Review Maps

Here are the maps that I use at the beginning of Socials 10 for review. Maps are the stereotypical socials activity that I try to avoid "all we did all year was colour maps", but find myself using more all the time. Maps provide a good visual, and a break from 'facts'. I found myself referring to places and events in Europe quite often in Socials 10 (plus in Socials 11, students will have to add to their understanding of European countries). 

I use this map (Map of Europe), and just have students label and colour the following places: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, England, London, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Rome.

I then use this map (Map of Eastern Canada) as part of my review of early contact. The students label 

Landmarks: North America, South America, Hudson’s Bay, Atlantic Ocean, St. Laurence River, Newfoundland

First Nations: Cree, Obijwa, Huron,  Iroquois, Algonquin, Malecite, Mi'kmaq, Innu, Beothuk

Explorers: Jacques Cartier, Henry Hudson, Sir Walter Raleigh

Early Settlements: York, Jamestown, Montreal, Quebec City

If you have better map images, please let me know

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.

Jacques Cartier

Continuing my series on Canadian postage stamps, the next image that Canada recognized (after the Beaver, Prince Albert, and Queen Victoria) was Jacques Cartier. Probably a good choice, since he was the one that named this region "Canada". This particular stamp pictured above has a catalogue value of $332.35.

The word "kanata" was the Iroquois word for "village", but Cartier believed it referred to the entire region and thus the name of our country was born. Of course, for awhile it was dubbed "New France" as Samuel de Champlain and others brought settlers from France. But the name "Canada" stuck once Britain gained sovereignty.

I find that most high school students know all about New France, but don't really understand why they learned about it or what it means. They have a paradigm of "Canada as an English country with a French problem in Quebec"that is not easily challenged.

However, from Jacques Cartier to the Plains of Abraham the region now called "Canada" was French. French-Canadiens are the original Canadians who named and defined the region.