Change in Course...

Mr. Neufeld will be overseeing the class until the Christmas break. In that time, he will be covering the period from 1945-1982. We will step back and cover Canada at the turn of the 20th century and World War I after Christmas, as we have covered the material prior to these events. As students have handed in their essays, it will also be a good opportunity for us to pick up with our work in that area. Finally, we will be working on a review for the exam.

Mr. Neufeld has already distributed an overview of the material that will be covered, which is available on the network in the Canadian History pickup folder. Below, you will find the topics that will be covered and the corresponding pages from the textbook where you may find this material.


Module 1 – Moving Forward

Topics:
• The Tragedy of Africville – p 492
• The Bill of Rights – p 493
• Unemployment Insurance – p 521
• Health Insurance – p 521
• Pension Plans – p 522
• Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) – p 522
• Women’s Social Action Groups – p 524
• The Government Chooses Multiculturalism – p 595
• Employment Equity – p 596


Module 2 – Establishing and Promoting Canadian Culture

Topics:
• Canadian Culture on the Brink of Destruction? – p 530
• Strategies for Change (The Massey-Levesque Report) – p 533
• The Great Flag Debate – p 549
• Expo ’67 – p 553
• The National Film Board (NFB) – p 546
• The Development of a Canadian Music Industry – p 541
• The Birth of Television in Canada – p 542
• The Struggle for Canadian Content – p 542
• The Growth of the Canadian Film Industry – p 543


Module 3 – The Cold War

Topics:
• The Gouzenko Spy Case – p 470
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – p 471
• Korean War – p 472
• Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line – p 473
• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) – p 475
• Avro Arrow – p 475
• The Cuban Missile Crisis – p 477
• Canada’s Role in the UN – p 479
• The Suez Crisis – p 481


Module 4 – A Country Divided

Topics:
• Newfoundland as Canada’s Tenth Province – p 482
• The Quiet Revolution in Quebec – p 483
• Aboriginal Peoples Challenge the System – p 486
• Immigration and the Beginnings of Multiculturalism – p 489
• The Developing Idea of Canadian Citizenship – p 491
• The October Crisis – p 566
• Bilingualism – p 569
• Royal Commission on the Status of Women – p 571
• Western Alienation – p 574

Assignments Handed in Today!!!!!

Today you were to hand in all the questions from the assignments that we've been working on this week:

Immigration

Early Immigration

Rebellion and Reform in Upper Canada

War of 1812

If for whatever reason you did not get these in today, email them in before noon on Sunday. Do not send me attachments. Clip and paste the answers into your email and send them that way.

Immigration

Immigration in Canada



Answer the following questions using your search techniques.

Ukrainian Migration:

1. Why did so many Ukrainians come to Canada from 1880-1914? Where did most of the Ukrainians settle?
2. Why was coming to Canada such an appealing idea to poor Europeans during this time period?
3. The experience of the Ukrainians shows that different factors caused people to leave their homes and risk beginning again in Canada. What are some of these factors?

Mennonites, Doukhobors, and the Hutterites

4. Why did these three groups of people leave Europe for Canada?

Immigrants and the City

5. Why did newly arrived immigrants and native-born Canadians not mix well in the cities of Canada?
6. What were Canadian cities like in the 1900s?

A Canada of Many Cultures:

7. In what way(s) did immigration in this time period put a strain on Canadian society?
8. What is Nativism?

Early Immigration into Canada: An Overview

Be like Johnny Canuck and use your search techniques to answer the following questions.

THESE QUESTIONS ARE DUE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

1. What was the Great Migration? When did it take place? Who did it involve?

2. What did people think these immigrants from the Great Migration should be doing?

3. How did the poorest immigrants arrive during the Great Migration? What were the conditions like for them?

4. At what time did Canada see its highest immigration levels from Ireland? Why did these people come?

5. What was Grosse-Ile? What happened there?

6. What was the underground railroad? Explain how it functioned.

7. Who was the driving force behind organizing the underground railroad?

8. Discuss the conditions of Chinese immigration during the time of building the transcontinental railway.

9. Compare the pay for Chinese workers on the railway versus white workers.

10. How did polict towards Chinese immigration change once the railway was built?

Rebellion and Reforms in Upper and Lower Canada

If you have competed the War of 1812 assignment, read the aticle below and answer the questions at the end.

