Lesson – Contributions of Various Groups

Topic: Contributions of Various Groups during WW1

Critical Inquiry: What were the experiences/contributions of various groups of Canadians during WW1 like?

Grade: 10
Subject: History
Time: 70 minutes

Curriculum Expectations:
Overall
A1. Historical Inquiry: use the historical inquiry process and the concepts of historical thinking when
investigating aspects of Canadian history since 1914
B1. Social, Economic, and Political Context: describe some key social, economic, and political events, trends,
and developments between 1914 and 1929, and assess their significance for different groups in Canada (FOCUS
ON: Historical Significance; Historical Perspective)
B2. Communities, Conflict, and Cooperation: analyse some key interactions within and between different
communities in Canada, and between Canada and the international community, from
1914 to 1929, and how they affected Canadian society and politics (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance;
Cause and Consequence)

Specific
A1.2 select and organize relevant evidence and information on aspects of Canadian history since 1914 from a
variety of primary and secondary sources, ensuring that their sources reflect multiple perspectives
A1.3 assess the credibility of sources and information relevant to their investigations
B1.1 analyse historical statistics and other primary sources to identify major demographic trends in Canada
between 1914 and 1929, and assess their significance for different groups in Canada
B1.4 explain the impact on Canadian society and politics of some key events and/or developments during World
War I
B2.2 analyse, with reference to specific events or issues, the significance of Canada’s participation in
international relations between 1914 and 1929
B2.5 describe attitudes towards and significant actions affecting ethnocultural minority groups in Canada during
this period, and explain their impact

Learning Goals/Success Criteria:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
 Explain the contributions/experiences of different groups of Canadians during WW1
 Analyze societal attitudes and beliefs about different groups of Canadians, and how that impacted their
participation in the war effort

Links to Indigenous Knowledge

In this lesson, students will explore the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to WW1 both on the Homefront and
the battlefield. Students will also investigate how societal attitudes and beliefs affected the experiences of
Indigenous Peoples. Issues of prejudice and discrimination of various groups will be discussed.

Critical Thinking Questions:

How were the experiences/contributions of different groups of Canadians during WW1 the same? Different?
What does this say about Canadian attitudes and beliefs?
Was Canada as accepting as it claims to be today?
Do you think Canada is just (fair) in its treatment of different groups of Canadians? Why or why not?
Housekeeping (5 minutes)
- Welcome students to class
- Take attendance
- Go over the Agenda
- Explain the learning goals for today’s lesson

Minds On: Think/Pair/Share (10 minutes)

- Ask students to write down as many words, phrases and/or images that come to mind when they hear the
following: “Canadian contributions during WW1” (3 minutes)
- Students will turn to a partner to discuss their thoughts (2 minutes)
- We will then take up their thoughts as a class, and engage in a large group discussion (5 minutes)
- Class discussion:
o What was life like for Canadians at this time?
o What about for different groups of Canadians?
o Do you think Canada was a just (fair) society?
o How might the experiences of English, French, Indigenous, Black, Japanese, Ukrainian and
German Canadians been the same? Different?

The purpose of this Minds On activity is to get students thinking about the contributions of Canadians during
WW1. When Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, Canada, too, went to war. I want students to reflect on
what they currently know about Canada’s contributions to the war. For many, they might only be thinking
about the contributions of English Canadian soldiers. But who were these soldiers? What were their
race/ethnicity? What were their experiences? Who else enlisted? What were their experiences like? What
about the role and contributions of women? Hence, this activity will set the stage for what students will learn in
today’s lesson: the contributions of various groups (e.g. English, French, Indigenous, Black, Japanese,
Ukrainian and German Canadians) during WW1. Often, the voices and stories of coloured and other minority
groups are left out of the conversation. And so, the hope is that with this Minds On activity, we can continue to
build on what students currently know, and also, deepen (but more importantly) complicate their understanding
of Canada’s wartime contributions.

This activity is a form of assessment for learning, as it will showcase what students currently know about
Canadian contributions during WW1. By brainstorming what they currently know about Canada’s
contributions to the war, by the end of class, the hope is that students will have both developed and complicated
this understanding through the investigation of different groups of Canadians. Initial responses will indicate
what students currently know about Canadian contributions, as well as, what needs to be further explored in
subsequent lessons.
Note: Minds On idea adapted from: https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/handle/1974/15445/174995-67534%20-
%20Emily%20Labine%20-%20Dec%2012%2C%202016%201037%20PM%20-%20Curr335.pdf?sequence=1.

