Course Outline
Key Figures Assignment
Over the course of the year, each academic Canadian history student will research and analyse the contribution of one key figure to Canadian history, identity and culture. Each student will create a Thinglink entry, including a 3-minunte audio or visual file of an oral explanation of the significance of their figure to be played in class during the pertinant unit. Students must choose their figure at the beginning of the year and have their assignment completed and submitted to Thinglink by the assigned due date.
Common Assignments for Units 1-3
Over the course of Units 1-3 (World War 1, The Roaring Twenties, and The Dirty Thirties), academic students will complete three major assignments: a board game, a monument pitch, and an essay. They will be allowed to choose which assignment they would like to do for each unit, but must sign up in class ahead of time as spaces are limited for each unit.
PLEASE NOTE: Some of the essay topics ask which _____ was more/most affected or significant. You MUST compare 2-3 things to answer a question that uses comparative or superlative adjectives. Please review this handout if you are unclear what is expected of you.
Introductory Unit - Telling History
Up until now you have studied the history of people who lived so long ago and so differently from you, that you may have thought history had no relevance to you or your life.
This course may change your mind: we will be studying the history of the 20th Century, and the people, the decisions, and the beliefs that have had a direct impact on the way you live today. You may find that the people we will study will be more like you than you ever imagined they would be.
Yonge and Eglinton Streets in Toronto, 1951
Up until now, you may have studied history with the goal of memorizing what you needed to know to pass a test.
However, history is about more than memorizing facts: history is about telling a story, making choices, and weighing evidence. In this mini-unit, we will explore some of the ways historians make choices, and how their choices affect the stories they tell, and ultimately the way we understand our past.
This course emphasises the criticial thinking necessary to the study of history, and these introductory skills, and more, will be used throughout the course.
The Laurier Report Card is the first mini-assignment for this course. Please complete it at home if you missed a class, and turn it in as soon as possible.
The evaluation for this unit is a thesis paragraph in which students must argue whether Canada's history during the Twentieth Century was one of continuity or one of change. While one class period will be alloted for researching the relevant themes in the textbook, students will be expected to complete this assignment at home.
World War I
PLEASE NOTE: The assignment sheet says one theme, but the outline chart says three themes. YOU SHOULD USE THREE THEMES.
In August 1914 tensions brewing in Europe for almost a century came to a head with the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Canada, by virtue of our relationship to Britain, was forced into a European war not of its own making or design. Even though Canada had not played a role in starting the war, the war affected our fledgling nation of just over 7 million souls socially, culturally, politically, and economically in profound ways. The war changed Canada and its role on the international stage and at home in ways more profound than any other event since Confederation. Throughout this unit, we will examine the war, its causes, and its battles, and its effects on Canada at home and abroad, with a focus on the effects on a various minority groups.
The following resources will be used in class or may be helpful to students who miss class time.
Part A - The Causes of World War I
This portion of the unit will be taught primarily through lecture and Socratic-style discussion.
Students are strongly encouraged to use graphic organizers to take ntoes in class. Graphic organizers: a) offer more visual notes for those students who are visual learners, and b) give students an opportunity to consider the significance of the information they are recording, rather than focus on information for information's sake.
Students will be responsible for the "Pre-War Crises article" and graphic organizer for homework.
Part B - Trench Warfare
For this portion of the unit, students will be given one of four readings and a graphic organizer to complete. Once they have read and recorded the information from their reading, they will then work with the other members of their class pods to extend their learning by exchanging information and recording what their peers have learned.
The power point posted below contains some of the same information as the readings. Viweing the power point in not mandatory, but students who miss class should use the power point to help them know what is important for this segment of the unit.
The following clips from Alliance Film's Passchendaele accurately portray what life was like on the front lines for soldiers in many of the battles. As you watch, pay attention to details that tell you more about what the war was like: the use of passenger pigeons, for example, to carry messages; the treatment of Aboriginal soldiers; the heroism of Canadian soldiers, who were used as canon fodder by the British.
As they were at Passchendaele, Canadians were often called in when the situation seemed hopeless, and the Canadian Corps frequently saved the day. So capable was our small, volunteer army, that the British nicknamed us "the Stormtroopers" and the Germans came to fear the advance of Canadian troops.
Part 7:
Life in the reserve trenches. Watch 5:11-7:16.
Part 8:
Danger on the reserve lines, even to nurses. Watch 1:32-2:30. Moving to the front lines. Watch 7:45-end.
