Assessing Historical Commemorations

TEACHER RESOURCE Assessing historical commemorations

targeted 4 judging the appropriateness of a commemoration of a historically adaptable significant event or person

Primary Intermediate Objectives: • understand what makes a historical commemoration Middle appropriate Senior 4 • use criteria to assess the appropriateness of commemorations of local history

What makes a appropriate historical commemoration?

Use the following activities to develop the strategy

Introduce the strategy ➤➤ Organize students into small groups (2-3 students) and

provide each group with a copy of Reconsidering the Reconsidering the Commemoration of Sir Langevin

Commemoration of Sir Langevin (Source material A). SOURCE MA TERIAL A

➤➤ Explain to students that commemorations, much like images and pieces of text, can be “read.” As a group review the details about the naming of the bridge. The Langevin and Image fr connects Bridge The is om: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_Bridge bridge downtowna bridge Canadian lawyer in was Calgary Calgary opened , in with Alberta, ➤ , politician, 1910and one of themany Fathers ofCanada. Long and north-central ➤ After students have described the main details of the after was It spans named honour Sir Langevin the , more for Calgary Bow Canada. was Sir River became commemorated Hector communities. known Confederation.-Louis Langevin, The about commemoration, ask if naming the bridge after the Truth his with a role the speech and in naming that Reconciliation supporting educate Sir of the Hector residentialbridge that these -Louis Commission’ they children in his to are Langevin s schools politician was an appropriate commemoration. Guide read being you ﬁ nal in and educated.must gave report way proposed,write, they acquire the habiseparate to Parliamentquoted but they If you them comments still leave from in 1883: While remain them their “If from Langevin savages, in the parents you a the conversation by asking why a commemoration suggest family during wish ts and tasteswhereas … of civilized people.” to that did not they the the Langevin lead by may time time, the separating know residential Sirschools John in Canada.supported work how A. to establish them Macdonald. the in views residential the that was once considered appropriate might now Macdonald and policies schools, is widely of the his comments Assessing historical commemorations consideredprime minister be be viewed as inappropriate. the architect at of

4 ➤➤ Encourage students to share their responses and © The Critical Thinking Consortium thinking with the class. As students share, invite them to suggest the qualities of an appropriate commemoration. Use student ideas to co- develop or present the criteria for an appropriate commemoration: • Content: What is being remembered? Is the information presented historically accurate? Are multiple perspectives fairly presented? • Design: What form is used to remember the important event or person? Does the form of the commemoration match the significance of what is being commemorated? • Placement: Where is it located? Does the location or placement match the significance of what is being commemorated?

➤➤ Explain to students that commemorations once thought to be appropriate may no longer be appropriate. This often occurs when research reveals more information about a person or event.

➤➤ Review the criteria with students, helping them understand that questions related to the criteria such as “What is the commemoration?” (design), “Where is the commemoration?” (placement), and “What message does the commemoration send?” (content) can guide thinking about the appropriateness of a commemoration.

Assessing historical commemorations 1 © The Critical Thinking Consortium TEACHER RESOURCE

➤➤ Provide each group with a copy of Rating the Appropriateness of

a Commemoration (Activity sheet A). Direct students to revisit Rating the Appr

Sour ce of clues opriateness of a Commemoration their initial decision about the appropriateness of naming the Content ACTIVITY SHEET • What is being Observations A commemorated? • Is the information bridge. Remind students to use detail from Source material presented historically Rating accurate? 4 – Highly appropriate • Are multiple perspectives 3 – V ery appropriate A to support their ratings. fairly presented 2 – Somewhat appropriate 1 – Inappropriate Placement

• Where is it located? • Does the location or placement match the signiﬁ ➤ cance of what is ➤ Invite groups to share their decisions and thinking with the being commemorated? 4 – Highly appropriate 3 – V Design ery appropriate 2 – Somewhat appropriat • What form is used to 1 – Inappropriate class. Guide students in using evidence from the source remember the important e event or person? • Does the form of the commemoration match 4 – Highly appropriate material to support their ratings. As students share, the signiﬁ 3 – V is being commemorated? cance of what ery appropriate 2 – Somewhat appropriate 1 – Inappropriate direct them to rate the overall appropriateness of the Overall rating Reas 4 – Highly appropriate 3 – V ery appropriate ons 2 – Somewhat appropriate commemoration. Encourage students to develop their 1 – Inappropriate rating in light of the criteria and related ratings. Invite students to share their overall rating with the class. Assessing historical commemorations

