In 1864, a collection of leaders and important men gathered together in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where they worked to create a new country: Canada. It took them 3 years, but by July 1, 1867 – Canada was officially a nation. Here are some resources to help teach your children about our Canadian Confederation.
Websites:
Confederation: The Unfinished Project. This website has a lesson which examines the various viewpoints and perspectives of the participants in the Confederation debates, including the voices of women, Indigenous peoples and other groups left out of the process.
Canada Confederation – from Thoughtco. This website includes lots of facts and information about the Canadian Confederation, such as who are the Fathers of Confederation, the conferences they did as they made decisions, how Canada got its name, etc.
Lessons & Worksheets:
Maps of the Canadian Confederation ($2.50) – From Montessori Printshop, a collection of printable maps of both Canada at Confederation and Canada today, allowing you to colour, label, and compare differences.
Mapping Canadian Confederation – from ESRI Canada, this program uses an online mapping tool to explore Confederation and the boundaries of the country as it developped. You will need to sign up for an account at a site called ArcGIS to access the maps, but it seems that just having a free account will still allow you to complete the lesson.
Canadian Confederation – from the Library and Archives Canada, a lesson about Confederation that includes an activity, maps, photographs, political cartoons, and other first hand documentation to examine.
Grade 8 History: Confederation – by the Ontario Federation of Teachers, a 5 part lesson that covers the factors for Confederation through reading passages and worksheets, vocabulary, and other recommended resources.
Advertising Confederation ($2) – from 2 Peas and a Dog, this activity asks students to create an advertisement piece to help convince the colonies to join in Confederation.
Fathers of Confederation Monologues ($2) – from 2 Peas and a Dog, this activity challenges students to pick a key figure in the Confederation and create a short monologue from their perspective.
Canada Confederation QR Code Challenge ($2.50) – from Top Teaching Priority. A QR Code true or false quiz on facts about Confederation. Students answer the questions and then check their answers with the given QR codes.
Canadian Confederation Projects ($3) – from Widy, this download includes a table of project suggestions designed for students in Grade 8, using a variety of learning styles and methods.
The Founding of the Canadian Federation – from McCord Museum. Intended for Quebec high school students, this lesson plan studies the characters and political cartoons for the era around Confederation.
The “Birth” of a Nation – an 8 part Grade 8 history unit study on Confederation. Detailed lesson plan outlines, with assignments, reading passages, and additional resources. (Downloads a PDF file when link is clicked.)
Videos:
Canada, A People’s History (Episode 8 – The Great Enterprise) – following Canadian history from 1850 though 1867
Confederation: The Creation of Canada – a video about this important part of our Canadian history. Narration is voiced over photography and artwork.
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