Woman in Huron or New France

A Critical Challenge Approach to Woman in New France and Huronia

Critical Question: Decide where would have been a better place for a woman to live: New France or a Huron Community. By Dave Harvey and Tracy Richards

Overview:

In groups of 3-5, students will focus on either women in New France or women in a Huron community.

Each group will research one of the following Cultural Attributes: Spiritual/Healing, Political, Standard of Living, Parental/Family responsibilities or Education. After research is completed, students will present their findings to the class as the rest of the students take notes and individually decide 3 aspects of the culture that they find positive or negative or a combination of both.

Requisite Tools:

Background Knowledge	* Knowledge of the New France and Huron societies * Familiar with research tools * Knowledge of the information found in the designated reference materials * Comprehension of cultural attributes
Criteria for Judgement	* Factors determining the quality of life for women (shelter, diet, health, wealth, happiness, freedom, independence)
Critical Thinking Vocabulary	* Evidence * Evaluate * Compare & contrast * Produce *Counter arguments
Thinking Strategies	* Cultural Attribute Data Chart * Supporting Argument Data Chart * Note Taking Chart

TEACHING STRATEGIES

This lesson is designed for inclusion in a unit on Historical Canada. The teacher should have covered the following units: Fur Trade, Seigniorial system, the Jesuit Missionaries, the Political Structure of New France. The teacher-led class discussion on Cultural Attributes should lead towards the 5 attributes in the lesson and give definitions.

The teacher should model one of the cultural attributes using examples of research, cultural attribute data chart (note form).

Students will brainstorm in their groups ideas they would need to know/understand the critical challenge. What we know, what we want to know and what we learned.

Before directing students to gather the information they identified above, explain the need to take notes while conducting research (not copying).

Discuss the following qualities of effective notes:

Relevant to research topic

Capture the important ideas in the source

Provide specific information/details

Expressed in note form in student's own words

In groups of 3-5, students will choose (or be assigned) a women's place in the Society of New France or in a Huron Community. They will then choose a cultural attribute to research. The link above has a basic template students can fill in to use for this part

The cutural attributes are:

Spirtuality/ Healing

Parental/ Family Responsibilites

After research is completed, students will present their findings to the class. The rest of the class will take notes using the Cultural Attribute Data Chart and will then individually decide 3 aspects of the culture that they find positive or negative, or a combination of both

Using the Supporting Argument Data Chart, students will then evaluate a women's role in both societies and decide where would a woman have been better off living

Applying their evaluation students will work on a final assignment (diary, essay, story, poem) Depending on their choice, students can include a genealogy chart - either matrilineal or patrilineal

EVALUATION (please see links below for printable forms)

Self Evaluation

Resources:

The following is a list of resources found in the Comox Valley School District that provide relevant information for answering the critical question.

Videos from the LRC:

Huron, playing time 30 minutes. VT 970.004 IND HUR VID, VT4968

Living in New France, playing time 18 minutes. VT971.0162 LIV VID, VT4895