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS DUE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Rebellion and Reforms in Upper and Lower Canada

The years between 1812 and 1850 were a time of economic growth in Canada. Wheat and lumber became the staples of the St. Lawrence colonial economy, the Montreal based fur trade pushed farther and farther into the northwest regions, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick became centers of trade with the U.S. More immigrants were arriving from Britain and the United States, settling especially in Upper Canada.

Nonetheless, it was during this time that popular movements to reform the government sprang up, especially in Upper and Lower Canada. The political system then in place gave the real power to the British appointed governors and to their executive councils who were appointed for life. These men formed an Oligarchy.

Not only did they make up the governor’s councils, but they also held the highest bureaucratic and judicial positions. They were well connected men of property with commercial and financial interests to defend.

In Upper Canada this elite group was known as the Family Compact, and in Quebec or Lower Canada they became known as the Chateau Clique. Both these groups held a strong hold over the commercial and political life of their colonies. As the oligarchy members made all government appointments, they were able to control the legal, religious, and educational systems in the colonies. Using their political power, they put policies in place that were favorable to themselves and their interests rather than to the majority of citizens in the colonies. They could, and did, spend public money on canals that would further their business interests rather than on roads that the settlers needed.

This lead to rebellions and reforms in both Upper and Lower Canada. By 1815, the French were growing uneasy about their position in Canada because they were worried about the increasing number of British immigrants that were flooding the colony. They were slowly being outnumbered and feared assimilation.

The French in Lower Canada were excluded from government as the Chateau Clique was made up of English speaking colonists and made decisions that only helped their own personal situations, thus making the French even more fearful. Louis-Joseph Papineau rose up among the common man and called for the colonists to rebel against the Chateau Clique, demanding responsible government and a change in the colony’s situation. He argued this was necessary for the cultural survival of the French in Canada. He wanted to see that the French majority had more say in colonial affairs. His group was called the Patriotes.

The Patriotes raised support for their cause through a series of meetings in the countryside that called for the overthrow of the government. The government called in troops to protect and to try and arrest the leaders of the rebels. On November 23, 1837 at St. Denis, 800 Patriotes (only ½ of which were armed) battled the troops for an entire day behind wooden barricades, forcing the troops to withdraw. A few days later, Papineau escaped to the United States and later returned to France. But not before burning the parliament building in Montreal. Other Patriote leaders were not so lucky and were arrested.

In Upper Canada, there was also a division between the colonists and the Oligarchy there that was called the Family Compact. The colonists in Upper Canada wanted to have more input into government affairs, as the Family Compact also ruled in their own best interests. The family Compact feared the democratic ideas of the colonists because they believed that democracy equaled mob rule.

William Lyon Mackenzie was the leader of the rebels in Upper Canada. His group was called the Reformers. Mackenzie used the same methods as Papineau and the Patriotes had used in Lower Canada and made speeches in order to organize the people of Upper Canada against the Oligarchy and towards overthrowing the government in favor of responsible government. On December 5, 1837, 700 reformers marched on Toronto to overthrow the government, but the defenders of the oligarchy fired on them and the rebellion was crushed. Like Papineau, Machenzie fled to the United States and was later allowed to return to Toronto without any persecution.

Although both rebellions were unsuccessful, the British government took notice of the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada and realized that serious problems existed with the way that the colonies were run. They sent Lord Durham to the colonies to investigate and to make suggestions on two issues: How to improve the relations between the governments and the colonists, and to try and prevent any further rebellions from the colonists that lived there.

Discussion Questions:


1. According to what you read in this article, what do you believe an Oligarchy is? Based on this definition brainstorm another culture, civilization or time period run by an Oligarchy.

2. What does a Clique refer to nowadays? Can you think of a modern example of a clique?

3. The French in Lower Canada were fighting for Responsible Government and Cultural Survival. In your opinion what is meant by these two terms.