Part 9:
The interminable waiting. Watch 0:00-2:29.
The panic at the sounds of battle. Watch 3:36-6:11.
Going over the top and reliance on Canadians. Watch 6:33-8:56.
Part 10:
The battle of Passchendaele, complete. Watch entire clip.
Part C - Canada and the Great War: Going to War, The Battles, and The Growth of a Nation
For this portion of the unit, students will be split into 8 groups:
1. Canada at War: Recruitment, Training, Key Figures
2. The Second Battle of Ypres, 1915
3. The Battle of the Somme and Beaumont-Hamel, 1916
4. Vimy Ridge, 1917
5. Passchendaele (3rd Yres), 1917
6. Canada's Last 100 Days
7. The War in the Air
8. The War at Sea
Each group will prepare a 15-minute presentation about its topic, including a brief Power Point and handout. Assignment requirements are posted below. Some of the resources available to students are posted below, but more resources will be available in class. Many segments include video links that the group must watch. PLEASE NOTE: EACH EPISODE OF THE FOR KING AND EMPIRE SERIES HAS MULITPLE PARTS.
In addition to looking at the subject-specific sources for each topic, all students should go to the CBC Digital Archives for World War I. Using the menus on the right-hand side of the pages, students can explore a variety of audio and audio-visual clips related to World War I, as well as learn from the information posted with each clip. They may also wish to view all or part of CBC's Canada, A People's History: Ordeal by Fire, which tells the story of Canadian recruitment through the armistice that ended World War I.
Topic #1: Canada at War: Recruitment, Training, Key Figures
Topic #2: The Second Battle of Ypres, 1915
Topic #3: The Somme and Beaumont-Hamel, 1916
Topic #4: Vimy Ridge, 1917
Topic #5: Passchendaele (3rd Ypres), 1917
Topic #6: Canada's Last 100 Days, 1918
Topic #7: The War in the Air
Topic #8: The War at Sea
Part D - The War at Home
World War I did not just affect the men who went to the battlefields: it also affected the people at home. From the Conscription Crisis and its affects on women's right to vote and on French-English relations, to the Halifax Explosion, to the sacrifices made on the homefront made by everyday Canadians, to the racial tensions it highlighted, the war was a pervasive part of Canadian social and cultural history.
If time allows, for this portion of the unit, students will examine the social and cultural history of World War I and its affects on Canada by working their way through a series of stations and completing T-charts about the issues and their significance to Canada. The T-charts and some of the primary and secondary resources needed for this activity are posted below. Other resources will only be available in the classroom.
If time is short, students will be given a lecture on four of the topics, and will work their way through the remaining four stations..
Part E - Coming Home
Canadians came home from the war victorious: not only had the threat from the Central Powers been eliminated and the Empire successfully defended, Canadians had proven to the world that they could hold their own on the world stage.
But the return home was marred by several things. First, veterans returned to a Canada in the midst of economic collapse. Canada had built a wartime economy, sending goods, natural resources, and agricultural stuffs to Britain and her allies. Without those markets, the economy collapsed. Vets returned to find they had no jobs and no prospects for supporting their families.
More devastating yet was the Spanish Flu epidemic. Returning soldiers spread this deadly strain of flu across the globe as they returned to their home countries. Having survived four years of war, many veterans then succumbed to the flu or returned home only to find that many if not most of their family members had died before they were able to return. The flu killed almost three times as many people worldwide as the war itself had.
Part F - The End of the War, the Treaty of Versailles, and the League of Nations
World War I ended on November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m. with a ceasefire agreement between the Germans and the Entente nations. Shortly after negotions began, and culminated in the Treaty of Versailles. For Canadians the Treaty of Versailles marks a first major step towards national autonomy and recognition on the world stage. Although not entitled to do so because of our colonial status, the European nations - in recognition of Canada's significant contributions to key Eastern Front battles - allowed Canada to sign the Treaty as a nation in its own right.
The Treaty placed the bulk of the blame for the war on Germany, decimated the German army, forced the Germans to pay reparations to the Entente countries - particularly France - and stripped Germany of its international colonies and some land gains made during and prior to the war.
Needless to say, the Germans were not impressed by the outcome of the treaty negotiations. Ultimately, their anger at the treatment they received and the unfair burdens placed on them by the Entente nations combined with the masterful and manipulative politics of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany led to the start of the Second World War.
