Canadian History Lessons | People Before Confederation | Paper and Digital

Teach about the contributions of Canada's diverse people prior to confederation with these hands-on and engaging social studies lessons. The groups of people included are the Indigenous People, Vikings, the French explorers, English Fur Traders, Métis, Loyalists, Acadians and Missionaries.

This historical thinking resource includes:

• activities to discuss Canadian identity including immigration and stereotypes of Canadians.
• complete lesson plans with suggestions for differentiating.
• activities that include reading, writing, drawing, summarizing, presenting, researching and exploring.
• teacher scripts and photos to help with the visual timeline activity.
• eight reading passages about Indigenous People, Vikings, the French explorers, English Fur Traders, Métis, Loyalists, Acadians and Missionaries. Each passage is 2-3 pages and is designed to be read independently by Grade 5 students. A Google Slides version is also included so students can use their assistive technology software.
• student templates for all the activities.
• photos of student examples.
• extension activities that encourage students to learn more about different people. Students will design a timeline comic strip or summarize different contributions.

This resource starts with an introduction into what students already know about Canada's diversity including immigration and stereotypes. Through reading and presenting, students will explore and demonstrate their understanding of some of the specific groups of people and their contributions of Canadian society. Students will have the opportunity to summarize their learning through a variety of choices and activities.

If you teach in Alberta, be aware this resource was written for the old Social Studies Program of Studies. It has not been reviewed or adjusted for the new Alberta social studies curriculum which is being piloted in the 2024-25 school year. To learn about how we plan to address the changes, visit our site https://brainninjas.ca/social-studies-in-alberta/

This task aligns with:

• Alberta Program of Studies for Grade 5 Social Studies: Canadian Identity

This task supports:

• Canadian social studies lessons.
• any lesson about Canada pre-confederation.
• any lesson to learn about the people who make up Canada's identity.

Ninja Note: If you have strong students, it can be used with Grade 4, but we recommend this product for grade 5 and up based on the reading level. Ideas to accommodate a variety of strengths or weaknesses in reading is included. See the pictures for a sample of the reading level.

Ninja Note: This file is a PDF and requires printing or copying the digital file. To use the digital version click on the link inside the PDF.

Have a question? Before contacting us, check our Frequently Asked Questions page.