4. What were the similarities and differences between the causes of the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada and the causes of the American Revolution.

5. Why do you believe these two conflicts had different effects or outcomes? Brainstorm at least two reasons.

War of 1812

Use your new Internet search skills to find the answers to the following...

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS TO BE HANDED IN ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

War of 1812

1. Who was the war of 1812 fought between?

2. Identify and explain two major causes of the war.


3. Why did the British delay giving up western forts? What did the Americans think of this?

4. Who were the “War Hawks” and what did they want?


5. Why did the Americans attack Canada even though their military was still young and undeveloped?

6. Where did the Americans attack first and why?


7. Identify two reasons why Canada was at risk for being defeated by the Americans?

8. What was the actual result when the Americans and the Upper Canadians fought? Why did this occur?


9. Who was Tecumseh? And why was he an important figure in early Canadian history?

10. When did the war end? Identify and explain three outcomes or results of the War of 1812 on Canada.

Internet Research

Today will be your first day using Internet resources to find the answers to some basic questions about topics in Canadian History. This is something that you need to become adept at if you are going to find useful and quality material for the research paper that you will write towards the end of the semester.

There are two components to this -- searching the Internet broadly and searching the Internet specifically through academic research databases. We will begin with searching the Internet broadly today. I have linked a tutorial here for you.

Unfortunately, most of us resort to going to Google and just typing in a string of words that we think might get us what we are looking for. There is a better way. Begin by examining the tutorial below:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/education/008-3040-e.html

Read the following links you will find at this site:

Choosing the Right Tools for Searching the Web: A Tutorial
Basic Web Searching: A Guide
Evaluating Internet Sources: A Guide for Learners (Ages 16 and up)

Then begin the assignment on the War of 1812.

Writing Your First Essay

OK... It's been a long road, but here it is --- We are ready for you to write your first essay. Make sure to use the guide I have provided you from the November 4th blog entry. Also, be sure to go and print yourself a copy of the scoring guide you were introduced to. The file is a pdf and is titled "Essay rubric". You can find it in the pick up folder on the network.

Below you will find a series of links. This list is by no means the only information you may use. Feel free to supplement your reading with your own searches. All essays are to be typed, double spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font with standard margins. The essays should be three to five pages in length. Please choose from the topics below:

THE DEADLINE FOR THE ESSAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Was Louis Riel a patriot or traitor?

What was the most critical cause of the rebellions in the west and why?

Compare the way the west was settled in Canada with the way the west was settled in the United States.

Did Riel's decision to execute Thomas Scott ultimately help the Metis or doom their cause?

It has been written that the terms of the treaties negotiated with the federal government were unfair. What are the results of treaties today? Investigate the issue and take a stand as to whether or not Canada is on good terms with native peoples.

Why was Riel unable to duplicate the success of his efforts in Manitoba in Saskatchewan?


***You may also consider your own essay topics - However, they must be approved by the instructor

CBC Archives Rebellion Videos

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/provincial_territorial_politics/topics/1482/


A detailed look at the 1885 Rebellion

http://www.alittlehistory.com/Mtfullst.htm


Changes in The West

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/05/0529/052901/05290104_e.html

Riel and the North West Rebellion

http://www.mta.ca/faculty/arts/canadian_studies/english/about/multimedia/riel/index.html

Tests Returned as well as Westward Expansion and the Rebellions on the Prairies

Over the past number of days, we have gone over the blog test (Period 2 - Period 4 still has two people who need to write) and spent time reading and making notes from pages 280-286, which details the conditions leading to the Red River and North West rebellions. You were given time to read the material, make notes and finally work together in small groups in order to establish the following:

What was the background to the rebellions?

What happened in the rebellions?

Below I have provided you with a summary of that discussion which you should be familiar with.

