Canada website with information about the office of Prime Minister. It starts with a headline saying "this document is no longer in effect. It has been archived online and is kept purely for historical purposes."

However, it is a great source of information if you want to clarify for students what the Prime Minister really is and does. Many students do not understand the difference between a Prime Minister and a President and what power the office really holds. It is not simply a chronology of Prime Ministers who have held the office, but does include information and quotes about specific leaders.

I usually include these types of facts (how our government works) right after the section on confederation. 

More Queen Victoria Stamps

The stamps from my album pictured here (catalogue values of $21, $2, $3, $2, $13, $20) are part of a series of eight stamps (catalogue numbers 66-73) that were all issued at the end of 1897.  I am missing the 6 cent and 10 cent stamps from the series. These stamps are very similar to the next series of stamps issued, but notice the maple leafs in the bottom left and right corners that distinguish this set from others.


You will notice that the first stamp in this series is mounted in a black casing, meaning it is a mint stamp that has never been used (the earliest in my collection). Of course this makes the stamp much more valuable, depending on the condition of the gum on the back. This stamp is MH, which means "mint hinged" since some dingbat put a hinge on the back to mount it in their album like it was a used stamp and wrecked the original gum on the stamp.


Again, more Queen Victoria pictures aren't terribly exciting. I know that 60 years on the throne was a big deal, but what about 30 years of Canadian Confederation? Still no stamps picturing anything but the monarch.

Early Contact Review

Socials 10 starts in 1815, and there is some prior context that students should know in order to understand what was going in Canada by 1815. After reviewing some European history, I then review early contact in North America. My outline looks like this:


Early Contact in North America
(discussion of stereotypes)


A. The French
     -meeting Algonquian and Iroquois
     -traders and missionaries
     -pre-existing conflict (ex. the Huron)
     -New France


B. The English
     -Hudson's Bay
     -Jamestown


C. Alliances and Conflict



Here is a copy of my powerpoint lesson. Feel free to modify and use:
Early Contact Review

Reciprocity

THE FISCAL TUG-OF-WAR

Farmers' association vs. manufacturers' association

This debate is still ongoing. It is great for consumers to buy cheap things made in China at the dollar store. Not so good for Canadian businesses that employ people here at home. 

A hundred years ago, Conservatives would've been opposed to free trade (ex. National Policy) because that was a pro-business position. Liberals would've been supportive of free trade because because that was free-market economics. 

I guess once the Canadian businesses are owned by foreigners and move their factories overseas, then nobody cares much about protecting Canadian jobs anymore. So both the Conservatives (pro-business) and the Liberal (pro-free market) now support free trade. Consumers like it because they can buy cheaper things. So everyone is happy... O, except the unemployed I guess.. and maybe the NDP?

Anyhow, this issue that was debated in Laurier's time connects well to current issues that even grade 10 students can explore.

For example:

Ever shopped at amazon.COM instead of amazon.CA? Why?

Many of the cartoons that I use in class were taken from this book by Charles Hou (former Socials 10 teacher in BC):

Great Canadian political cartoons, 1820 to 1914

Religion

Recently I posted a copy of my review session on European history. Upon reflection, I think that next time I teach it i will add a section on religion. I keep finding myself having to explain this anyways, and I think it would make it clearer if I broke it down into key points.

Religion is very much a key part of European history and culture (and by extension Canadian history and culture). This is a picture that I took in Rome in 2008, looking down the street towards the entrance to Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica. 

My simple outline would go something like this:

Religion: what you need to know...
1) Judaism, Christianity (year 0), and Islam (year 610) are related
2) Christianity became known as Catholicism (Pope in Rome)
People who disagreed in 1500's called Reformers
King Henry of England started the "Church of England" (Anglican)
Many people thought he didn't go far enough (Puritans)

This was a difficult time because religion was supposed to be part of your nationality (ie. a Spanish person was Catholic and an English person was Anglican). This led to conflict and persecution of minority groups.

