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E-Portfolio Artefacts
Derek Weaver

Activity Plan: WWI and Modern Duffle Bags.................................2

Artifact: WWI Artillery Casing........................................................4
UDL Research Project: Canadian Bios............................................6
Activity Plan: Halifax Explosion Map Hunt....................................8
Activity Plan: Song: Dgnerations..............................................9

Activity Plan: WWI and Modern Duffle Bags

Overview:
In this activity, students will use compare a soldier's duffle bag from the First World War to a modern
equivalent. The point of the activity is to highlight changes and similarities in culture and technology
between the two time periods. This activity could be used as an introduction to to larger lesson within a
unit on WWI.
Materials:

A 1916-era duffle bag (if possessed), similar to the one below, or alternatively, a photograph:

A modern soldier's duffle bag (if possessed), or a photograph thereof.

Process:

Show students the two duffle bags, either in person (if the objects can be acquired: I possess

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both), or as a photograph projected in front of the class.

Students, as a class, will be asked to observe and think of differences between the two artifacts.
For example:
Material used (e.g. Metals, plastics, canvass)
Method of opening/closing (e.g. zipper, no zipper, buttons, velcro)
Quality of writing (e.g. On the 1916 bag I have, very neat semi-cursive stenciling versus
messy printing with a sharpie on the modern one).
Size
Length of service number (what this is might have to be explained to students).

Students will be asked to think about what these differences (or similarities) say about the two
time periods, in terms of technology or otherwise.

Artifact: Artillery Shell Casing

Overview:
This is less an activity than it is a object which could be used in the context of a wider lesson plan in
which the subject of artillery comes up, in order to illustrate the scale of the First World War.
Materials:

A punched [meaning out of service] artillery shell casing (if possessed: I would possibly be able
to acquire one through my unit, since I am a reserve artilleryman). Otherwise, a detailed colour
photograph, such as the following:

The following photograph, of a pile of spent casings in WWI:

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Process:

Depending on grade, have students pass the casing around themselves, or (especially if
younger), have them gather around when the teacher is holding it.

Explain what a artillery shell casing is.

Show photograph of piles of shell casings.

Prompt students: what does this say about the scale of WWI?
What effects might so many artillery bombardments have had?
Where did all of these spent casings, other debris, even go afterwords?

Biographical Research Project:

Pre-Confederation Canada
Due Date: [Insert Due Date]
Research an important person from the pre-Confederation era of British North America. Present your
findings and analysis in either written or visual form (1.5 to 2 page paper, or powerpoint presentation).
Include the following:
Background
Where was this person born?
When did this person live?
Include a summary of the person's life.
Actions
What notable things did this person do?
When did this happen?
Legacy
What lasting effect on Canada did this person have?
Analysis:
How did this person reflect (or not reflect) the society in Canada at the time?
What motivations might this person have had?

Possible people to research:

Sir Isaac Brock
Tecumseh
Sir Guy Carleton
John Graves Simcoe
Elizabeth Simcoe
Joseph Brant (Mohawk Leader)
Laura Secord
John Lambton (Earl of Durham)
Louis-Joseph Papineau
William Lyon Mackenzie
Sir John A. Macdonald
Thomas D'Arcy McGee
Joseph Howe
James FitzGibbon
John Colborne (Lord Seaton)

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Rubric:
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Research
No or minimal
information

Much information
is missing, few or
unreliable sources

Satisfactory
information from
3+ sources

Detailed
information, 4+
sources

Good analysis,
some evidence of
original thinking

In-depth analysis
showing evidence
of significant
original thought

Analysis
No attempt, or
Some analysis,
minimal attempt at little evidence of
analysis.
own thought

Language
Significant errors,
very difficult to
understand.

Many errors, some Some spelling or

Almost perfect or
parts are difficult grammatical errors. perfect
to understand.
spelling/grammar.

No bibliography

Bibliography does
not include any
proper formatting,
or has many errors.

Bibliography
Bibliography has
mostly proper
formatting, or
some errors.

Bibliography is
perfectly formatted
and contains to
errors.

Activity Plan: Halifax Explosion Map Hunt

Overview:
In this activity, students will find important locations relevant to the Halifax Explosion, on a map. This
activity is designed to be used after students are already familiar with important people, events and
locations, in order to provide a sense of geography and scale.
Materials:

A map of the Halifax area, alternatively:

Satellite capture from Google Maps
Other printout map
Google Earth application (with location pins)

Writing implements.

List of locations, such as, for example:

The Narrows (location of explosion)
Rockingham Station (where trains were stopped by Vince Coleman)
The Mont Blanc anchor site
Pier 6 (location of the Acadia Sugar Refinery)

Small stickers, with numbers on them, located on the map at each location.
Alternatively, location pins in Google Earth.

Process:

Students will be divided into groups (at teacher's discretion) of three or four. Each group will
have a list of locations, as well as a short description of the event which occurred at each
location.

Students will attempt to match the location with the numbered sticker on the map.

Song: Dgnrations
Overview :
This song is designed to be used in the context of a larger lesson. This lesson could be on a number of
topics, from the Quiet Revolution in Qubec, to sociology class focusing on societal changes related to
employment, number of children, social mores, etc.
Materials :

Youtube clip : Dgnrations by Mes Aieux.

Alternatively, age-appropriate specific clips of the song, depending on grade-level.

Process :

Students listen to the song Dgnrations by the Qubec folk group, Mes Aieux.

Teacher guided: as a class, students are asked about what social changes have happened since
their great-grandparents' generation, according to the song.

As a possible activity, students, in groups, are to produce a piece of work (either in written
paragraph form, or visual, poster/powerpoint form) illustrating the differences in life at the turn
of the 20th century, or (if the Quiet Revolution is the subject), previous to the 1950s in Qubec.