Background to the Rebellions:

• the decline of the fur trade prompted the Hudson's Bay Company to sell Rupert's Land (all the land draining into Hudson Bay)


• fear of American expansion led to Canada's desire to purchase Rupert's Land (the Gold Rush, the American Civil War, the purchase of Alaska, an American consul being dispatched to the Red River area and Manifest Destiny as flash points)


• December 1, 1869 - HBC got 300 000 English Pounds and got to keep thousands of hectares of land around its trading posts as well as 1/20Th of all the land in the territory


• the deal made Canada 6 times larger than its original size


• the Canadian government wasted no time in trying to open the new territory for settlement and sent government surveyors to divide up the land


• the act of surveying convinced the Metis that their way of life was now clearly under attack

The Red River Rebellion

• October 11, 1869 - Louis Riel, secretary of the Red River council personally stepped in front of a surveyor and with a small band of Metis refused to let the survey continue - the government, according to Riel was trespassing


• November 2, 1869 another Metis group stopped the newly appointed Lieutenant Governor, William McDougall from entering the territory at Pembina and Louis Riel sent forth the message that McDougall required the permission of the National Committee of the Metis to enter


• Riel took Fort Garry, established a Provisional Government with himself as President, and then issued a declaration of Metis rights which he expected to use as a way to start negotiations with the Canadian government that would lead to provincial status for Manitoba


• negotiations actually worked and a deal was struck which included a representative assembly


• However, in February of 1870, John Schultz organized 600 settlers under the Canadian Party to attack Fort Garry to free 48 members of Schultz's guard who had been captured by Riel's men on December 7


• Riel saw the attack as defiant of his authority and intolerable and decided to make an example of one of the men. This lead to the trial of Ontario Orangeman, Thomas Scott, who was tried for insubordination by an all-Metis jury and was executed by firing squad.


• the execution of Scott raised tensions and split the country - the French identified with Riel as a man who was fighting for the survival of his people - and his Catholic faith


• the English Protestants in Ontario saw themselves threatened by Riel and viewed him as a lawbreaking traitor


• an agreement was on May 12, 1870, and Manitoba officially came into being on July 15 of that same year


• most of Riel's terms were accepted and as a result, Manitoba was constitutionally bilingual, bi cultural and bi-educational


• Prime Minster Macdonald sent troops to Manitoba to discourage more Metis uprisings, satisfy English Canada and as a show of force to any Americans who might be thinking about taking Canada by force


• Riel left for the United States and the Metis found that the buffalo were disappearing, settlers were spreading out, the coming of the railway and the enforcement of Canadian property law left precious little space for the practice of Metis traditions and their way of life


• as a consequence, the Metis moved west with the retreating buffalo to Saskatchewan

North West Rebellion

• in an effort to avoid bloodshed, the Canadian government signed a series of treaties with Aboriginal Peoples between 1871 and 1877 - this purchased property largely was seen as a gateway for extending the railway


• the treaties traded land for cash, as well as annual payments, school services, and emergency relief supplies - these terms were not always carried through on by the government


• while Aboriginals were wary of the treaties and hesitant to sign them, they eventually gave in because their living conditions had become quite dire


• this led Aboriginals to seek out Louis Riel's help again, as he had been the only person who could negotiate an agreement that protected their rights


• Riel took the same steps in Saskatchewan that he had taken in Manitoba


• he drafted a bill of rights and demanded settlement


• however, this time there was no settlement


• Riel's past actions and the execution of Thomas Scott left him as a villain in the eyes of English Canadians


• Macdonald used the new railroad to send troops to Saskatchewan quickly


• after four days of fighting and outnumbered three to one, the Metis surrendered


• Riel was charged with high treason, tried, found guilty and executed


• the all white jury actually recommended mercy, but the judge sentenced Riel to execution anyways


• Macdonald could have pardoned Riel but didn't, as he thought that it would only anger the English Canadians again and an election was near


• Macdonald, however, failed to anticipate how badly this decision would hurt him and his Conservative party with French Canadians


• French Canadians would turn to the Liberals and Wilfred Laurier

Lab Time Coming Up

We will spend next week in the lab working on a variety of assignments that should:

• Help you develop your research skills identifying material for writing essays
• Allow us to move forward in Canada's history towards the turn of the 20th century and up to WWI

Period 2 - Nov 15-17 Room 114; Nov 18 Room 113

Period 4 - Nov 15 Room 227; Nov 16-18 Library

The Essay

Over the last number of days, you have written an in class essay and you have been working on the objectives for each part of the essay. Below is a summary of the class notes for this section:

The essay assignment typically comes in two forms -- a question or a directive.

for example:

What is the most important characteristic required to be successful in school? (question)

Discuss the most important characteristic required to be successful in school. (directive)



The most important thing to remember when writing the essay is to make sure you understand the question and answer the question directly.



