Intro+to+the+Unit

Usha's comments in Blue.

Your name: Krista Robinson

Initial Reading and Assessment of Textbook Treatment of the Topic
Name of Gr. 10 Textbook examined: Canada: A Nation Unfolding

Name of more "scholarly" source examined: Journeys: A History of Canada

__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 introduction to the unit in the Gr. 10 textbook provides a brief time line of WWI, which was definitely too brief and did not contain enough information, even for an introduction. The introduction addresses some of the major questions which correspond to important themes of the unit. In addition there are questions for investigation which I can assume are there to guide the students learning to focus in on important and necessary parts of the curriculum. There are a list of key terms for the student to focus on and define. Background information regarding the backdrop to the beginning of WWI in Canada is provided briefly, as well as the foreshadowing of what was to come during the war and as a result of the war. Since this is where the curriculum is required to begin how can one assume that the student has enough previous information to supplement the missing information and fully understand what is briefly being made reference to.

The university text introduces the war and the significant impact it would have on Canada. The issues raised are more complex and in depth than the previous text. It goes over and breaks down issues and consequences by topic (politics, woman's rights, etc.). The period after the war is introduced emphasizing the economic boom and change, yet manages to incorporate the similarities to the previous time period. Overall aside from a more difficult reading level and more complicated issues raised, the text introductions for both sources are fairly similar in content and length.

Thanks, Krista. It is interesting that the text seems to mirror the university text. You also seem to be saying that there may be an assumption at play in the text around prior knowledge that we might have unpack and decide whether some diagnostic assessment is required to figure out whether students actually have that prior knowledge. Interesting.

Question: How can you explain the confidence Canadians had in their country and in victory upon declaration of WWI in 1914? This is an interesting issue to address, Krista. But when I stopped to think how I would answer this question, I'm not sure what I would say. Are you asking the reasons for Canadians' confidence? What would those reasons be? And if that was your question, it might turn into just asking students to describe or list reasons for confidence. However, I think the idea of having kids uncover the mood of Canadians in 1914 at the start of war is really a great idea. This seems to be at the heart of what you're suggesting. If you frame this as a "decode the puzzle" - i.e. look at various sources (maybe from throughout the war since this is an intro to the whole unit) and challenge kids to uncover the mood of Canadians and how it shifted, that might clarify what you're getting at, I think. Does that make sense?