Canada-US+ties

Usha's comments in Blue.

Your name: Shalini Basu

**Initial Reading and Assessment of Textbook Treatment of the Topic**
Name of Gr. 10 Textbook examined:

Newman, Garfield. //Canada: A Nation Unfolding, Ontario Edition//. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000.

Name of more "scholarly" source examined:

Thompson, John Herd and Stephen J. Randall. //Canada and the United States: Ambivalent Allies, Second Edition//. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1997.

__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!

This textbook contains two chapters that provide a brief overview of Canadian and American relations in the years 1914-1929. Chapter Twelve (“Life in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s”) and Chapter Thirteen (“Canada’s Growing Autonomy”) touch on Canada’s evolving, and complicated relationship with the United States, at the same time that it sought autonomy from Britain.

I think that the textbook adequately covers how American mass culture was being ‘exported’ into Canada. For example, there is a small section that discusses Canadians affinity for American movies and jazz music. I like the way the textbook consistently draws attention to anxiety amongst Canadians, particularly the government, over the pervasive influence of American culture. In the chapter overview, the questions that are asked encourage students to consider how Canada’s identity was impacted by Americanization. Considering that the scope of this topic is very large, I find that the textbook helpfully condenses some of the most important features of the relationship between both countries. It goes into detail about American Prohibition and how that led to cross-border smuggling. There is a brief section entitled "Closer Canadian-American Relations" that introduces the economic consequences of American companies investing in Canada.

Something that I found particularly problematic is that the textbook does not devote an entire chapter to this topic, which I think would be beneficial for students. Most of its analysis on this subject is confined to the 1920s and beyond. In my perusal of previous chapters, I did not find any useful information on Canadian-US ties in the years immediately following WWI.

Thank you for your comments, Shalini. It sounds like there is a bit of tension between trying to condense and simplify for students and yet covering in adequate depth as you comment about not devoting an entire chapter suggests. We'll certainly have to struggle with this tensions throughout this process. Thanks again.


 * Critical Thinking Exercise**:

I would ask students to work in groups and examine the period between 1914-1929 and consider all the areas of American influence (economic, political, as well as cultural) by constructing a timeline which highlights specific events and explains its historical significance. They are required to choose 5 that they feel are the most significant and justify why they came to that conclusion. These are some of the questions they could potentially answer after completing the timeline:


 * In your own words, explain why (or why not) they think American culture is so widespread in Canada. What obstacles have Canadians faced in trying to create a uniquely Canadian identity in this period? Do they feel that "Americanization" is problematic for the development of Canadian identity?
 * Is it possible for Canadians to develop a 'distinct' identity from Americans? Consider the evidence from 1914-1929 and the information they have compiled in the group exercise when making their argument.
 * How was Canada impacted by American economic interests? Do you think these changes had a positive or negative impact on Canada's quest for autonomy?
 * What was Prohibition? How did it shape Canadian-American political relations? What challenges did an American law pose for Canadians?

The group activity and the timeline encourages students to think critically about the ways in which the United States impacts Canadians on a day-to-day basis. It also ties in nicely to the overarching theme of Canadian identity that we find in the Grade 10 Applied/Academic curriculum. I'm not quite sure which of the exercises it falls under, but I feel it is closely related to 'concept attainment,' because students gradually uncover the concept.

You've got lots of ideas here. Before going further, though, I encourage you to identify the single question/task that will drive the lesson and see if you can summarize it in a single sentence. That will keep you focused on the goal while you hash out the details. You have some excellent options here - it is unlikely that you will be able to pursue all of them in one lesson. Here are some general comments that might help in the selection: - if your core challenge revolves around the timeline and the significance of events, consider how to ensure that task invites critical thinking (e.g. select the 5 most significant event; determine the extent of significance, etc.) - each of your bullet pointed questions above are multi-faceted; some parts invite critical thinking; some parts might ask as scaffolding but really ask for an explanation. I would suggest selecting one of these approaches (perhaps the one that seems to best fit the content you have read about and the relevant curriculum expectations) and making sure you have a single question or task that frames that content. Then, we can look at the scaffolding (e.g. the mental set, etc.)

Let me know what you think.

Thanks, Usha. I've been able to narrow it down to just the timeline (exploring the significance of events by selecting 5 events).

__**Lesson Design - Initial Planning Stages**__

Well framed key learnings.
 * Identify Key Learning/ 'Big Idea'/ Learning Target**
 * Students will understand that there is a complex and continually evolving relationship between Canada and the United States. They will ultimately recognize that both countries share political, economic, and cultural ties.
 * Canadian identity is shaped by American culture to a certain extent.