Below you will find the objectives we discussed for the introductory paragraph (in order of importance - NOT appearance):



1. Answer the question (thesis statement)



2. List of supporting ideas (evidence which will serve to prove your thesis)



3. Introductory statement (this is the first sentence in your essay)






Next, you will find the objectives for the body paragraphs (in order of appearance):



1. Topic sentence (from your list of supporting ideas and relates to thesis)



2. Supporting details (logically prove why the thesis is true... between 5-7 sentences)

3. Transition sentence (make the connection from the present supporting idea/topic to the next supporting idea/topic)



You have all written an introductory paragraph, the first paragraph of the body, and hopefully a conclusion based on the in class essay you were assigned. All students were checked to ensure that each paper fulfilled the objectives above.

Take Your Medicine...and Your Quiz

http://typology.people-press.org/typology/



http://www.gotoquiz.com/politics/political-spectrum-quiz.html



http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz


http://www.politicswatch.com/vote_selector_quiz.htm

The above links were used in order to provide you with a frame of reference in terms of commonly held political beliefs. For the most part, these beliefs can be summarized as follows:

1. Your stand on economic and social policy is largely rooted in your perspective with respect to the role of government -- If you think government has a positive role to play in ensuring that people have fair opportunities and in providing for the general welfare, you are more of a statist and more on the left of the politician spectrum. If you believe that government is a necessary evil, that smaller government is better, and that people have a personal responsibility to look after themselves, you are more likely on the right of the political spectrum.
2. Another way in which people split is along authoritarian vs libertarian lines. Those who are more authoritarian prefer the government to decide and prescribe, regulating people's activities. Those who are more libertarian prefer people to remain free to largely do as they wish.
3. You were asked to take all the tests and analyze where you were likely to find yourself on the political spectrum.

Review for Test

The blog test will take place on Tuesday, November 2. Please ensure that you have prepared yourself for this test. The review is available below...

Our work thus far can be divided into a few categories:

• Historiography
• Canada's Identity
• Colonization
• Our System of Government

Historiography:

Be prepared to discuss the classic question, "What is history?" You worked on your family history projects and had to deal with the practical issues of writing history. You must be able to apply this experience to the criticism of historical writing. Key questions:

• How do we decide what is worthy of study?
• Is political history more important than social history?
• Does bias always exist? How do we best deal with historical bias to get a balance?
• Reread the article on Pierre Trudeau from the blog. Should this article affects Trudeau's reputation and how history will view him? Is it historically significant?

Canada's Identity:

In your presentations you had to make the case for a Canadian identity -- what was it? How was it unique?

Many people discussed the concept of multiculturalism. We also looked at length at the Globe and Mail series, "Our Time to Lead." Be familiar with the idea of Canada as a cultural mosaic -- a series of distinct and unique cultures which create a national identity. Be able to contrast this concept with the American melting pot -- one people out of many.

Canada's involvement in World War I was also identified as a key to the national identity. be able to explain how fighting in Europe actually helped Canada gain recognition as its own nation. Consider the reputation Canadian troops developed for toughness and perseverance. How does this fit with the toughness required to persevere in building the railway, building a country with a small population on a large land mass, and surviving the frontier and the elements?

Colonization:

See the questions for the Tuesday, October 5 blog entry. Be especially familiar with #1 for each chapter and #2 for Chapter 4. As well, you should know the following:

• Who were the Jesuit missionaries? What was their goal?
• What was the cause of early European exploration?
• Who was Samuel de Champlain?
• What kind of alliances with native peoples did Champlain build?
• How did the fur trade evolve? (see table p 104-105)
• How did the Acadian colony end?