➤➤ If time permits, consider having students read 7 © The Critical Thinking Consortium

Calgary’s Langevin Bridge to be Renamed Reconciliation Calgary’ s Langevin Bridge to be Renamed Calgary SOURCE MA Bridge dark is changing Reconciliation Bridge (Source material B). Invite students to use the criteria TERIAL B stain homes and force themthe to live in res on Canada’ name s history of one Calgary’ of – the its calls s city decisionhistorical from council idential schools, wherebridges many s to rate the appropriateness of the new name for the bridge. fi nal report.the voted to remove public in an after Monday aboriginalef fort the to The 2015 night children recognize damning release to rename uf and report fered abuse.from a the bridge’ of the the their the commission quoted Truth Langevin Encourage students to share their ratings with the class. As s namesake Sir and you Hector ReconciliationBridge must called – -Louis in If you separate an defending response leave act Langevin Commission’ remain them them of “cultural the to savages, from government’– one and tastes … of civilizedin the people,” their genocide.” of the s was public works ministerwhereas at familythe ti parents s residentialFathers students share, invite them to suggest which of the three they during “If of by you Confederation separating may the wish school know time to system, Of Calgary’ them how that educate Mr. Langevinin said in a speechto to they these which as “a s 14 the way read are sincere councillors, me. proposed,and being children a very act write, educated. criteria Calgary City Council may have used when deciding that progressiveof reconciliation13 voted they but having acquire they community thinker in favour Parliament in 1883. Hestill him on the acknowledging thatnamed history is incom behalf of renaming habits ,” said many Calgaryin the , many of the TRC citizens the bridge Mayor report, ways. After But of Calgary Reconciliation to rename the bridge. the Naheed what it’s spokesman release important .” plicated.”Nenshi impacts “Mr. Bridge wasn’ of Langevin Kevin the in his name for t connected Littlelight,TRC a speech us to was Aboriginal report, has recognize to city on report. Urban to Mr urged social council.others Among . Langevin Mr in Littlelight Affairs . Nenshi media “It’ our its Committeeand users, s about of the says recommendations, his to residentialcity “racist” change including bridge because that’council’ to examine the ➤ s ideals. name Tsuut’ina Mr. school decision it suggestedhow City of ➤ Invite students to suggest examples of commemorations Littlelight era Monday the council the Nation agreed s bridgingand aboriginal Canadians withe city asked bridge the said. “the to Langevinshould so While renamingCalgary fi rst rename respond the it Ms. steps Calgary said Farrell Councillor of the Bridge to it of the healing.”bridge be the plaque is also acknowledgedbridge is renamed. TRC important Druh “It’ an acknowledgment the residentialwill school system and i is only Farrell, th Canada ins so a very positive way Mr in their community. Guide students in reflecting on the be Mr a symbolic . placed to tell . fi rst who on the Langevin’ step supported that the “brutal” on it’ “We bridge s role the Monday’ s a don’ residentialas long country t want explaining a Father path s ,” . to ts impact on Canada’ to reconciliation.motion, works butSo also this his roleerase in the resident the school of Confederation, plaque history story story appropriateness of these commemorations. Inform of . Mr For won’ ,” Ms. s indigenous. Langevin, community that t be Farrell reason,she Sour vilifying said. the ce: https://www “Mr history a article33713816/ him. . ial schools.It will Langevin . of .theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/calgarys-langevin-bridgebe also talking contributed students that the goal of the lesson is to learn how to about Assessing historical commemorations his role to the in public

-to-be-r enamed-r determine the appropriateness of commemorations. econciliation-bridge/ 5

© The Critical Thinking Consortium Practise the strategy ➤➤ Explain that Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, has been widely commemorated for his many contributions to Canada. Invite students to suggest ways in which Macdonald is commemorated. Student responses might include statues, the naming of schools and other buildings, and Sir John A. Macdonald Day (January 11). Ask students to suggest reasons why such commemorations and the legacy of Macdonald are now being reconsidered.