 * Frame Critical Challenge**
 * Work in pairs and examine the period between 1914-1929.
 * Consider all instances of American influence on Canada, and Canadian people (economic, political, cultural) during this period.
 * Select five events that you feel are the most "historically significant." Before you can do this, you must consider what the criteria for significance is: prominence at the time, consequences, and historical prominence. Do the events you have selected fit this criteria?
 * Construct a timeline, listing all 5 events in detail (who, what, where, when, why?) and then explain their historical significance. Make sure you justify your conclusions: why did you choose x, as opposed to y? Much better.


 * How will this lesson help students build skills they will need for the summative assessment task for the unit?**
 * By creating a timeline and expanding their understanding of historical significance, students will gain valuable experience and practice for one of the tasks that appear on the summative assessment task


 * What dimension of Historical Thinking will students actively engage in during this lesson?**
 * historical significance


 * Intellectual Tools (Explanation / Details for our Critical Challenge)**


 * Background Knowledge**
 * Specific expectations from the curriculum (drawn out of Communities: Local, National, Global; Change and Continuity; Social, Economic, and Political Structures)
 * 1) Forging a Canadian identity: describe some of the ways in which American culture and politics have influenced Canada since WWI
 * 2) Canada's International Status and Foreign Policy: analyse Canada's changing relationship with the United States
 * 3) Economic and Social Conditions: compare the advantages and disadvantages of American participation in the Canadian economy
 * 4) Forces Shaping Canada's Policies and Canadian identity: explain how American culture and lifestyles have influenced Canada and Canadians in specific periods


 * Content: Students need to be aware of how Canada and its citizens were affected by a growing American influence. Some factors they can consider include: Prohibition; increase in foreign direct investments; the development of a distinctive Canadian foreign policy (e.g. halibut treaty, first bilateral treaty); the decline of the Canadian magazine industry and the Canadian automotive industry; conflict over Arctic sovereignty; controversy over the Panama Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway; the growing interest in American films and music; weakening ties with Britain.


 * Criteria for Judgment**
 * criteria for significance (prominence at the time, consequences, historical prominence)


 * criteria for constructing a timeline (dates, linearity of time, summarizing key points of major events) What you have listed here are more criteria than requirements (e.g. a timeline must include dates, must be in chronological order, etc.) These requirements are important but are not criteria because they don't help you distinguish between 2 timelines that both meet the criteria - i.e. what makes one better than the other. However, I'm not sure you really need separate criteria for an effective timeline since what will make it effective is if they've selected the most significant dates and justified their significance (which is the first part of their challenge anyway.)


 * Habit of Mind**
 * critically-minded


 * Thinking Strategies**
 * timeline


 * Critical Thinking Vocabulary**
 * judgment

=**Elements of Lesson Design**=


 * Anticipatory Set (10 minutes)**

The objective of this mental set is to get students to think about historical significance and what it means, and how a major component of it is impact ("consequences") I will establish a criteria for understanding the meaning of impact:
 * magnitude (did it result in major changes?)
 * scope (how many were impacted? how large was the area?)
 * depth of impact (what was the lasting nature of impact - short term or long term?).

The students will watch a 7 minute clip of The Simpsons. In this episode, Homer travels back into time to when dinosaurs were roaming the Earth and accidentally changes the past several times, which has serious repercussions on the future (or in his case, the 'present')**.** Students are paired in groups and are instructed to create a chart similar to the one below. They should work together to gather the necessary information from the clip and determine the magnitude, scope, and depth of each of Homer's actions. After the clip is over, they can review or debate their findings, as well as fill in the gaps in their chart. I will post my completed chart (as seen below) at the conclusion of the activity or the end of the lesson.

who becomes an overlord. || Short-term effects. || him || Yes || His house changes shape multiple times, the aliens switch bodies. His family turn into reptile-like humans. || Long-term effects Homer doesn't bother to set it right. ||
 * IMPACT**
 * **Event/Action** || **Magnitude (Y/N)** || **Scope** || **Depth** ||
 * Homer breaks/ fixes his toaster || Yes. || His whole family. || Long-term effects. ||
 * Kills a fly || Yes. || His family, community, and Ned Flanders
 * Insults Ned Flanders || No. || His family has to attend a therapy program. || Short-term effects. ||
 * Kills a fish || Yes. || His children become giants. || Short-term effects. ||
 * Sneezes and kills a dinosaur || Yes. || Dinosaurs extinct, family becomes rich, sisters-in-law die || Short-term effects. ||
 * Smashes everything around


 * Sharing Objectives and Purpose (15 minutes)**

The expectation is that the anticipatory set will help students become familiar with the notion of impact/consequences. However, they still need to understand that there are two more aspects to historical significance, i.e. prominence at the time and historical prominence.