Our System of Government:

Review the links below to review how a bill becomes a law in Canada. Also, review the chart in Chapter 5 on royal government and be able to identify the parts of our system that have endured to present day.

http://www.filibustercartoons.com/law.gif

http://www.fedpubs.com/subject/law/statutes.htm

Oh Nooooo!!!! Due Date for October 5th Readings and Questions....

Chapter 4,5, and 6 questions are DUE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21!!!!!

Our Time to Lead

Today we looked at the Globe and Mail initiative http://ourtimetolead.ca/



This is a practical online discussion based on a series of articles found online through the Globe and Mail which looks at a selected series of issues that are important to Canadians and the future of our country.












These issues are:

• multiculturalism


• women in power


• failing boys


• future of the military


• work - life balance


• private health care


• controlling the Internet


• Global food

Some of these issues directly relate to our discussion, "What does it mean to be Canadian?" Each week, the Globe will combine a series of articles on a given topic with online discussion to host a national conversation on the future direction of the country. We will take a look at this discussion and try to determine what it says about us as a nation and where we may be heading.

For today, you are to read the articles found under the multiculturalism link. Make some jot notes and be prepared to discuss:

• How multiculturalism is defined -- justify your position


• Can you detect any criticisms of multiculturalism? or potential problems?


• The introduction states, "Multiculturalism has made Canada better, but now it is time for Canada to make multiculturalism better." What does this mean? How do the articles serve to help us achieve this goal?


• Read the rest of the introduction. Identify the bias in it. Is the Globe trying to control the discussion?

Be ready to discuss and hand in your materials on Tuesday, October 12.

Readings, Readings, Readings... And a Few Things to Do

Here are some activities for you to work on based on the recent readings:

After Chapter 4 -

1. What are the major similarities and differences in the way in which France and Britain colonized Canada? How did their goals for Canada compare? Compare the policies that were used as well as the general living conditions.
2. What did aboriginal people have to gain from colonization? What was their motivation to assist the colonists in surviving in the new environment?

After Chapter 5 -

1. Explain the following: Royal government; the seigneurial system; and mercantilism
2. Reread the report on popular culture found on page 134. Summarize the conclusions of the writer with respect to Canadians. Considering the writer's background, try to identify what observed behaviors and attitudes likely led to this evaluation.

After Chapter 6 -

1. What was it about Acadian life that gave them a distinct and strong cultural identity?
2. Prepare a list of research questions that you could use to write a comparison essay in which you investigate the similarities and differences between the colonial experience of French settlers in Quebec and in Acadia. Research and evaluate possible sources, and then draw up a thesis and outline for your essay.

Readings Assigned Today!

Defining Canada Readings are listed below. We will be looking at the Colonial Era.
You can pick up the readings in the drop box if you cannot finish them in class...

Assigned for Tuesday, October 4, 2010 -

Unit 2 - New France

• Chapter 4 The First French Settlements 1603-1738 p. 92-112


• Chapter 5 Royal Government in New France 1663-1738 p. 112-126


• Chapter 6 Acadia 1621-1755 p. 138-139;149-155; 157-159

Might be a pop quiz... Just sayin' so

Be Disciplined and Do Your Reading :)

Defining Canada

You were asked to read the prologue of the textbook, "Defining Canada." You can get a scanned copy of this reading on the network in the Canadian History pick up folder.

The reading offered a summary of much of the discussion we had in class over the previous two days. In particular, the Quebec referendum and Canada's cultural identity is addressed. As well, methods of historical inquiry and the process by which we determine the historical importance of items was covered.

During the course of working on your family history and preparing your slide show concerning Canada's identity, you will have to make decisions regarding the relative importance of various events and personalities. These decisions will be governed in part by your personal biases with respect to how you see the world around you. This is the case for all historical writing. Therefore, you must be aware of this fact and critically evaluate material accordingly. Consider the source, the audience that is being written for and the writer's purpose.

We discussed bias in the context of the section written about Pierre Trudeau. The line, "Repeatedly, Canadians voted Trudeau and his party into office, thereby showing they approved of his policies." Upon further consideration, we discovered that Trudeau's career included a minority government, an electoral loss to Joe Clark (who himself was perceived to be a weak leader), and consistent rejection by Canadian voters outside of Quebec and Ontario.

