Intro+to+the+Unit+-+Awais

Usha's comments in Blue.

Your name: Awais Khan

=== Initial Reading and Assessment of Textbook Treatment of the Topic ===

Name of Gr. 10 Textbook examined: "The Canadian Challenge" by Quinlan, Don, Doug Baldwin et al.

Name of more "scholarly" source(s) examined: "Destinies: Canadian History Since Confederation" fifth ed. By Francis, R. Douglas, Richard Jones et al.

__Your Initial Thoughts:__ Please provide a **brief** (5-10 sentences) initial assessment of the textbook's treatment of the subject. We have not developed any particular criteria by which to assess the textbook so this is really simply you initial reactions, feelings, questions about what you have read. Thanks!

The Grade 10 history text's introduction to the unit is titled "forging a Canadian Identity: 1914-1945." The content of the unit's introduction is far too brief, even for the time span it is supposed to cover let alone up to the 1930s. The questions posed for the students to reflect on during the unit, steer readers towards the unit's theme of "forging a Canadian Identity." The introduction to a similar unit in the University text however, show where the introduction in the grade 10 text is lacking. Canada's identity is mentioned but so is the question of its price. Women roles and issues of gender equality are raised. The growing divide between Francophone and Anglophone Canadians, and the legacy of bitterness due to Conscription were also mentioned. The Grade 10 text seems factual and more narrow in its instruction and focus. Surprisingly the Grade 10 text does ask excellent questions for students to think critically, such as "Was the outcome of the war worth Canada's participation?" One great thing I found about the Grade 10 text was including paintings in the introduction page of the unit and chapter, and asking students to reflect on the art and their relationship to the subject of the unit, and chapter.

Thanks for your comments, Awais. You have highlighted some important features of text that might be used by students - focusing on the big questions, presenting problematic issues, making interdisciplinary connections.

The critical Challenge: Think about the diverse people living in Canada at the outset of WW1. What reasons would they have for joining and fighting in the war? What reasons would they have against?

The idea is to form groups of 3-4 and get students to brainstorm together. They would list the different nations/peoples, and their reasons for, and against. These would most likely be left up for them to refer to throughout the unit. At the end we would have another brainstorming session that would compare the old thoughts to the new based on information gained during the unit.

You have an interesting idea for an opening activity. I'm not sure it would frame the content of the entire unit, though. In your text assessment, above, you identify some fantastic approaches to introducing the unit including grappling with troubling issues (e.g. the cost of autonomy) and examining art or other documents to get a feel for the time. You might want to consider the 6 types of critical challenges and think about which one might be the most useful to introduce students to a broad range of issues that will arise during the unit. For example, maybe they could examine a variety of visuals related to the unit and attempt to construct a narrative of the time period (i.e. decode the puzzle). Just some thoughts - let me know what you think.

** Lesson Design – Initial Planning Stages ** Good start but consider articulating WHAT you want them to actually understand about the topic/issue - e.g. "Students will understand that historians make decisions about what to highlight about particular eras or events." or "...that different people will consider different things significant...", etc. Does you see what I mean? ||
 * **//Identify Key Learning / “Big Idea” / Learning Target//** //(Written as a statement of understanding that students will walk away with//  //i.e. “Students will understand that…”)// * Students will understand what significant events highlight the era that is this unit.
 * Students will understand what makes events significant including the criteria for assessing significance.
 * **//Frame Critical Challenge//** //(The central question or task students will grapple with)// * Using the images provided, choose 5 out of the 10 images that best highlight the key events in the era from 1914-1929 and place them in cronological order. How are these significant representations of the era? Good.
 * Critique type: decode the puzzle ||
 * **//How will this lesson help students build skills they will need for//** **//the summative assessment task for the unit?//**  //(What skill or ability will you help them develop?)// * Students will be able to identify the criteria that make events or people significant. This will help them in their summative assessment task of a newspaper by allowing students to judge the more significant events to highlight and focus on for their newspaper spread. ||
 * **//What dimension of Historical Thinking will students actively engage in during this lesson?//**  * Historical Significance ||
 * Intellectual Tools**


 * Background Knowledge**

- analyse information, employing concepts and theories appropriate to historical inquiry; - explain how participation in international events, institutions, and agreements has contributed to Canada’s evolving identity - Draw conclusions and make reasoned generalizations or appropriate predictions on the basis of relevant and sufficient supporting evidence


 * Criteria For Judgement**

Criteria for: Assessing significance of people and events - Importance at the time - consequences at the time to people, places etc. - Stood against time – remembered? Revealing?


 * Habit of Mind**

Critically minded – judge which pieces are more relevant to expressing the time period based on limited information provided in images.


 * Thinking Strategies**

Decision making matrix – students will be choosing which events are significant

Evaluation
 * Critical Thinking Vocabulary**