//Graphic Organizer - Establishing Criteria for Assessing Historical Significance//
 * Encourage students to brainstorm words, ideas etc. that can help them unpack the concept of historical significance.
 * If students have not picked up on it, introduce the 2 aspects of prominence at the time and historical prominence. (//prominence at the time// = to what extent was the event/person/trend important at the time of its occurrence?; //historical prominence// = a) remembered: is it widely remembered and memorialized in popular culture and professional history? b) revealing: does it tell us something crucial about the time?)
 * Reiterate what consequences/impact means and how it relates to historical significance.

//Explain to students the "big question" behind this lesson://
 * Looking at the period between 1914-1929, consider:
 * Was Canadian identity and culture shaped by American influences?
 * Was Canada affected by American economic or political interests? Why or why not?

//Explain to students that their task is to:// //(This type of critical challenge is a design to specs, and a critique the piece)//
 * Work in pairs and examine the period between 1914-1929.
 * Consider all instances of American influence on Canada, and Canadian people (economic, political, cultural) during this period.
 * Select five events that you feel are the most "historically significant." Before you can do this, you must consider what the criteria for significance is: prominence at the time, consequences, and historical prominence. Do the events you have selected fit this criteria?
 * Construct a timeline, listing all 5 events in detail (who, what, where, when, why?) and then explain their historical significance. Make sure you justify your conclusions: why did you choose x, as opposed to y?

//After explaining the task, tell students that they must://
 * make a **judgment** [Critical thinking vocabulary] - the evaluation of evidence in the making of a decision.
 * be **critically-minded** [Habit of Mind] - open-minded, comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards.

//Explain to students how this activity is relevant to the final summative task://
 * The timeline is one of the options that they have for the final summative task, therefore this in-class activity is an effective way to build the skills that they will need in the future.
 * Historical significance is one of 6 dimensions of historical thinking and is important to understanding how history is written, perceived, and how accounts of history can be challenged. By understanding what historical significance is, they will think in the same way that historians do.


 * Modeling (15 minutes)**

//Examine these figures//


 * Canadian Circulation of Leading Canadian and American Magazines, Mid-1920s**
 * **Canadian Magazines** || **Circulation** ||
 * Maclean's Magazine || 82 013 ||
 * Canadian Home Journal || 68 054 ||
 * Saturday Night || 30 858 ||
 * Canadian Magazine || 12 604 ||
 * || TOTAL: 193 529 ||

Source: Mary Vipond, "Canadian Nationalism and the Plight of Canadian Magazines in the 1920s," //Canadian Historical Review// 58, no. 1 (March, 1977), 43-44.
 * **American Magazines** || **Circulation** ||
 * Ladies' Home Journal || 152 011 ||
 * Saturday Evening Post || 128 574 ||
 * Pictorial Review || 128 320 ||
 * McCall's Magazine || 103 209 ||
 * || TOTAL: 512 114 ||

I will model the expectations for this activity by analysing this table on the circulation of Canadian and American magazines in the mid-20s. These questions are designed to engage students in the mode of historical thinking known as historical significance. This will help them understand the processes behind determining historical significance in an explicit way.


 * 1. Ask students to **identify the trend**. (American magazines were being sold in larger numbers than Canadian magazines)
 * 2. **Prominence at the time**: Ask students if they think this trend was important at the time of its occurrence. Who exactly would have noticed this trend was occurring at the time? (e.g.Canadian magazine industry/publishers, advocates of the Canadian magazine industry, the Canadian government)
 * 3. **Consequences**:
 * __Magnitude__ - Did this trend result in major changes? (Where/how can we locate this information? What type of evidence will we need to consider?)
 * __Scope__ - Which groups were a) primarily responsible for this trend? b) impacted by the trend? (e.g. women)
 * __Depth__ - Do they think this trend had short or long-term consequences, i.e. do they think this trend continued or changed in some way?
 * 4. **Historical Prominence:**
 * __Revealing__: Does this trend tell us something crucial about the time period?


 * Input/Information**

Students will need to consult their textbook for this task.


 * Practice (Guided and Independent) - 5 minutes.**

During the halfway point, ask students to merge with another group (creating a group of 4 students). Each side must share which 5 events they selected, and from one of the five, explain why it is historically significant (by using the criteria that has been established in the lesson). I will encourage students to give each other feedback. As they are talking to one another, I will walk around and assess whether they are on the right track.


 * Checking for Understanding**

Students will submit their timelines at the end of the lesson. I will check to see if they understood historical significance (by following the criteria), and the requirements for this assignment (listing the 5 events, for example).


 * Closure**