External Forces on Canadian Confederation

Through Problem based learning the students will take the perspective of a fictional character from the mid 1800’s to gain a perspective on the external forces that pushed Canada towards Confederation. The students will be given disclosures that guide them to further enquiry regarding topics like the U.S. manifest destiny, the British Corn Laws, the Treaty of Reciprocity, the U.S. Civil War, and the Fenian raids into Canada. Through this enquiry process, the students will be challenged to use the historical thinking concepts of: historical significance, continuity and change, cause and consequence, and historical perspective. Once the students have completed their research around all of the disclosures they will then need to write a speech that outlines what they believe to be the best course of action for the elected assembly of Canada to take, considering all of the external pressures that are on the British colonies of North America at this point in history. The students are required to be creative in their speech as they do not have any information in the disclosures that tells the students that these events would contribute to Canada’s Confederation in 1867.