See the story linked below to learn about Trudeau's youth.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=0c1b3dca-544a-45d8-8ce3-f577f9cb43a6



To be sure, Pierre Trudeau was a complicated man who had a consequential impact as prime minister. He was colorful, controversial, and blunt when he felt the occasion required. He was well read and unquestionably intelligent. He made decisions and took actions that would shape Canada for years to come. However, to say that his elections reflected the approval for all of his policies throughout the country assumes that the country is limited to central Canada. For most of Trudeau's time in office, there were no Liberal Members of Parliament west of Manitoba. Therefore, it would be fair to say that, at least in this section of the textbook, we see a bias towards central Canada and in favor of Pierre Trudeau.

Once again, for the purposes of this course you must be aware of the biases that exist in all historical intrepretation. Keep that in mind as we proceed.

Canadian History Links

Links to help you get started:


http://canadahistory.com/index.htm

http://www.cyber-north.com/canada/history.html

http://www.canadashistory.ca/

http://www.linksnorth.com/canada-history/

http://www.histori.ca/default.do?page=.index

http://www1.canadiana.org/citm/themes/constitution1_e.html

http://canadaonline.about.com/od/history/History_of_Canada.htm

http://www.international.gc.ca/history-histoire/world-monde/1984-1993.aspx?lang=eng

In Search of a Canadian Identity

Through the use of a PowerPoint slideshow, you are to prepare a presentation that will use events and personalities from Canada's history to define a distinctly Canadian identity.

The presentation should last no less than three minutes and no more than five minutes.

Below you will find some general parameters for the assignment. More details will come in the days to follow.

General Parameters:

• examples must include political, social, economic, military history
• examples must also be chronologically presented with a timeline of sorts -- this timeline should tell an evolving story
• examples must be organized into a set of themes -- don't have too many or too few (probably somewhere between three and five)
• present day results or impact of each item chosen must be clearly explained
• DO NOT READ SLIDES FOR THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION. Be prepared to show you have a command of the material you have chosen.
• prepare a list of references using APA style

Presentations will begin Monday, September 27, 2010

Lab Time

We will be starting a new assignment on Monday. Bring your family history project work with you if I did not have an opportunity to view it on Friday.

For the next week, we will be in the lab. Here are your locations:

Period 2 - Rm 114

Period 4 - Rm 227 (September 21 and 23); Rm 213 (September 24)

Don't Say you weren't warned...

Family History Assignment

The following outlines the requirements for the personal history assignment we discussed on Friday. The purpose of this study is to get you to immerse yourself in the process of writing history and experience firsthand the challenges faced by the historian. In doing so, you will be a better reader of history - as you will be able to examine historical writing with a more critical eye. Hopefully, you will also learn something more personal about the history of Canada through your family experience. Lastly, you will be introduced to some of the practical methods of historical research; another important aspect to being a discerning reader of history.

There are some general parameters to remember when doing this assignment:

• use standard margins (don't change the page margins in Word)
• use 12 point Times New Roman
• text pages are typed, single spaced
• use standard paper 8 1/2 x 11
• the project is to be submitted in a duo tang folder (no three ring binders)
• pictures and other items may be included by will NOT count as part of the page requirement as outlined below

The Assignment...

1. Overview
2. Family Tree
3. Personal History
4. Family Spotlight
5. Your Family History and Canada

Overview

This section should be about half a page long and should offer a synopsis of your family history. In this portion of the assignment you will discuss how many generations you were able to track, what you will be focusing on in your personal history, and who you will be spotlighting in your family and why.

