LESSON THREE
The Fur Trade:
The Naming of Canada

Time: two periods (80 minutes)

Expectations:

Students will:

• watch and critically analyze video media.
• participate in a class discussion (exercising oral communication and active listening skills).
• take notes from the video and from discussion about the Fur Trade.
• investigate themes of exploration, miscommunication, and expansion of French territory.

Preparation:

• Book VCR.
• Set CRB's Heritage Minute Video at the beginning of "The Naming of Canada" Minute.
• Prepare discussion questions.
• Prepare notes on the story of the Fur Trade.

Lesson Plan:

1. If desks are not already arranged in a horseshoe pattern, have the students move the desks into that shape. (This arrangement is more conducive to whole class discussion.)
2. Introduce and show "The Naming of Canada" Heritage Minute. Tell the students to listen to the communication between Native Peoples and Europeans. You may want to tell them to think about answering the questions who, what , where, when, why and how as a guideline for their observations. You might also suggest that they jot notes down if that will help them. You may want to play the video a couple of times for best results.
3. Open a group discussion lead by some of the following questions. Record students' ideas on the board.
   • What did you see in the video? Consider all aspects (people, landscape, animals, clothing, etc.)
   • What did you hear in the video?
   • What are they doing?
   • What kind of discussion were these people having?
   • Under what circumstances have these people come to meet?
   • Who are these people? What is their relationship to one another?
   • What could have been done to help the language barrier?
   • Explore themes of ownership of land and resources.
   • Imagine you are a new immigrant to Canada and speak neither French nor English. How does your situation make you feel? How does your situation compare to that of the characters in the video?
4. Use the discussion as a tool to explain the Fur Trade, reasons for it, who was involved, etc. Write the salient points on the board or on an overhead while the discussion unfolds.

Evaluation Opportunities:

teacher observation of individual participation in class discussion.