Unit

//A more detailed look at Lessons 1 & 2 are available//
 * The Skeleton Version of this Unit**

**SYNOPSIS**: For this unit, the students will become a character they create who was part of the Mi'kmaq culture during the fur trading era. The students will take on the role of their character and encounter several critical events which will determine the outcome of their characters life. The students have the ability to make decisions and act on these events, in character, as the unit progresses.

**EPISODE 1 (Lesson 1)** This lesson is about activating prior knowledge and also weaving historical information through means of discussion. This lesson will begin with a very famous Mi'kmaq legend regarding a vision one girl had about white men coming to their village. The students will then be asked to describe what they think they know about the fur trading era and about the Mi'kmaq culture. We will discuss what kinds of historical events were taking place at this time and how the people may have reacted. The students will then create a visual representation and biography of a character they have created. They will introduce this character to the class and share the biography they have created. This is an introduction into Episode 2, where the students become more familiar with the time period and culture of the Mi'kmaq people.

This lesson is all about setting the scene for the unit. Throughout this process, the students will be thinking of their character in terms of personality, beliefs, etc. They will be considering how the character would react to certain critical events of the time period. A concept will be introduced to the students to help them place their character in a specific time period and village. This concept will include historical facts about how the Mi'kmaq people lived, hunted, and celebrated. We will examine life experiences (food, clothing, etc.) of the characters and for this episode, the students will create believable and realistic artifacts which contribute to their characters' story. The research done by the students will be posted in the classroom to create an ambience of the time period and culture. We will also start our //Word Wall// where we will place new words we have learned or want to learn.
 * EPISODE 2 (Lesson 2)**

**As these critical events unfold, the students are asked to keep a journal //(in character)// to record their personal responses to the events. This serves as a personal reflection for the student, as well as an assessment tool.**

//(The next 3 episodes may be modified to include different historical information)// The students will come to class this day prepared to get into their roles. This lesson focuses on the first critical incident/event which the characters in the classroom are faced with. //**EVENT:**// The students are faced with a European explorer who has come to their village in seach of furs. He does not know his way around the area and has asked for the help of the people to guide him through the interior. He has promised alcohol and metal pots (for cooking) in exchange for the furs. The event will be given to the students in a sealed envelope. They will arrange themselves in groups and introduce themselves to all the characters in the group. The group will then work together to come to a decision about the critical event. Should the people of the village help this man? Why or why not? They will be asked to do some research with the websites provided to find out more about how the fur trading works, what they can expect, what is the real value of the furs are, and what they could do with the metal pots and alcohol. How will this benefit the village? The groups are then asked to create a map of the interior. They will need to plot how many animals and what kinds of animals are in this land. They will discuss what they think should happen with their group members and come to a decision.
 * EPISODE 3 (Lesson 3)**

The students find another letter in the classroom... //**EVENT**//: A French explorer and a Priest have come to visit the village. They are encouraging the people of the village to give up their traditional spiritual ways, and convert to Catholicism. They promise a better life and more respect from the French and British. They also feel that the women of the village have too much power and attempt to refocus the power to the men. A young man in the village becomes intrigued with the Europeans and considers converting to Catholicism. He also attempts to change the traditional ways of the people in his village. For this event, the students will have an open discussion about the pros/cons of changing their Religious views. The students will then be asked to do some short research about the impact missionaries had on the First Nations people(specfically the Mi'kmaq people). They will each be asked to write a letter to the young man who is considering giving up his traditional life. The students use their knowledge and personal beliefs to write this young man a letter (in character). This letter will reflect the views of the character and may be negative or positive. The students have the ability to make their own judgement call and use the information they have acquired to make a sound decision.
 * EPISODE 4 (Lesson 4)**

The students are faced with a decision when they enter the room.. //**EVENT:**// In exchange for furs, some European explorers traded blankets to the people of the village. Never seeing a cloth blanket before, the people of the village find them to be quite interesting. It is a cold night and many of the peoples' traditional fur blankets have been traded for other goods. Do you use the European blanket? Write a Yes/No chart on the board and ask the students to think critically about this situation. In character, they need to decide whether or not they would use a blanket. Are they quite young? Old? Do they have a baby to keep warm? What other factors influence their decision towards using this blanket? A sealed letter is found in the classroom... This letter is from a neighbouring village. They are all becoming suspiciously ill and their numbers are dropping rapidly. They have sicknesses that even their medicine people cannot heal. They have never seen anything like it before and wonder if it was the blankets from the Europeans.... Let the class know that these blankets traded to the village have been infected with diseases. Those who have slept with them are about to become very ill. How has this changed their views of the Europeans? Have they lost trust in them? What could they have done to prevent this from happening? Let the students know that this is a true event and that the Mi'kmaq population decreased significantly during the early period of contact with the Europeans. The students will have an open discussion about what they should or shouldn't do regarding the welfare of the people. Do they leave? Do they stay? They will then add words to the word wall and create short eulogies for those in their village who have deceased from this illness. They will learn to respect each member of their village.
 * EPISODE 5 (Lesson 5)**

The students will be wrapping up the unit in this episode. They will create a newspaper article about their character which documents their life. The students will not be in character for this lesson, but they will need to look back on their characters life and how they contributed to the village. These newspaper articles will be placed around the room for everyone to read. They will include a picture of the character as well as their accomplishments and struggles. The class will then have a celebration of learning by having a discussion about what they learned from their characters. What did their character teach them? What new information have they learned? Have their views changed? //(If possible, have an Elder come to the class to tell stories. Have the students listen and actively engage in asking questions and respecting the speaker. Even better if the person is of Mi'kmaq descent)//
 * EPISODE 6 (Lesson 6)**