This Webquest is designed for Grade Seven Students. It could take up to four classes (or more) to complete if you include the final assessment project. The following will guide you through each section of the Webquest and what the students will be viewing. A handout of the questions is prepared so the students can begin to take notes as soon as they begin. Tell the students that their handout is for their use. They can write and draw all over it with their ideas. They DO NOT need to hand this in so they are not self-conscious about what they are writing rather they are writing in as much information as they can. You can remind them that if they lose their sheet or forget to bring it one day, they can access the questions on the homepage as well. Make sure to read through the webquest before assigning this to your students as they will have questions throughout that you need to be able to answer. This unit covers section 7.3.3 of the Grade Seven Social Studies Curriculum:
Objectives:
Grade 7 Social Studies Curriculum Empowerment UNIT 3 Political Empowerment 7.3.3 Analyze the internal and external factors that led to Confederation • identify the British North American colonies’ perspectives on Confederation • identify the key individuals with power and explain their involvement in making Confederation happen • investigate the extent to which external factors affected the confederation debate • determine if Confederation was a democratic process by today’s standards
The students may work in groups of two or three. Depending on the tone of the classroom you can decide if you would like to assign groups or if they will select their own. It is possible that a student may want to work independently, this will be at your discretion.
Pages Home Page - Students begin on this page. A quick introduction gives the students a brief outline. This page also outlines the final activity they will need to complete so they will know what to look for as they complete their webquest. A link at the bottom of the page will direct the students to the next site. It might be beneficial to put the order of the sites on the board for students who may accidentally bump themselves out of a site and not recall where they had been.
Page Two - "YouTube Video" - This will bring the students to a Youtube page with a rap about the Confederation. The rap was done by a group of grade eight students in Western Canada and gives your students a better connection to the material. Ask them to listen carefully and watch the video for ideas about the Confederation.
Page Three - "Confederation Timeline". This page will give the students a visual timeline created on Time Toast. There are various events listed that the students will be reading about on the following sites. This will also give the students another reference spot when they are completing their final assignment.
Page Four - "External Factors leading to Confederation"- This page contains various wars and issues that existed amongst the colonies. The page has three links to sites that discuss the dangerous factors that led the provinces and colonies to come together.
Page Five - "The Durham Report" - This page has two links regarding "The Durham Report". In 1837, the British government sent John George Lambton, or Lord Durham, to investigate and report on the ongoing rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada.
Page Six - "British North America - Colonies Before Provinces" - This page gives the students a detailed look at each of the colonies before Confederation. There is a link to each colony that says when and gives reasons why they joined and Confederation.
Page Seven - "The Conferences" - This page covers the Charlottetown Conference, the Quebec and the London Conferences as well which were all a part of the timeline to Confederation.
Page Eight - "Key Players of Confederation" - This page goes through the main people who were involved in the Confederation. The focus is on John A. MacDonald, Charles Tupper, Joseph Howe, Samuel Leonard Tilley, George Etienne Cartier.
Page Nine - "Maps" - gives a visual of the geography connected to the Confederation. It demonstrates the different areas that were involved and when.
Page Ten - "A Portrait of Confederation" - A page about a painting that was created over a period of years and contained many different men involved in the Confederation. An interesting fact the students will learn on this page is that this painting was done over a period of years because these men were never in the same room at the same time.
Page Eleven - "Political Cartoons" - this is just a fun page to help the students have a better understanding of Confederation. Watch to see if the students discuss these with each other and if they are grasping the meaning of each cartoon. You should take some time to talk with the students in a discussion group about the cartoons at the end of the unit.
Page Twelve - 'Podcast Assignment' - This is the page with the final instructions for their podcasts. They have advanced notice of the project at the very beginning of the webquest, and with the handout of their questions they are ready to go.
You are ready to embark on your journey to help your students navigate the world of Confederation!
Teachers Guide
Confeder-what? Confederation
This Webquest is designed for Grade Seven Students. It could take up to four classes (or more) to complete if you include the final assessment project.The following will guide you through each section of the Webquest and what the students will be viewing. A handout of the questions is prepared so the students can begin to take notes as soon as they begin.
Tell the students that their handout is for their use. They can write and draw all over it with their ideas. They DO NOT need to hand this in so they are not self-conscious about what they are writing rather they are writing in as much information as they can. You can remind them that if they lose their sheet or forget to bring it one day, they can access the questions on the homepage as well.
Make sure to read through the webquest before assigning this to your students as they will have questions throughout that you need to be able to answer.
This unit covers section 7.3.3 of the Grade Seven Social Studies Curriculum:
Objectives:
Grade 7 Social Studies CurriculumEmpowerment
UNIT 3
Political Empowerment
7.3.3
Analyze the internal and external factors that led to Confederation
• identify the British North American colonies’ perspectives on
Confederation
• identify the key individuals with power and explain their
involvement in making Confederation happen
• investigate the extent to which external factors affected the
confederation debate
• determine if Confederation was a democratic process by today’s
standards
The students may work in groups of two or three. Depending on the tone of the classroom you can decide if you would like to assign groups or if they will select their own. It is possible that a student may want to work independently, this will be at your discretion.
Pages
Home Page - Students begin on this page. A quick introduction gives the students a brief outline. This page also outlines the final activity they will need to complete so they will know what to look for as they complete their webquest. A link at the bottom of the page will direct the students to the next site. It might be beneficial to put the order of the sites on the board for students who may accidentally bump themselves out of a site and not recall where they had been.
Page Two - "YouTube Video" - This will bring the students to a Youtube page with a rap about the Confederation. The rap was done by a group of grade eight students in Western Canada and gives your students a better connection to the material. Ask them to listen carefully and watch the video for ideas about the Confederation.
Page Three - "Confederation Timeline". This page will give the students a visual timeline created on Time Toast. There are various events listed that the students will be reading about on the following sites. This will also give the students another reference spot when they are completing their final assignment.
Page Four - "External Factors leading to Confederation"- This page contains various wars and issues that existed amongst the colonies. The page has three links to sites that discuss the dangerous factors that led the provinces and colonies to come together.
Page Five - "The Durham Report" - This page has two links regarding "The Durham Report". In 1837, the British government sent John George Lambton, or Lord Durham, to investigate and report on the ongoing rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada.
Page Six - "British North America - Colonies Before Provinces" - This page gives the students a detailed look at each of the colonies before Confederation. There is a link to each colony that says when and gives reasons why they joined and Confederation.
Page Seven - "The Conferences" - This page covers the Charlottetown Conference, the Quebec and the London Conferences as well which were all a part of the timeline to Confederation.
Page Eight - "Key Players of Confederation" - This page goes through the main people who were involved in the Confederation. The focus is on John A. MacDonald, Charles Tupper, Joseph Howe, Samuel Leonard Tilley, George Etienne Cartier.
Page Nine - "Maps" - gives a visual of the geography connected to the Confederation. It demonstrates the different areas that were involved and when.
Page Ten - "A Portrait of Confederation" - A page about a painting that was created over a period of years and contained many different men involved in the Confederation. An interesting fact the students will learn on this page is that this painting was done over a period of years because these men were never in the same room at the same time.
Page Eleven - "Political Cartoons" - this is just a fun page to help the students have a better understanding of Confederation. Watch to see if the students discuss these with each other and if they are grasping the meaning of each cartoon. You should take some time to talk with the students in a discussion group about the cartoons at the end of the unit.
Page Twelve - 'Podcast Assignment' - This is the page with the final instructions for their podcasts. They have advanced notice of the project at the very beginning of the webquest, and with the handout of their questions they are ready to go.
You are ready to embark on your journey to help your students navigate the world of Confederation!