The League of Nations, created to prevent future wars not unlike the modern-day NATO and Unitied Nations, was unable to stop Hitler and his plans for German world domination. (Please note, depending on time constraints, the League of Nations may be studied more thoroughly at the beginning of the World War I unit.)
The Turbulent/Roaring Twenties
Part A - Labour Unrest
With the end of the war and the return of the soldiers, Canada had to adjust to change quickly. As a result, the country experienced some rough patches as it adjusted to a sudden increase in the labour force and a drop in demand for Canadian goods. Although the 20s is often referred to as "roaring", it was not looked upon this way by many workers.
In Winnipeg, many workers decided to fight for more rights, which included demands for better pay, more reasonable hours, and a right to collectively demand better treatment from their employers. This fight ultimately led to violence, as Canada experienced its biggest strike in May and June of 1919. It culminated in what is known as "Bloody Saturday" on June 21, 1919.
In class, we will be looking at primary documents regarding these events in order to understand different perspectives. We will look at both pro and con articles and discuss bias and language. If you miss this class, you can find many newspaper articles at: http://1919winnipeggeneralstrike.blogspot.ca/2009_05_23_archive.html This blog will take you through the events day by day.
Please watch the video on the Winnipeg Strike and refer to the definitions in the handout.
Part B - The Jazz Age
The 1920s was also known as "The Jazz Age." In this lesson, we discuss some aspects of the 20s that gave it this name.
Mass consumerism was possible thanks to new inventions, cheap electiricty, and new culture. At this time, jazz music also became popular thanks to the rise of radio, urbanization, and youth demand. With new music came new dances, including the famous Charleston.
The 1920s was also a time of great inventions, though not many of them were very successful. Frederick Banting invented a method of isolating Insulin during the 20s, which helped to treat those with diabetes.
The 1920s' mass consumerism also led to more focus on advertisements in order to sell their product and develop trends to invite more spending during the boom period. The use of guilt, sexism, and humour in advertisements is still something we see in today's advertisements.
In class, we used the scrapbook, textbook, and handouts to find out more about the Jazz Age and those who experienced the 20s as a period of "boom." The answer key is posted below.
Part C - Not so Jazzy
Not everyone experienced the 1920s in the same way. In this class we looked at 7 groups who might not have thought of the 20s as a "roaring good time." We looked at women, immigrants, Aboriginals, black Canadians, Maritimers, children, and farmers. After learning about these groups, we ranked them on a scale of experiencing the 20s as a complete bust to experiencing some but limited gains using the following criteria: economic opportunity, access to culture, societal and political opportunity, and community respect. Consider these criteria and the groups' experiences in preparation for your unit test.
Part D - Politics
In this class, we discussed the politics of the 20s. The 1920s saw a lot of poltical changes, both with the increase in the number of parties and politcal organizations, but also the number of new ideas. Remember that labour unions were having an increasingly important role in politics after the Winnipeg Strike. Women also became increasingly involved in the country's politics thanks to the efforts of the Famous Five: , Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, and Irene Parlby.
Women and religious groups were behind the Prohibition movement in the 20s, which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol across Canada. The LCBO was created as a direct result of Prohibition.
One key political shift in the 20s was the creation of the Progressive party. This was a left wing party that were made up of discontented farmers and workers. In 1921, they had enough seats to become Canada's official opposition, but decided not to fill this role so that individual members of the party had freedom to decide on policies for themselves. The liberals introduced progressive ideas in their policies in order to win their support, and the party disbanded by the 30s as their message was now less urgent.
An important political crisis in the 20s was the "King-Byng Wing Ding." Lord Byng was the governor general of Canada at the time and therefore had power over how Canada's government functioned. Prime Minister King asked him to dissolve parliament in order to win more votes, but Byng refused. This made Mackenzie King very angry with how Britain had power over Canada, and resulted in some shifts towards independence.
Part E - An Independent Canada
During the 1920s, Canada was becoming increasingly independent. As a result of the King-Byng Crisis, Mackenzie King framed his election campaign around the idea of ensuring that Britain had less control over how the country would be run. There were 7 major events that we'll be looking at for how they brought Canada closer to indepndence. At the same time, Canada and America seem to be growing closer throughout the period, so it is important to consider if the country was really becoming more independent, or just more independent from Britain.
Part F - Study Tips
The unit test will take place on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th.
The format is as follows:
Multiple choice: 16 marks
True and False: 10 marks
Short Answer: 9 marks (6 marks for students in the applied class)
Paragraph: 30 marks
For both the short answer and the paragraph section of the test, you will have a choice of what questions to answer.
