Empire at War

ANSWERING THE CALL

"The whelps of the lion are joining their sire"

The Socials 10 course ends before World War I, but it is important for students to know what was coming up next. It makes some of the learning outcomes more relevant.. for example, why do the concepts of "colonialism" "Empire" "growing independence" matter? Because in 1914, Canadians would go to war for Britain. 

Interesting symbol choice in this political cartoon, which clearly supports Canada's responsibility to the Empire. The lion is used a symbol in many contexts, from King of the Jungle, to Lion of Judah, to the Royal Family, etc. But in this case, it is used as a symbol of the power (and goodness) of the British Empire. 

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

British Empire

These stamps from my album pictured here (catalogue values of $11, $13) are the second commemoratives issued by Canada.The same stamp was issued with two different background colours (and several variations) for Christmas 1898. Since they were issed for Christmas, they are relatively common despite only being used for a short time.


These are also the first stamps after confederation (in 31 years) issued without a picture of Queen Victoria. The image highlights all of the countries in the British Empire and is titled: "We hold a vaster empire than has been". 


In Socials 10, we talk about the concept of "imperialism" (definition: Empire building) and the difference between the terms imperialism, colonialism, and mercantilism. Canada was a large part of this empire that peaked around this time.

European History 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. I always start with a map of Europe locating England, France, and Spain and then a quick review of European history. Students usually enjoy reviewing this stuff quickly and seeing how it all fits together. Here are my key points:

A. The British Monarchy

          King Henry 8th

          Queen Elizabeth 1st

                  Sir Francis Drake

                  Sir Walter Raleigh

B. Revolutions

          The English Revolution

                  King Charles vs. Oliver Cromwell

          The American Revolution

          The French Revolution

C. Colonialism

          Spain

               Christopher Columbus

          France

               Jacques Cartier

          England

               Sir Walter Raleigh

Britain Won:

     The Battle of Trafalgar

     The Battle of Waterloo

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