Long Ago Before I Was Born

113 Pages·2001·0.69 MB·English

by  Andrew Forgrave

Long Ago Before I Was
Born
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times
Including:
What is a Community?
Introducing the Past
Who Were the Early Settlers?
Where did the Settlers Come From?
The Settlers Journey to Upper Canada
Who Did the Early Settlers find?
What was Life Like for the Aboriginal Peoples?
Developing a Different Way of Life
Preparing the Land for Settlement
Introducing Farming Methods
Aboriginal Peoples Helped the Settlers
What was it Like to be a Settler Child?
The Community - Research, Create & Present
Communities - Then and Now
Social Activities in a Settler Community
That was Then, This is Now
A Living History Fair
A Unit for Grade 3
Written by:
Morag Herre, Terri Kell, Krista Richards Murphy, Pauline Beder (Lead)
Length of Unit: approximately: 32.8 hours
October 2001
Written using the Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner 2.51 PLNR_01 March, 2001* Open Printed on Oct 26, 2001 at 10:40:34 AM
Long Ago Before I Was Born
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3
Acknowledgements
The developers are appreciative of the suggestions and comments from colleagues involved through the
internal and external review process.
Participating Lead Public School Boards:
Mathematics, Grades 1-8
Grand Erie District School Board
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Renfrew District School Board
Science and Technology, Grades 1-8
Lakehead District School Board
Thames Valley District School Board
York Region District School Board
Social Studies, History and Geography, Grade 1-8
Renfrew District School Board
Thames Valley District School Board
York Region District School Board
The following organizations have supported the elementary curriculum unit project through team building and
leadership:
The Council of Ontario Directors of Education
The Ontario Curriculum Centre
The Ministry of Education, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch
A Unit for Grade 3
Written by:
Morag Herre, Terri Kell, Krista Richards Murphy, Pauline Beder (Lead)
York Region District School Board
Based on a unit by:
Morag Herre, Terri Kell, Krista Richards Murphy, Pauline Beder (Lead)
York Region District School Board
This unit was written using the Curriculum Unit Planner, 1999-2001, which Planner was developed in the province of
Ontario by the Ministry of Education. The Planner provides electronic templates and resources to develop and share units
to help implement the new Ontario curriculum. This unit reflects the views of the developers of the unit and is not
necessarily those of the Ministry of Education. Permission is given to reproduce this unit for any non-profit educational
purpose. Teachers are encouraged to copy, edit, and adapt this unit for educational purposes. Any reference in this unit
to particular commercial resources, learning materials, equipment, or technology does not reflect any official
endorsements by the Ministry of Education, school boards, or associations that supported the production of this unit.
Written using the Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner 2.51 PLNR_01 March, 2001* Open Printed on Oct 26, 2001 at 10:40:34 AM
Unit Overview
Long Ago Before I Was Born Page 1
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3
Task Context
Long Ago Before I Was Born: A Look at Life in Early Settler Times is an 8 to 10 week integrated Grade 3 unit.
This unit will provide students with their first introduction to history through the study of life in Upper Canada
at the time of the early settlers. Students will explore the early settlers' lives and their relationship with the
Aboriginal peoples, the environment, and one another (communities). In studying these relationships,
students will examine some significant developments that occurred through the early settlement period in
exploration, technology, and everyday life, and will investigate their influence on life in the present day.
Task Summary
In previous grades, within the Heritage and Citizenship strand of Social Studies, students learned about
community through the study of relationships, rules, and responsibilities, and explored the concept of
diversity through the study of the many celebrations and traditions within our country. Building on this
foundation of knowledge about community and diversity, students are ready to begin to gain an
understanding of how our communities and our country's diversity came to be.
The purpose of this unit is to introduce students to the concept of the past and how it influences the present.
Students accomplish this by examining the early settlement period in Upper Canada and comparing lifestyles
and communities from that time with their own lifestyle and community in the present.
The unit begins with the review of concepts relating to community and the introduction to the concept of the
passage of time. Students are then introduced to the early settlers: who they were, where they came from,
where they were going, how they arrived, and why they came.
As students reach an understanding of who the settlers were and of their motivations, they will explore in
detail life in Upper Canada upon the settlers' arrival. What existed in this area when they arrived? Where did
they settle? What challenges did they face?
Once a solid groundwork has been established defining settlers and their lives, students begin to explore in
more depth the nature of the early settlement period. This is approached through the study of various
relationships settlers had with those around them.
The relationship between the settlers and the Aboriginal peoples
- What was life like for the Aboriginal people before the settlers arrived?
