Documentary Lens Lesson Plan for They Didn’t Starve Us Out: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s Page 1 Documentary Lens Lesson Plan for “They Didn’t Starve Us Out”: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s By Michelle Warner Venture High School, English Montreal School Board, QC Curriculum Connections Background “They Didn’t Starve Us Out”: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s is part of the National Film Board’s Atlantic People’s History Series. This short documentary (21 minutes) presents the plight of coal miners in industrial Cape Breton during the Roaring Twenties. The film, directed by Patricia Kipping, was released in 1991. The director uses narration, drawings and photos, along with interviews with people who were there. Lesson Objectives This film could be used for middle school and high school Social Studies (Grades 7-12), especially for a unit on Canada’s labour history. The activities also integrate Language Arts, Moral Education, Music and Visual Arts. Depending on the number of activities used, the time for the lesson will vary from one to four hours. The primary purposes of this lesson are 1) to expose students to an important part of Canada’s labour history, and 2) through cooperative learning, to challenge their critical thinking skills. The activities will help students 1) describe the important events of the 1920s in Cape Breton, 2) explain what caused these events, 3) express their feelings or opinions related to these events and 4) connect the themes or concepts in the film to other events they are familiar with. Canadian Social Studies Themes in “They Didn’t Starve Us Out” Theme/Strand/ Connection to “They Didn’t Starve Us Out” – Applications and Discussion Key Co ncept Points Citizenship Communities were formed in Cape Breton to support the mines. Therefore, mine life directly affected community life. · How might having a workplace as a focal point of the community affect people’s lives? Cape Breton mine union leader James Bryson McLachlan was an immigrant from Scotland. He had been politically seasoned in Scotland and brought this experience to Cape Breton. Many people came from other parts of the world to work in the mines. · How do immigrants’ experiences affect the perspectives of other citizens? Multiple · How do the documentary techniques used in this film help to tell history Perspectives from the workers’ rather than the owners’ perspective? · How might a documentary present the opposite point of view? In 1925, American coal was underselling Cape Breton coal in Montreal markets and BESCO responded with the harsh business decisions presented in © 2005 National Film Board of Canada Documentary Lens Lesson Plan for They Didn’t Starve Us Out: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s Page 2 Theme/Strand/ Connection to “They Didn’t Starve Us Out” – Applications and Discussion Key Co ncept Points this film. This issue was not addressed in the film. · Do you feel that it is an important omission? Explain. Identity One of the interviewees refers to “up Nova Scotia” as if Nova Scotia were a separate jurisdiction. Living on an island like Cape Breton reinforces a people’s sense of belonging and identity. · What other factors contribute to one’s identity? People are shaped, in part, by their history. · How do you think that the events of 1920s Cape Breton have shaped Cape Bretoners’ identity? · Give examples of other significant events that have shaped a particular people’s identity. Power, In 1925, BESCO Vice-President J.E. McLurg made the statement: “We hold Authority, and all the cards… they (the miners) will have to come to us… they can’t stand the Governance gaff.” Gaff refers to severe hardship. · Discuss how this statement reflects BESCO’s attitude toward the miners. In Cape Breton, the notion of being from “away” is prevalent. · Discuss how a typical Cape Bretoner in the 1920s might have viewed a company from “away” with monopoly power. The Land: In 1922, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics estimated that rent for his company Places and house and food for his family cost a miner 90% of his earnings. After cutting People the miners’ wages, Roy Millhouse Wolvin, the owner of BESCO, told the miners to tig hten up their belts because there was “more coming.” One of the interviewees in “They Didn’t Starve Us Out” stated that the miners tightened their belts until there were no holes left. Despite hardships, the miners didn’t give up their fight. · What do their actions tell you about their character? Cape Bretoners have close ties to the land and the ocean that surrounds it. Throughout their history, they have made a living in the mines, the fishery and some farming. · Discuss the implications of being tied to the land or sea for survival. © 2005 National Film Board of Canada Documentary Lens Lesson Plan for They Didn’t Starve Us