For the multiple choice and true and false sections, you should review definitions I've given you, key events, and key figures. Anything I gave you on a handout is fair game, but these questions mainly focus on political changes, marginal groups, and labour movements.
For the short answer, you will have to answer either 2 or 3 questions depending on what class you are in. There are 4 questions to choose from. These questions focus on politics, growing independence, and the Winnipeg Strike.
For the paragraph, you will answer 1 of 2 questions. These questions are based on the key questions I introduced at the very beginning of the unit. Think about the main ideas that I've emphasized in class, and go back to your notes from the first class. For one of the questions, you will have to use three criteria to compare and contrast two groups of people, and the other asks you to make a decision and support it using three specific examples, which could be groups of people or events. You should be able to guess these questions based on what I've been talking about in each lesson and how I framed the unit.
To study for this test, review the documents and powerpoints posted on the website as well as the notes you took in class. Note that the paragraph is worth nearly half of your grade. It is a good idea to brainstorm what the questions might be and start gathering evidence and ideas to help you answer it as best you can. The rubric I will be using to grade your paragraph is below.
The Dirty Thirties
While life may not have been perfect for many people, most Canadians enjoyed a standard of living previously unheard of until the 1920s. Part of the reason for the growing prosperity of middle-class Canadians was the new ability to invest in the stock market, made possible for many by the practice of buying on margin. When the stock market started to take a down turn and finally came to a crash in 1929, many Canadians lost everything they had, and many businesses went bankrupt. The result: rampant unemployment across the nation. Canada, and the world, experienced the worst economic depression the world had ever seen.
R.B. Bennett, Canada's prime minister at the time, was a Conservative. He did not believe that the government should interfere with the economy, nor that it should be in the business of handing out charity. He was, however, a Christian, and a man of great personal wealth. Many Canadians wrote to him personally for help, and he sent them a few dollars here or five dollars there in response, typing the letters himself in reply to their letters to him.
For many years the Great Depression rampaged the nation. Bennett and his conservative ideas were unable to stop it. The problem hit a critical mass as a drought hit the prairies, and as thousands of young, unemployed men took to the rails, crossing the country in search of work. Worried about social order, Bennett created work camps for young, unemployed men. When they rebelled, he dealt with them harshly.
Watch video from 17:15-40:29 and 47:25-57:06.
Interactive map available only in class. Get notes from a classmate if you missed the lesson.
Unhappy with Bennett's response to the depression, Canadians turn to a variety of political parties: W.L.M. King's Liberals, the Communist Party of Canada (until it was made virtually illegal in 1931), The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (which later became the New Democratic Party), the Social Credit Party, and (in Quebec) the Union Nationale.
In the 1935 election, W.L.M. King and the Liberal Party defeated the then-unpopular R.B. Bennett and his Conservative Party. He was so unpopular by the time he left office, that Bennett decided to move to England and make a fresh start. When he left, not a single person went to the port to see him off.
King and the Liberal Party did little to end the Great Depression either. Luckily for them, the New Deal in the United States was propping up the American economy, which had a positive effect on the Canadian economy, the drought in the Prairies began to wane, and the Second World War began, kick-starting Canada's economy as the country hastily moved to produce the goods necessary for war. As is often the case in politics, King was in the right place at the right time.
For this portion of the unit. students will use the textbooks in class to learn about the various political parties and their leaders. Should you miss the class, follow the links associated with the Canadian Encyclopedia page on the Great Depression.
December Exam
All grade 10 students write a common exam during the December Exam Period. The exam covers the first three units of the course - WWI, the 1920s, and the 1930s, with an emphasis on the 1920s and 1930s. The exam includes short answer questions, such as multiple choice questions, as well as an extended written response. Further details are posted below in the exam review documents.
World War II
This unit begins with students investigating the causes of the war using the class textbook, available only in class, and the additional resources posted below. Students will practice their critical thinking skills by ranking the significance of the causes and developing an acronym to help them remember the causes of the war.
Students will then learn about the European battles Canadians were involved in, Canada's contributions to the war around the world, life on the homefront, and the Holocaust.
Students will then be evaluated for creating an oral essay. Working in groups of three, students will research an argumentative essay question, using the essay writing and historical methodology skills taught earlier in the term. For a refresher on essay writing, historical methodology, and MLA citations, students should refer to the resources found under the Writing tab in the menu above.