Grades 4 and 5: European Exploration and "Settlement" in British Columbia, 1787-1867

Suggested Procedure

1. Arrange students in groups to access different chapters of the Ghosts of the North West Coast website or print out and distribute the relevant web pages for use and discussion, as follows:

• the "Voyageur!" chapter to enable a comparison between bartering and a monetary exchange system
  
• the "Spanish Banks" chapter to appreciate factors that influenced early European exploration of North America and to introduce technology used in exploration
  
• the "Richard Moody" chapter to introduce technology used in exploration
  
• the "Steamboatin' Jamiesons" and "Ghosts of Read Island" chapters to appreciate the influence of technology on lifestyle and work.

2. Make copies of the student handouts. Divide students into groups or pair them off. Distribute the copies of the student handouts Questions for the "Voyageur!" and "Steamboatin' Jamiesons" Chapters, Questions for the "Spanish Banks" and "Richard Moody" Chapters, and Questions for the "Ghosts of Read Island" Chapter.

3. Instruct the groups or pairs to answer the questions on the handouts by accessing the website or using the relevant material copied from it. Some of the questions ask them to engage in creative thinking about the experience of the early explorers and "settlers" of British Columbia.

4. Collect the handouts when the groups or pairs have completed their work. Use the answers as a basis for class discussion of the various aspects of early exploration and "settlement."

5. Arrange for students to listen to the songs on the website as a class or ask them to access them in groups or pairs. Prepare for this activity by asking students to:

• record their impressions and feelings when listening to the songs
  
• note words that they find difficult or want to have explained
• think about why people use music to record their experiences or to preserve memories of the past
• list the instruments used to accompany the singer.

6. Debrief the listening activity by emphasizing how songs about British Columbia's past are important not only to create an awareness of the province's history but also to form a cultural identity in the present. Ask students to think about places that they would like to hear a song about and to explain their choices.

7. Make and distribute copies of the student handout How Do We Know Where We Are?, assigning students to read it together either in pairs or groups, partnering off good readers with weaker ones for a cooperative learning experience.

8. Debrief the reading. Explain vocabulary as needed and emphasize how mapping relies on various kinds of skills and demands cooperative work. Explain the impact that changing technologies have played in mapping and surveying.

9. After debriefing How Do We Know Where We Are?, distribute copies of the student handout Exploring Together. Divide students into groups or pairs to work together on a project. After they have completed their work, bring the class together to share the discoveries and to reinforce the material.