Out: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s Page 3 Theme/Strand/ Connection to “They Didn’t Starve Us Out” – Applications and Discussion Key Concept Points Culture and · What effect did the local communities’ sympathy or support have on the Community outcome of the labour disputes? Throughout the film, some Cape Breton mining songs are played. Music forms an integral part of Cape Bretoners’ culture and identity. · What are some themes expressed in these songs and how do they reflect mining life in Cape Breton? Global When the miners were denied credit at the company stores, they got support Connectio ns from many generous people. Not all of the people were Cape Bretoners. The British Canadian Cooperative donated $500, and in Boston expatriate Maritimers formed a Cape Breton Relief Committee. · Discuss 21st century examples of people helping others in faraway parts of the world. What motivates such generosity? Time, The miners’ struggles with BESCO marked an important development toward Continuity, and workers’ rights in Canada. Change · Discuss how other actions of workers or citizens have made life better for the next generations. There are no longer any mines operating in Cape Breton. · How do you think the loss of such an important part of a people’s heritage, identity, and way of life affect citizens? We are presented with firsthand accounts in this film, but we are not told when the interviews were conducted. Many of the voices are those of elderly people, and we know that the film was released in 1991, about seventy years after the events presented. · How does time affect one’s perspective on the past? Miners’ Memorial Day is celebrated every June 11 in Nova Scotia. Communities remember miners who have died on the job in this province. It began as Davis Day, in memory of William Davis, a striking coal miner who was killed in 1925 during a protest. · What other holidays remind people of their history? Economics and According to the film, Cape Breton’s coal production fuelled the Canadian Resources boom in the 1920s. Other parts of Canada were prosperous while Cape Breton suffered. In the 21st century, there are still many examples worldwide of one area’s suffering being another area’s success. · Besides labour disputes, what are some ways of approaching this problem? Cape Breton’s history has been rife with economic deprivation. · How does being economically deprived affect a community? Cape Breton mine union leader James Bryson McLachlan was quoted as saying, “Under capitalism, the working class has but two courses to follow: crawl or fight.” · Discuss the implications of this statement. © 2005 National Film Board of Canada Documentary Lens Lesson Plan for They Didn’t Starve Us Out: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s Page 4 Assessment Strategies You could use the following rubric to assess students’ progress. Student Name: ____________________________ “They Didn’t Starve Us Out”: 1 2 3 4 5 Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s ASSESSMENT Student can describe important events Student can explain the cause of these events Student can express feelings/opinions Student can connect themes/concepts to other events Total: /20 Materials and Resources · Before showing this film to your class, you may wish to distribute and discuss the Student Information Sheet appended to this lesson. · For more information about the history of mining in Cape Breton, you can refer students to these Web sites: Industry Canada http://collections.ic.gc.ca/coal and Cape Breton Miners’ Museum http://www.minersmuseum.com/ · For more information on Canada’s labour history, visit these pages at the Canadian Museum of Civilization: http://www.civilization.ca/hist/labour/lab01e.html Activities for “They Didn’t Starve Us Out” Introduction 1) Show students Cape Breton Island on a map and point out industrial Cape Breton (the island’s only city, Sydney, and the towns surrounding it). 2) Using the Student Information Sheet, discuss the Roaring Twenties and what a labour union is. 3) Focus on the film title, and ask the class what issues this film might address. Write their ideas on the board so that students can refer to them after they have watched the documentary. Developing Concepts You can photocopy the chart at the beginning of the lesson to develop students’ understand of the key concepts in this lesson. Application Activities Unionizing the Classroom 1) Begin this activity by having a class discussion about the purpose of a labour union. © 2005 National Film Board of Canada Documentary Lens Lesson Plan for They Didn’t Starve Us Out: Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s Page 5 2) Divide the class into two. One group will be the administration and the other group will be the union. 3) Have the two groups brainstorm issues that affect classroom life (for example, homework, leaving the class to go to the washroom, etc.).