Section Value - 10 marks (7 marks for the written work, 3 for a relevant picture or family artifact such as a coat of arms)

Family History

This section should cover at least a page. You may choose to use a fold out page if 8 1/2 x 11 paper provides you insufficient space. This is your family tree. Have the most recent generation at the bottom of the page and work up from there. You will want to include everyone. Find an organizationally efficient and consistent manner for doing this. I have provided you with a few examples below to get you started. There are others available online.

http://genealogy.about.com/od/free_charts/ig/genealogy_charts/

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/09/create-family-tree-charts-inside.html

Section Value - 25 marks (5 marks for neatness; 10 marks for effective and clear presentation of information; 10 marks for depth and breadth of research)

Personal History

This section will include your personal history. This is the first place where you are going to have to make some tough decisions about what you will include and what you will not have the space to write about. You should begin either at birth or over the nine months of your mother's pregnancy, whichever you prefer. You should end at present day - our entry into your current grade. This section may not exceed two pages and may not be less than one and a half pages.

Section Value - 35 marks (5 marks for spelling; 5 marks for organization; 20 marks for content; 5 marks for grammar)

Family Spotlight

This section features a selected member of your family whose story you are going to tell. You may want to focus on a particular momentous event that they were involved in or you may deem their full life story worthy of coverage. Although you have already stated why you have chosen to spotlight the individual selected in the overview, you are required to do it here again. However, this time your explanation should be in greater detail. Devote a short introductory paragraph at the outset to this task.

This section may not exceed two pages and may not be less than one and a half pages.

Section Value - 35 marks (5 marks for spelling; 5 marks for organization; 20 marks for content; 5 marks for grammar)

Your Family History and Canada

This section represents the closing of your project. It is not a summary, as the overview already provides a place for that. It is part reflection and part application. You are to reflect on what you have learned about your family history and apply it to help you make some sense of Canada's history. Think about how your family history fits into the Canadian experience and what you think Canada is about and what it stands for. What are the values that are inherent in our national thinking and how does your family experience fit into that? This section may be no longer than a page and no shorter than three quarters of a page.

Section Value - 20 marks (5 marks for spelling and grammar; 15 marks for content)

Total Value - 125 marks

Due Date - Monday, October 4, 2010 at the beginning of class

You will have two work periods in class in which you will have additional support from me. The dates are as follows - Friday, September 17 and Friday, September 24. You will be graded on the following on those dates:

1. General Progress 10 marks
2. Work Ethic 10 marks

I am available to discuss this project outside of class if you make an appointment. Otherwise, the remainder of class time will be used for progressing with the course.

What is History, Dammit!?!?

Today we followed up the discussion from the previous day by considering the relative importance of the diary of a Canadian soldier who had landed and survived Juneau Beach and the importance of the diary of his mother.

Through this, we uncovered that there was some merit to studying the history of the ordinary person, often referred to as social history. See the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_history

Conversely, the history of "significant" people or events may be described as political history. For more information, see the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_history



There is an age old battle between political history advocates and social history advocates in terms of which interpretation is the more correct or accurate one. In essence, this is the constant battle that goes on in the mind of the historian as he goes about his work - What is and what is not worthy of study?





To begin with, you are going to embark on a social history study -- one that looks at the history of you and your family. The details of this will be presented to you on Monday. For now, start thinking about it and talking about it at home so that you will be ready to work on the assignment when we begin.


As well, we talked about the difference between primary and secondary sources. A primary source may be defined as an eyewitness account or direct, first person version of events. A secondary source is an account (like a textbook) that makes use of many different versions of events. They may be both primary and secondary in nature. Your research into your family history is an example of a primary activity.

Welcome Back

This blog will be used as a means of keeping track of what we are doing, when we are doing it, and sometimes where we are doing it.

As a result, it will include all relevant course material and timelines. In the event that you are away, the blog will be quite useful to help you keep up to date.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHECKING THE MATERIAL HERE.

Our first activity was for you to write two short essays on the following:

1. What do you think is the most important event in Canadian history?
2. Who do you think is the most significant individual in Candian history?

You were also asked two follow-up questions:

1. What is history?
2. How do you define "significant" or "important"?

We briefly discussed some of the answers that students had written and why they had chosen the people and event that they did. We discussed the difference between history being considered as all the events of the past versus the events and people who had a major influence on the majority of people. We will discuss this further on Friday.

Please note: Take some time to consider the following:

Would the diary of a Canadian soldier who was involved in the D-Day landing be significant?

Would his mother's diary be considered significant?