➤➤ Provide each student with Rating the Appropriateness of a

Commemoration (Activity sheet A) and Reconsidering the Reconsidering the Commemoration of

SOURCE 1 Commemoration of Sir John A. Macdonald (Source material Sir John A. Macdonald SOURCE MA Name change for W TERIAL C

Trustees for Sir John A.aterloo’ MacDonald Secondary School in W s Sir John A. MacDonald school no quick decision The C). Explain that the next task is to use the strategy to rate the Elementary schools named Teachers District after Federation School debate Sir John Board A. of Ontario aterloo to ponder name around says MacDonald, important put appropriateness of schools named in honour of Macdonald. historical it will a board of education,one,” it’ fi talk including motion said gures about calling Nick like the one Manning, Sir idea in the for Excerpted fr John at W school s a really importantchief placeA. to MacDonald be havinga that debateaterloo and that dialogue.”boards r om: https://www meeting ecord-1.4261962 communications Region. to and in September The rename .cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener their Waterloo any offi place . “W cer with in our e think Region SOURCE 2 the Canadian that -waterloo/sir board. the ➤ -john-a-macdonald-waterloo-school-name-etfo-indigenous-“W history John A. Macdonald was the r e think is ➤ Prompt students to use the criteria to rate the appropriateness as an a public …Macdonald, and eal ar defendingas Canada’ chitect of r dreamed of creating an organized system of federal schools for Indigenous children that could be the s founding esidential schools of naming schools after Sir John A. Macdonald. Remind to disrupt Indigenous residentiallifeways and control over the land to accelerate successful settler colonialism prime school minister system , played [Macdonald] in the the late instrumental Indigenous appointed 19th century role students to use detail from Source material C to support by Americanpeoples a friend, . of initiating, In in Nicholas the report policies the United late supporting, in Flood 1870s, residential 1879.schools to helpof eradicate StatesCanada’ Macdonald Beginning“aggressive and Davin, determine to shortly assimilation” investigate …Macdonald how used thereafter it the their ratings. If time permits, encourage students to through could success . on , the laid Macdonald residentialbe replicatedof boarding reserve out s so-called “Indian problem.” he may the the aim adopted in schools learn child of schooling, Canada. savage who canto read and liveswrite … [T]hethe Indian children should be withdrawnDavin’ as much as possible for read with schools s Davin Impressed the parental infl and its in recommendationpublished write parents, the House examine other sources that describe Macdonald’s role schools where they will acquire thehis habits habits, and modeswho of thoughtof of white men.” his Commons. to uence, and the only way to doand that wouldare savages; be to put them in central training indu create training he He Macdonald and is surroundedargued, mode “When the of country backed thought by savages, the up school truancy , despite his talk are Indian. and is in creating Canada’s residential school system. , and inadequate housingby and poor educational conditions. though many defending He problems is simply Excerpted fr the with expansion a html om: https://www the from fi rst of .thestar schools, the residential strial .com/opinion/commentary/2017/07/09/john-a-macdonald-was-the-rincluding school a high system Assessing historical commemorations number to of all parts ➤ student of ➤ Encourage students to share their ratings with the deaths, eal-ar chitect-of-r esidential-schools. class. 6 © The Critical Thinking Consortium

Assessing historical commemorations 2 © The Critical Thinking Consortium TEACHER RESOURCE

Apply the strategy to learn ➤➤ Provide students with a blank copy of Rating the more about a local history Appropriateness of a Commemoration (Activity sheet A) and Rating the Appr

Sour ce of clues opriateness of a Commemoration encourage them to use the strategy in a variety of situations: Content ACTIVITY SHEET • What is being Observations A commemorated? • Is the information presented historically Rating • Exploring commemorations of historical events or accurate? 4 – Highly appropriate • Are multiple perspectives 3 – V ery appropriate fairly presented 2 – Somewhat appropriate 1 – Inappropriate people found in a community. For example, airports Placement • Where is it located? • Does the location or named after famous politicians, or statues of military placement match the signiﬁ cance of what is being commemorated? 4 – Highly appropriat 3 – V Design ery appropriate leaders, 2 – Somewhat appropriatee • What form is used to 1 – Inappropriate remember the important event or person? • Does the form of the • Proposing ideas for a new commemoration of a commemoration match 4 – Highly appropriate the signiﬁ 3 – V is being commemorated? cance of what ery appropriate 2 – Somewhat appropriate 1 – Inappropriate historically significant event or person, Overall rating Reas 4 – Highly appropriate 3 – V ery appropriate ons 2 – Somewhat appropriate • Suggesting how an existing commemoration of a 1 – Inappropriate historically significant event or person might be

