Teacher’s guide for grades 5 and 6 Productions Rivard Developed by: Carole Freynet-Gagné 1 Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................... The guide ........................................................................................................ Synopsis .............................................................................................. Cast Off – Preview .......................................................................................... First Portage – The Fur Trade……………………………………………….. Second Portage – The Aboriginal Peoples ....................................................... Third Portage – The Fort ................................................................................. Fourth Portage – The hommes du Nord ........................................................... Fifth Portage – On the Footsteps of an Explorer ………………………………. Sixth Portage – The Role of Women in the Fur Trade ................................... Seventh Portage – Two Rival Companies ....................................................... Eighth Portage – The Métis ............................................................................. Ninth Portage – Francophones West of Quebec .............................................. Tenth Portage – The End of a Way of Life …………………………………. Arriving Safe and Sound ................................................................................. 2 Introduction Take a step back in time and enter the world of the voyageur. A fascinating adventure awaits you! More specifically, discover the voyageurs’ role in the fur trade and learn more about the profession itself. Help your students relive historic moments that will remind them of the importance of the fur trade in the creation of Canada. Students engage in practical activities that involve the four language skills: writing, speaking, reading and listening. Imagine yourself in the moccasins of François Comtois and his daughter Adèle. They traveled many kilometers: from Lachine to Fort Langley via Fort William, the Red River Valley and the Athabasca Valley. The guide The guide is for middle year students, specifically, grades 5 and 6. These activities can also easily be adapted for higher grade-levels. The guide is divided into units called “portages” to reflect the spirit of the theme. In each unit, you will find a summary of the chapters to watch as well as instructions on how to view them by segment to facilitate understanding. Of course, several themes are explored. These themes are tied to social studies learning outcomes at the middle-year level. You will find plenty of interactive activities, both fun and enriching. Given the number of activities, it is not necessary to complete each unit, nor every activity within a unit. Choose those that best reflect the learning outcomes you wish your students to achieve. It is also possible to complete the entire “trip”. If so, it is suggested that you spread out the units over a few months. As you will see, each unit offers many optional activities. Some activities promote the acquisition of knowledge, others, of skills. It is not necessary to complete all the activities. The activities encourage students to be active participants. They allow them to reflect on what they have just seen and also to find out whether their assumptions have been confirmed or disproved. Additional activities help the teacher further explore themes. They provide students with the opportunity to develop superior reasoning skills, as well as oral communication skills and reading and writing skills. If necessary, have the students view a chapter more than once. While viewing, do not hesitate to stop and verify if the students understand. Your approach depends on the students’ language skills and the density of the information given. View an excerpt or an episode a second time so that the students may improve their language skills and better understand historic facts. Some activities explore the theme through the use of the following Web site : www.rendezvousvoyageurs.ca. 3 The proposed activities provide students with the opportunity to relive a fascinating period of Canada’s history and to have fun while learning about the traditions and customs of the voyageur. So, come aboard. Go with the flow. This is ready-made teaching!!! Synopsis Episode 1 The narrator of the first episode, entitled “L’autre bout du monde”, is François Comtois. He lives in La Prairie, is 19 years old, and has just signed his first voyageur contract with the North West Company. In the spring of 1806, he leaves from Lachine on a journey that is supposed to last one summer. He ends up travelling as far as the Pacific Ocean, and never sees his home village again. Exploration is the theme of this episode, which describes how the voyageurs, motivated by trade, travelled throughout the continent and reached the Pacific Ocean via the North West. Episode 2 The second episode tells of the war between the Northwest and Hudson's Bay companies, and its effects on the Métis people who were descendants of the voyageurs and their Native wives. The narrator is Adèle Comtois, Métis daughter of François and his Cree wife. Born in the North West in 1815, she is the last child in a family of five. Adèle was just 6 years old when her cousin Jean-Baptiste was found dead in the snow, one of many victims of the war between the two companies. Did this traumatic event fuel Adèle's passion for drawing, or as she says, "copying people to keep them alive in our memory?" Adèle would go on to become a pioneer of photography. Following in her voyageur father's tracks, Adèle, along with her husband and son, travel over an immense territory and take pictures of the Métis communities descended from the fur trading era. She records images of a world destined to disappear with the decline of the trade. The film Morning in the North West presents characters, events and historic sites that are studied at the end of the primary level. Students will enjoy discovering historic sites, some known or lesser known historic events, the way people lived during historic times, the beauty of the Canadian landscape, etc. In order to help middle-year students better understand the film content, we divided it into segments. This should allow students to progressively assimilate the information presented. 4 Casting off - prescreening Tell the students you are going on a canoe trip. Put up a map of the voyageurs’ route. Go over this route with them and point out key locations - the departure from Lachine, important portages, Fort William, the Red River Valley, Fort Chippewyan, Athabasca, the final destination. Tell them they are going off to explore, just like the voyageurs they’re about to discover. Ask them to fill out a KWL chart on the voyageurs. Activity in the student’s workbook KWL chart (know-want to know-learnt) What I know about the What I want to know about What I have learnt about the voyageurs the voyageurs voyageurs The guide is divided into “portages” or chapters. Complete start-up activities before each portage. Many options are suggested: 9 Fill out a KWL chart. 9 Read the synopsis of the chapter before viewing the film segment. 9 Invite students to predict the content of the segment based on the theme of the chapter. 9 Complete some of the readings suggested under ”suggested readings”. 9 Review the comprehension questions with the students before viewing the film and ask them to look for the answers as they watch the film. 5 First Portage – The Fur Trade Chapters to view: 1, 2, 3 and 5 Summary We enter the world of François Comtois, a voyageur for the North West Company who leaves La Prairie when he signs his first contract as a voyageur. His destination is Fort William. He tells us about the thrilling world of the voyageurs in the 19th century, but he also talks about the unpredictable things that happen during the voyage and the hard work that is required. It is an adventure, but it comes at a price. François becomes discouraged, and finds the portages harder and harder. He is tempted to run away. Will he quit? We learn about the fur trade and the main person behind the business, the voyageur. We are told who the voyageurs were, where they came from, what their aspirations where and how they lived. We are also told about the barter system: the articles that were traded, the kinds of furs that were in demand, and the alliances that were created. The merchandise from London was going to the West, while the beaver furs were shipped to Europe to make hats. Suggested readings To assist the teacher, we have identified the sections of the Web site www.tfo.org/emissions/rendezvousvoyageur/en/ that relate to this theme. The teacher can use them as preparatory readings or can select sections to read with the students. Voyageur’s World Personal Life Science and navigation Origins Shelter Clothing Health Food Work Life Sources Hired on contract Recipes A day with the brigade The trading post Leisure Music and celebration Know-how Songs of the voyageur Geography Arts and handicrafts Canoes Other pastimes 6 Comprehension Question The following is a list of comprehension questions. Choose some or use all of them. It is not necessary to ask all the questions. Select the ones that are most appropriate for your situation. 9 What was considered the colony’s “gold”? 9 What was done with beaver pelts? 9 Why did the voyageurs hate portages? 9 Name the items that the voyageurs