Confederation Unit

Summary:

‘Students each chose a conference ‘delegate’ and then a colony and partner. They became this delegate for the entire unit. They were to research in class with their colonial partner and define the issues on the table for their colony with regards to Confederation, including the impact of the events of 1851-1890. The class also included a duo of two loud dissenters who worked together, as well as two delegates from British Columbia as I found it very important and relevant to include our own province in the Debate. After some research, students were to write a newspaper article and submit to me to be published in ‘Confederation Times’. Concurrently they were writing their own essay on the Conferences or importance of their delegate, and eventually bringing their first draft to class for peer editing. The whole unit/term concluded in an hour-long Confederation Debate. The Debate being a Charlottetown/Quebec Conference hybrid including; opening statements, debates on 6 issues for which the students had researched and prepared responses/opinions, closing statements, a vote, ratification of the 72 Resolutions, a toast by Sir John. A Macdonald, and a delegate photo.’


General Tasks:

Part 1: Students choose an individual they want to incarnate for the project, a colony and a partner.

Part 2: Teams research about the preoccupations and issues touching their character in the times of the Confederation, and write a newspaper article.

Part 3: Students write an essay about the importance of their individual in the Confederation.

Part 4: Students, as ‘delegates’, participate in the Confederation debate. 


Evaluation Criteria:

Conference: presence, language skills, mastery of subject, overall implication. Essay: thesis, use of facts and evidence, structure and writing conventions, research, citation and format. 
Confederation Unit

Suzanne Uher

10

Surrey, British Columbia

‘A dynamic blended unit that included pre-loading of information, group in class research, and an engaging Confederation Debate’