made more appropriate. Assessing historical commemorations Assess use of the strategy ➤ 7 ➤ Encourage students to use Assessing My © The Critical Thinking Consortium Assessing My Understanding: Understanding: Assessing Historical Commemorations Assessing Historical CommemorationsASSESSMENT MA (to Name: ______TERIAL Use the scales below to assess your understan self-assess their use of this strategy by using the following commemorations. ______Remember to describe the next steps in Include examples ding of the strategy for assessing historica Success criteria to show procedures: your learning.how you I understand have met commemorationwhat looks like. the an How am I doing? success appropriate criteria. l Examples: 1 2 3 4 • Allow students opportunities to apply the strategy I’m still working on it

Next steps 5 ask for help): two or three times without assessment. (e.g., add more evidence, use criteria,I’ve got it!

• Guide students in interpreting and using the rubric I can apply commemorationcriteria for historical commemoration.an appropriate when assessing to assess their own responses. 1 2 3 4 a Examples: I’m still working on it

5 • Encourage students to use the rubric whenever Next steps I’ve got it! ask for help): (e.g., add more evidence, use criteria, they use this strategy.

• To use the rubric for teacher assessment of Assessing historical commemorations

student work, remove the first person (student) 8 reference from each descriptor. © The Critical Thinking Consortium

Assessing historical commemorations 3 © The Critical Thinking Consortium SOURCE MATERIAL A Reconsidering the Commemoration of Sir Langevin

Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_Bridge

The Langevin Bridge is a bridge in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It spans the Bow River and connects downtown Calgary with many north-central Calgary communities. The bridge was opened in 1910 and was named for Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, a Canadian lawyer, politician, and one of the Fathers of Confederation.

Long after Sir Langevin was commemorated with the naming of the bridge in his honour, more became known about his role in supporting residential schools in Canada.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report quoted comments from a speech that Sir Hector-Louis Langevin gave to Parliament in 1883: “If you wish to educate these children you must separate them from their parents during the time that they are being educated. If you leave them in the family they may know how to read and write, but they still remain savages, whereas by separating them in the way proposed, they acquire the habits and tastes … of civilized people.”

While Langevin did not lead the work to establish residential schools, his comments suggest that Langevin supported the views and policies of the prime minister at the time, Sir John A. Macdonald. Macdonald is widely considered the architect of residential schools in Canada.

Assessing historical commemorations 4 © The Critical Thinking Consortium SOURCE MATERIAL B Calgary’s Langevin Bridge to be Renamed Reconciliation Bridge Calgary is changing the name of one of its historical bridges in an effort to recognize a dark stain on Canada’s history – the decision to remove aboriginal children from their homes and force them to live in residential schools, where many suffered abuse.

Calgary’s city council voted Monday night to rename the Langevin Bridge in response to calls from the public after the 2015 release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report.

The damning report quoted Sir Hector-Louis Langevin – one of the Fathers of Confederation and the bridge’s namesake – defending the government’s residential school system, which the commission called an act of “cultural genocide.” “If you wish to educate these children you must separate them from their parents during the time that they are being educated. If you leave them in the family they may know how to read and write, but they still remain savages, whereas by separating them in the way proposed, they acquire the habits and tastes … of civilized people,” Mr. Langevin said in a speech to Parliament in 1883. He was public works minister at the time.

Of Calgary’s 14 councillors, 13 voted in favour of renaming the bridge Reconciliation Bridge as “a sincere act of reconciliation on behalf of the citizens of Calgary.” “Mr. Langevin was a very progressive thinker in many, many ways. But it’s important for us to recognize that having him named in the TRC report, what impacts his name has on others in our community,” said Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi in a speech to city council. “It’s about acknowledging that history is complicated.”

After the release of the TRC report, social media users, including Tsuut’ina Nation spokesman Kevin Littlelight, urged Mr. Nenshi to change the name of the bridge so it wasn’t connected to Mr. Langevin and his “racist” ideals. City council asked the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee to examine how the city should respond to the TRC report. Among its recommendations, it suggested the Langevin Bridge be renamed. Mr. Littlelight says city council’s decision Monday to rename the bridge is an acknowledgment of the residential school era and “the first steps of healing.” “It’s so symbolic that it’s a bridge because that’s bridging aboriginal Canadians with Canada in a very positive way,” Mr. Littlelight said. Calgary Councillor Druh Farrell, who supported Monday’s motion, agreed the renaming of the bridge is only a first step on the long path to reconciliation. While Ms. Farrell acknowledged Mr. Langevin’s role as a Father of Confederation, she said it is also important to tell the “brutal” residential school story. For that reason, a plaque will be placed on the bridge explaining the story of Mr. Langevin, the history of the residential school system and its impact on Canada’s indigenous community.