- How did the arrival of the settlers change life for the Aboriginal people?
- What were some aspects of their relationship with each another?
The relationship between the settlers and their environment
- How did the settlers use the environment?
- How did the environment affect the settlers and their choices?
The relationship of the settlers with one another (construction of communities)
- What were the roles of different individuals within a community?
- What did their communities look like?
- What services did the communities provide and why?
- What were the occupations of members in the communities? What technology is associated with these
occupations?
- What social activities were taking place within the communities and why were they important?
- What were the daily routines and activities of the communities and the families who lived in the
communities?
- What type of diet did the settlers have and why?
- How did the communities produce products used to build and sustain the communities?
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Throughout the study of these relationships students will continually compare what they are learning to what
is taking place in their communities today. This will allow them to identify and determine change over time and
understand the influence of the early settlers on our present day communities.
During the unit students are expected to develop their inquiry, research, and communication skills. The unit
emphasizes components of a balanced literacy program and is strongly linked to drama. The development of
these skills is essential for the successful completion of the culminating activity.
The final task of the students will be to produce a Living History Fair during which the students will take on
the perspective of someone from the Upper Canadian community during the settler period. The knowledge
and skills gained throughout the unit will allow students to understand the various perspectives of people
from different communities and from different people within each community.
Culminating Task Assessment
Students will be expected to present at a Living History Fair. They will take on various roles of community
members from Upper Canada in order to share what it was like to live in early settler times. Students will take
on these roles in small groups. Drawing on work already completed during the unit, each group will plan,
create, and dramatically present its community member's story at a booth during the Living History Fair.
Links to Prior Knowledge
This unit will require the students to know the following concepts and skills in order to successfully complete
the tasks.
- locate Canada on a world map/globe
- recognize mapping symbols, legends, directions
- define a community and understand that different communities have differences and similarities
- record information on charts and graphs
- communicate information through media works, oral, and written presentations and artwork/visual media
- work co-operatively in small groups
- complete simple research tasks (point form notes, Internet exploration, computer research skills)
Considerations
Notes to Teacher
Novel Study
During this unit of study it would be beneficial for the students to complete a novel study (whole class, small
group, or individual) of an appropriate novel depicting life in early settler times.
- a novel study would enhance the students' understanding of settler life
- a novel study would provide a meaningful context for many of the lessons taught in this unit
Possible novels to include:
1. MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1985. ISBN
0-06-440205-3 (high grade 3 or grade 4 level)
2. Greenwood, Barbara. A Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a Canadian Family in 1840. Toronto: Kids Can
Press, 1994. ISBN 1-55074-128-4 (See also revised version A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a
Canadian Family in 1940 c.1998. ISBN 0395883938.)
3. The Laura Chapter Books Series. New York: HarperCollins Publishing. (adapted from Little House Books
by Laura Ingalls Wilder) There are 15 books in this series.
4. Whelan, Gloria. Hannah. ISBN 0-679-82698-x (grade 3 level)
5. Coerr, Eleanor. The Josephina Story Quilt ISBN 0-06-444129-6 (grade 2 level)
6. Hooks, William H. Pioneer Cat ISBN 0-394-82038-x (high grade 2 to mid grade 3 level)
Read Aloud - Integrate Language Arts
- throughout the completion of this unit, the teacher should choose a variety of picture books and non-fiction
to read aloud to the class
- these books will provide another source of background information and context for the students
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Teacher Preparation for Unit
- meet with the teacher-librarian in your school to identify and collect resources
- locate relevant education kits or audio-visual materials from the media centre in your school board and from
local organizations
- research the identity of the Aboriginal peoples that were located in your geographic region at the time of
early settlement. Identify and locate any resources related to this community (past and present).
- Investigate the early settler history of your own geographic region. Identify and locate any resources
related to this history (museums, heritage organizations, town halls, architectural conservation advisory
councils, etc.).
- collect art prints, postcards, and pictures depicting life during early settler times
- begin to collect cardboard for the creation of booths during the Living History Fair (or order science
boards)
- book a field trip to a historic site (pioneer village, First Nations site), museum, or outdoor education centre
that provides an appropriate program (See Blackline Masters 19, 40)
Historical Context
- classes from the northern regions of the province should explore the history of the early settlers in their
area - early European settlement occurred much later in the north than it did in the south therefore the
content within this unit may vary somewhat for the northern regions
- activities within this unit can be adapted to suit the groups that settled in your geographic region
Collection of Student Work
- the subtask activities will become important components of the culminating task:
- all products created throughout the unit should be collected by the teacher
- the class will choose what will be included in the Living History Fair from this collection of work
- individuals and small groups will use the products in their presentations at the Living History Fair
Integration of Science in Early Settler Life Study
- Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants and Earth and Space Systems: Soils in our Environment can
be studied concurrently or fully integrated into the Early Settler Unit
Disclaimer
This unit has been researched to the best of our ability and, to our knowledge, the information contained in
this unit is accurate. Teachers should be cautious when choosing materials and resources. All materials
should be bias free and illustrate accurate information.