3) Today, there are many different Christian churches in two categories:
Traditional Mainline Churches (like Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, etc.)
Reformed Evangelical Churches (like Mennonite, Baptist, Methodist, etc.)

Also, all churches that are not Catholic are sometimes referred to as "Protestant".

The Wild Frontier

The Wild Frontier: More Tales from the Remarkable Past (Pierre Berton)

This book is a series of short stories about interesting people in Canada's past. (John Jewitt, Wilfred Grenfell, Sam Steele, Isaac Jorges, Cariboo Cameron, Mina Hubbard, and Almighty Voice). 
I found the stories very engaging, but the language may be a bit above the average grade ten student to read on their own, and a bit too long for a read-aloud in class. 
The best story I found was that of Sam Steele, as a bonus assignment for Chapter 7 (Canada in 1915), because it touched on many different aspects of the course. It follows Sam Steele's adventures with the RCMP to the NorthWest Rebellion, then up to the Klondike, then on the CPR. 
Of course, I also appreciate the many "burton-isms" of what it means to be Canadian.

The Wild Frontier : More Tales from the Remarkable Past

Alaska Boundary

JOHN BULL: Yes. 'e's makin' a lot of noise, Sam, but 'e'll get over it

I like this cartoon because it pictures John Bull (representing British) Uncle Sam (representing America) and Johnny Canuck (representing Canada) all together. I think this one really helps students to "get" what was going on in the Alaska Boundary Dispute.

Many of the cartoons that I use in class were taken from this book by Charles Hou (former Socials 10 teacher in BC):

Great Canadian political cartoons, 1820 to 1914

Widow's Weeds

The stamps from my album pictured here (catalogue values of $160, $110) are actually part of a previous series of Queen Victoria  stamp that were issued between 1870 and 1897.  These higher denominations used a different picture of the Queen, commonly referred to as "widow's weeds".

Apparently Queen Victoria was in mourning right from when Prince Albert died in 1861 right through to her own death in 1901. Mourning was already traditional in British culture, but like many other values in the Victorian era, it became exaggerated. In part, this was due to the example of Queen Victoria.

During this period of time, Queen Victoria largely kept to herself and distanced herself from government. This likely contributed to a shift in power and responsibility to parliament.

Residential Schools

This site is very interactive and engaging. As the text appears on the history of residential schools, it is read aloud. As you explore the map, you can click on each residential school in Canada for more information. Unfortunately, not everything appears complete and the navigation is a but slow. However, this is a great starting point for a research project on residential schools.

Diamond Jubilee Stamps

  

The stamps from my album pictured here (catalogue values of $155, $13, $21, $4, $51, $172) are part of a series of sixteen stamps (catalogue numbers 50-65) that were all issued in the year 1897.  Denominations included 1/2 cent, 1 cent, 2 cents, 3 cents, 5 cents, 6 cents, 8 cents, 10 cents, 15 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 dollar, 2 dollars, 3 dollars, 4 dollars, and 5 dollars. (A mint 2,3,4 or 5 dollar stamp from this series all have a catalogue value over $6000)


These are the first commemorative stamps that Canada ever issued. A commemorative stamp is typically larger, and "commemorates" some sort of event, in this case the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. These types of stamps are much more interesting historically, but also somewhat annoying for collectors because they weren't really necessary. In one year (1897), Canada produced almost as many stamps as in the previous 30 years combined. 


1897 was one year after Wilfred Laurier and liberals were elected to office in Canada, and the contract for these stamps was given to a U.S. company called the American Bank Note Company. The company built an office in Ottawa, and this picture was taken in 1897.

Of course, it is also telling that the first event Canada decided to "commemorate" was the 50th year of Queen Victoria's reign. The creativity of these stamps extended to having two pictures of the Queen on the stamp instead of just one. Of course 1897 also coincided with 30 years since Confederation, but Confederation and John A MacDonald would have to wait 50 years to be commemorated on our postal history.