Action (45 minutes)

Primary Source Analysis Jigsaw (25 minutes)

- Divide students into groups of 7 (this will be their home groups, and there should be about 3-4 home
groups in total depending on the number of students present) (2 minutes)
- Number off students 1-7 in each home group. All the 1’s will gather together, all the 2’s will gather
together, etc. Students will then meet with their new groups (expert groups). There should be about 3-4
students in each expert group (3 minutes to organize into expert groups)

- Each expert group will receive an activity package. Each activity package contains a variety of sources,
both primary and secondary. For this part of the activity, students are asked to look at only the primary
 sources. Primary sources include images, historical newspaper articles, propaganda posters, letters/other
written documents, etc.
- Each activity package is also about one particular Canadian group (e.g. English, French, Indigenous,
Black, Japanese, Ukrainian, German Canadians)
- Using the primary source analysis worksheet provided, students will have (20 minutes) to analyze the
primary sources. Students may wish to assign 1 primary document to each member of the group to
analyze using the graphic organizer provided. What can they learn about this particular group of
Canadians and their contributions and/or experiences during WW1? They will use the worksheet to take
notes and/or jot down their thoughts

Expert Groups Secondary Source Analysis (10 minutes)

- In each activity package, students are also provided with a current newspaper article, talking about the
experiences of a particular group of Canadians during WW1
- In their expert groups, students will compliment their understanding by reading through and analyzing
this newspaper article. As they read, they are to highlight, underline and/or make notes in the margins

Home Groups Sharing Session (10 minutes)

- Students will return to their home groups
- Each member of the group will share what they have learned about a particular Canadian group’s WW1
contributions/experiences. Each student will have about 1-2 minutes to share their findings
- Students will be provided with a graphic organizer to take notes about each of the different groups.
They are expected to record this information as each student presents their topic

Assessment as learning: Students learn through inquiry-based learning, as well as self-directed and peer-to-
peer learning. Working in groups, students investigate the contributions/experiences of different groups of
Canadians during WW1. Rather than the teacher telling students this information, students explore the topic on
their own first, and in consultation with each other. In this process, the teacher circulates the room, answers
questions and provides clarification for students. The teacher is able to engage in individual conversations with
students, observe and possibly make anecdotal comments to assess student learning.

Consolidation: Exit Ticket! (10 minutes)

- To consolidate today’s lesson, ask students to respond to the following question:
o How has your understanding of the contributions/experiences of Canadians during WW1
changed?
 What more have you learned?
 What did you not know before?
 Which voices are often omitted from Canadian narratives?
 Why would various groups of Canadians contribute to the war effort despite the
inequality, racism and discrimination that they faced?

The question will be written on the board for students to see. They are also expected to hand in their response
before leaving class (exit ticket)

This is a form of assessment for and as learning, as it will demonstrate what students have learned during the
lesson, as well as, perhaps indicate what they still want to learn more about or are having difficulty with. It is
thus a reflection strategy, and will inform future lessons.

Note: Consolidation questions adapted from: https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/handle/1974/15445/174995-67534%20-

%20Emily%20Labine%20-%20Dec%2012%2C%202016%201037%20PM%20-%20Curr335.pdf?sequence=1.
Materials:
- Jigsaw activity packages (primary and secondary sources) (x7 – 1 per group)
- Primary source analysis worksheet (x30 – 1 per student)
- Graphic organizer (x30 – 1 per student)

Teaching and Learning Strategies: Assessment Tools and Strategies:

- Think/Pair/Share - Observations
- Whole-group discussion - Discussions/conversations
- Jigsaw; peer/self-directed learning - Possibly anecdotal comments
- Group work and discussion - Consolidation (reflections on learning)
- Primary source analysis
- Secondary source analysis
- Consolidation Exit Ticket
Considerations

Differentiated Instruction and Learning

Content
- Students learn about the experiences/contributions of different groups of Canadians during WW1
through a variety of sources (e.g. primary documents (images, historical news articles, propaganda
posters, letters/other written documents), secondary sources (newspaper article, textbook references),
curriculum lesson plan resources, etc.
Process
- A variety of teaching and learning strategies were used to engage students (see above)
Product
- There are no formal evaluations in this lesson, however, a variety of assessments for and as learning (see
above)
- This allows students to demonstrate their learning throughout the lesson, asking questions and seeking
clarification from both the teacher and their peers
Learning environment
- Group work (collaboration with peers/self-directed learning)
- Independent work time (e.g. Minds On and Consolidation)
- Whole class/group consolidations (debrief sessions)
- Several learning styles accommodated (see teaching and learning strategies above)

Students may be further accommodated by:

- Providing extra time to analyze primary documents
- Repeating instructions
- Simplifying tasks for students (e.g. helping groups distribute the work of analyzing primary documents)
- Extra support (e.g. one-on-one discussions about material and/or the learning process)

Reference

Khorsandi, A., Labine, E., & O'Krafka, L. Exploring Canadian History from WWI until 1929. Lesson Plan
Resource. Queens University. Retrieved from:
https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/handle/1974/15445/174995-67534%20-
%20Emily%20Labine%20-%20Dec%2012%2C%202016%201037%20PM%20-
%20Curr335.pdf?sequence=1.