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List of Subtasks
Long Ago Before I Was Born Subtask List Page 1
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3
1 What is a Community?
The purpose of this activity is for students to show their understanding of what a community is. After
creating a map of a simple community using legends and symbols, the students will present their ideas
orally.
2 Introducing the Past
Students will create a personal timeline and a family background chart to show an understanding of
the passage of time.
3 Who Were the Early Settlers?
Students will demonstrate their existing knowledge about early settler life and collaboratively pose
questions for further inquiry.
4 Where did the Settlers Come From?
The students will identify, locate and label the countries of origin of the early settlers who came to
Upper Canada.
5 The Settlers Journey to Upper Canada
Through discussion and drama students will describe the routes early settlers took to arrive at their
destinations in Upper Canada. They will recount, in the form of a letter, a description of the journey,
forms of transportation, conditions, the early settlers' feelings and the early settlers' first impressions
of their new home (Canada).
6 Who Did the Early Settlers find?
Students will locate the Aboriginal communities from the early 19th century on a map of Upper Canada.
From this map students will locate the Aboriginal peoples living in their geographic area at that time.
7 What was Life Like for the Aboriginal Peoples?
Students will explore the history of the First Nations people from their geographic region and will create
a mural depicting life prior to pioneer settlement.
8 Developing a Different Way of Life
Students will explore the reasons early settlers chose to settle where they did and locate these early
settlement areas on a map of Upper Canada.
9 Preparing the Land for Settlement
Using secondary resources, students will gather information about how early settlers prepared the
land for settlement. Students will communicate this information through a piece of procedural writing.
10 Introducing Farming Methods
Students will listen to a reading of the legend of the Three Sisters. Students will discuss how the
Aboriginal peoples influenced the methods of the early settler farmer and the impact of these methods
on farming today. To understand the importance of crop rotation, the students will experiment with
planting seeds and using a variety of soils. An observation log will be maintained to monitor plant
growth.
11 Aboriginal Peoples Helped the Settlers
Students will participate in a variety of activities that will allow them to develop an understanding of the
contributions of Aboriginal peoples to pioneer settlement. Students will create individual booklets
expressing the importance of the contributions of Aboriginal peoples.
12 What was it Like to be a Settler Child?
Students will form an understanding of an early settler child's life by reading a book such as A
Pioneer Child's Day by Bobbie Kalman and Tammy Everts. Students will complete a comprehension
exercise and a chart comparing the present with the past.
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List of Subtasks
Long Ago Before I Was Born Subtask List Page 2
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3
13 The Community - Research, Create & Present
In small groups students will research the role of one member of a settler community. They will locate
key information about how and where this individual would fulfil his/her role and why he/she is an
important part of the community. Students will then create props such as models of buildings and
shadow puppets to use when they present their findings to the class.
14 Communities - Then and Now
After listening to the group presentations about the role of community members, students will complete
Venn diagrams to demonstrate their understanding of the similarities and differences between the past
and the present.
15 Social Activities in a Settler Community
Students will participate in two whole class and at least two individual, hands-on activities that
demonstrate social interactions within an early settler community.
16 That was Then, This is Now
Students were expected to keep ongoing learning logs in which they individually recorded their
observations using illustrations and written accounts throughout the unit (as explained in Subtask 3
and 10). At this time students will make final entries and revisions to their That Was Then, This Was
Now booklets and their Plant Growth Observation Logs and hand them in with their individual unit
folders or portfolios.
17 A Living History Fair
Students will be expected to present at a Living History Fair. They will take on various roles of
community members from Upper Canada in order to share what it was like to live in early settler times.
Students will take on these roles in small groups. Drawing on work already completed during the unit,
each group will plan, create, and dramatically present its community member's story at a booth during
the Living History Fair.
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What is a Community?
Long Ago Before I Was Born Subtask 1
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3 80 mins
Description
The purpose of this activity is for students to show their understanding of what a community is. After creating
a map of a simple community using legends and symbols, the students will present their ideas orally.