“We don’t want to erase history,” Ms. Farrell said. “Mr. Langevin also contributed to the country. So this plaque won’t be vilifying him. It will be talking about his role in public works but also his role in the residential schools.

Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/calgarys-langevin-bridge-to-be-renamed-reconciliation-bridge/ article33713816/

Assessing historical commemorations 5 © The Critical Thinking Consortium SOURCE MATERIAL C Reconsidering the Commemoration of Sir John A. Macdonald

SOURCE 1

Name change for Waterloo’s Sir John A. MacDonald school no quick decision

Trustees for Sir John A. MacDonald Secondary School in Waterloo to ponder name

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario put a motion calling for school boards to rename any schools named after Sir John A. MacDonald, including one in the Waterloo Region. The Waterloo Region District School Board says it will talk about the idea at a meeting in September. “We think that the debate around historical figures like Sir John A. MacDonald and their place in our Canadian history is an important one,” said Nick Manning, chief communications officer with the board. “We think as a public board of education, it’s a really important place to be having that debate and that dialogue.”

Excerpted from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/sir-john-a-macdonald-waterloo-school-name-etfo-indigenous- record-1.4261962

SOURCE 2

John A. Macdonald was the real architect of residential schools

…Macdonald, as Canada’s founding prime minister, played the instrumental role of initiating, supporting, and defending the residential school system in the late 19th century. In the late 1870s, Macdonald dreamed of creating an organized system of federal schools for Indigenous children that could be used to disrupt Indigenous lifeways and control over the land to accelerate successful settler colonialism.

[Macdonald] appointed a friend, Nicholas Flood Davin, to investigate the success of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples in the United States and determine how it could be replicated in Canada. Impressed by American policies of “aggressive assimilation” through residential schooling, Davin published his report in 1879. Beginning shortly thereafter, Macdonald adopted Davin’s recommendation to create residential schools to help eradicate Canada’s so-called “Indian problem.”

…Macdonald laid out the aim of the schools in the House of Commons. He argued, “When the school is on the reserve the child lives with its parents, who are savages; he is surrounded by savages, and though he may learn to read and write his habits, and training and mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write … [T]he Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.”

Macdonald backed up his talk by defending the expansion of the residential school system to all parts of the country, despite many problems with the first schools, including a high number of student deaths, truancy, and inadequate housing and poor educational conditions.

Excerpted from: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/07/09/john-a-macdonald-was-the-real-architect-of-residential-schools. html

Rating the Appropriateness of a Commemoration

Source of clues Observations Rating Content 4 – Highly appropriate • What is being 3 – Very appropriate commemorated? 2 – Somewhat appropriate • Is the information 1 – Inappropriate presented historically accurate? • Are multiple perspectives fairly presented?

Placement 4 – Highly appropriate • Where is it located? 3 – Very appropriate • Does the location or 2 – Somewhat appropriate placement match the 1 – Inappropriate significance of what is being commemorated?

Design 4 – Highly appropriate • What form is used to 3 – Very appropriate remember the important 2 – Somewhat appropriate event or person? 1 – Inappropriate • Does the form of the commemoration match the significance of what is being commemorated?

Overall rating Reasons

4 – Highly appropriate 3 – Very appropriate 2 – Somewhat appropriate 1 – Inappropriate

Assessing My Understanding: Assessing Historical Commemorations

Name: ______

Use the scales below to assess your understanding of the strategy for assessing historical commemorations. Include examples to show how you have met the success criteria. Remember to describe the next steps in your learning.

Success criteria How am I doing?

I understand what an appropriate 1 2 3 4 5

commemoration looks like. I’m still I’ve got it! working on it

Examples: Next steps (e.g., add more evidence, use criteria, ask for help):

I can apply criteria for an appropriate 1 2 3 4 5 commemoration when assessing a I’m still I’ve got it! historical commemoration. working on it

Examples: Next steps (e.g., add more evidence, use criteria, ask for help):