Expectations
2z28 – demonstrate an understanding that there are Groupings
similarities and differences in the ways communities Students Working In Small Groups
around the world meet their needs (e.g., food, Students Working As A Whole Class
shelter, clothing);
2z29 – identify similarities and differences (e.g., in food, Teaching / Learning Strategies
clothing, homes, recreation, land use,
Discussion
transportation, language) between their community
Map Making
and communities in other parts of the world.
Oral Explanation
2z31 A – ask simple questions and use a variety of means
Read Aloud
for obtaining information about communities around
the world;
2z35 A – communicate information, using media works, oral Assessment
presentations, and written notes and descriptions Create a Checklist using Expectation 2z35,
(e.g., drawings to compare clothing and food in 2z36, 2z40 and 3e61.
polar and equatorial countries).
2z36 A – use symbols, colour, and cardinal directions (i.e.,
Assessment Strategies
N, S, E, W) on maps of Canada and other countries;
Classroom Presentation
2z40 A – use legends (e.g., blue line/river) and recognize
pictorial symbols (e.g., for homes, roads) on simple
Assessment Recording Devices
maps;
3e54 • apply the rules for working with others; Checklist
3e60 A - speak on a variety of topics in classroom
discussions using some specialized language (e.g.,
metres in measurement), and select words carefully
to convey their intended meaning;
3e61 A – use appropriate volume, tone of voice, gestures,
and stance when speaking, making a presentation,
or reading aloud;
3e63 A – contribute ideas appropriate to the topic in group
discussion and listen to the ideas of others;
Teaching / Learning
1. Read aloud a book such as What is a Community? From A to Z by Bobbie Kalman and facilitate a group
discussion about what a community is.
2. List student responses on a chart/board titled "What is a Community?".
3. Share a map of their school community with students.
4. Discuss the specific information found on the map (legends, symbols, compass, etc.).
5. Students work in small groups to create a map of an imaginary community, which should include the major
components of a community (using the student responses listed on the chart). The map must contain specific
information (legend, symbols, compass, etc.).
6. Each small group presents its map to the class, describing both the community itself and the method they
used to show it on their map. (E.g., What symbols were used and why?)
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What is a Community?
Long Ago Before I Was Born Subtask 1
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3 80 mins
Adaptations
Resources
Neighborhood Walks
a variety of community maps
What is a Community? From A to Z Bobbie Kalman
Children Just Like Me Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley
chart paper
large sheets of paper for maps
markers, crayons, pencil crayons
rulers
Notes to Teacher
PREPARATION
1. Find examples of community maps or a map of the school.
2. Find suitable picture books that identify aspects of communities.
3. Be aware of the need for heterogeneous groupings in order to accommodate those students who may
need assistance verbalizing ideas and recording data.
EXTENSION
4. An alternative to having groups draw community maps would be to use a computer program such as
Neighbourhood Walks.
Teacher Reflections
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Introducing the Past
Long Ago Before I Was Born Subtask 2
A Look At Life In Early Settler Times A Unit for Grade 3 50 mins
Description
Students will create a personal timeline and a family background chart to show an understanding of the
passage of time.
Expectations
3z19 A – make and read a wide variety of graphs, charts, Groupings
diagrams, maps, and models for specific purposes Students Working As A Whole Class
(e.g., to describe routes taken by the pioneers); Students Working In Pairs
3p9 describe basic changes in growth and development Students Working Individually
from birth to childhood (e.g., changes to teeth, hair,
feet, and height); Teaching / Learning Strategies
Discussion
Homework
Think / Pair / Share
Assessment
Using Rubric: My Personal Timelines,
teachers will assess students'
understanding of the passage of time in
their own lives.
Assessment Strategies
Observation
Assessment Recording Devices
Rubric
Teaching / Learning
1. Read aloud a book such as The House on Maple Street by Bonnie Pryor to initiate a discussion about the
passage of time.
2. With the students, model a timeline using ideas from the book read which shows the passage of time.
3. Initiate a discussion about how things change over time. Ask the question "What changes take place in
nature, people, and places over time?"
4. The students THINK/PAIR/SHARE about important events that have occurred in their lives and changes that
have taken place since their birth.
5. Each student creates a personal timeline showing important events that have occurred in their lives since
birth and a second timeline showing the changes (physical).
HOME LINK
6. The students question their families to find out who their ancestors were and where they originated (Who
were/are my ancestors? Where did they originate from?). It may be possible for some students to gather
fairly detailed information about their backgrounds while other students will not be able to gather as much
information.
Adaptations
Some students may need to take their Personal Timelines home to gain assistance from family members.
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