Romantic Framework for Grade 10 Social Studies 1. Identifying heroic qualities 1. Sense of Identity, Loyalty, Sense of Community. 2.

Persistence, Justness Images that capture the heroic quality: Imagine you grow up, leave your community and start a new life somewhere else. Now imagine the community you grew up in is in danger. The land you grew up on is being taken away from your family, the diet you depended on for your survival is becoming extinct, the community you left behind is forced to uproot and move away from their home. All the places you knew as a child are destroyed, your community is no longer recognizable and others patronize the customs of your culture. You have a new life now, but you cant stand the thought of losing the community that raised you. Imagine watching the community that raised you dissolves while you are living far away. How would you react? When you grow old and leave your childhood community, will you return? Do you want the places you grew up in to remain? Imagine Louis Riel living far away from his family. He is all grown up with a wife and family, and he lives in the United States. He works as a teacher, and his students depend on him. A childhood friend from Canada finds him and tells him of the pain his family has endured. His childhood friend, Gabriel Dumont, tells him that the places they played as children, the community that raised them, are being displaced. The children he went to school with now have children of their own, but they are malnourished as their main source of food, the buffalo, is being hunted to extinction. Dumont tells him they are no match for the Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald. He is pushing their community further and further west, taking their land for his own agricultural and transportation initiatives. Riels childhood friend sobs as he tells him of the pain his people have endured since Riel left. Riels face is hot with anger. He looks at his own children; what if they were still in Manitoba? What if they were starving too? Dumont begs him to return, Riel is the only one who speaks English well enough to help them and has the support of the people to stand up to the government. Riel knows what to do; he is scared but brave. He must save his community and defend his identity as Mtis Canadian. 2. Shaping the lesson or unit 2.1. Finding the story or narrative: Louis Riel left his home to study in Eastern Canada; he learned English and later lived in the United States. Riel never lost his love for his home, or his identity as being a part of the Mtis community in the Prairies. Prime Minister John A. MacDonald had

The Northwest Rebellion

different plans for the land the Mtis occupied. He dreamed of a railway that would run across Canada, and he would not stop till his dream came true. When the Canadian government came to survey the Mtis land in Manitoba, Riel returned, upon his familys request, to speak with the representatives. After leading his community to rebellion once, Riel was exiled to the United States, and forced to leave his identity behind and start a new life away from the community he called home. Riel could not bear to lose his identity. He slid into depression several times, and was even committed to an asylum. As the fate of the Mtis became unstable, so did Riels mental health and sense of identity. Eventually, Riel started a new life in the US as a teacher, but his heart remained with the Mtis community. Riel tried to start over again with his wife and children, but he heard through Gabriel Dumont that his community was forced to uproot and move west again. Riel was at a crossroads, should he return and defend his community, or remain in his new community and support his new family? He always found his sense of identity through being a part of the Mtis community and could not bear to see the injustice his family faced. As the Mtis were forced to move west, Riels identity dissolved. The people who made him who he was were now starving to death and losing their land to the Canadian government. He was tired of watching the disappointment and broken promises from MacDonald. Riel had no choice, led by his loyalty to his people and his sense of justness, he returned to Canada to lead his people in rebellion. If Riel knew his sense of loyalty would lead to his death would he have returned to Canada anyway? MacDonald knew Riel would not allow the government to continue to displace the Mtis; he took advantage of Riels sense of community and allowed him to lead the rebellion; he knew that if there was a rebellion, he could use the new railway to send the RCMP to the Northwest to fight Riel. He used Riels loyalty to his community for his own gain, to show the people the need for a railway across Canada, and to gather support for the failing CPR. MacDonald was right; Riels loyalty to his community and to the Native community never waivered. MacDonald used the railway to send the RCMP to stop the rebellion and Riel died for his people. 2.2. Finding extremes and limits: Exotic/extreme content that best embodies the heroic quality: Riel and the Mtis people relied on the buffalo for their survival; they used all parts of the buffalo including the brain (to prepare the hides) and the dung (for fuel). Riels separation from his community pushed him into a deep depression; he was committed to an asylum in Quebec in March 1876. Riel had a strong sense of identity in the Mtis community, however, he also believed he was a prophet and that God told him to defend the Mtis. He would pray for hours, and ask his servants to hold up his arms for extended periods of time.

Coca-Cola released a bottle that displayed artwork dedicated to Louis Riel designed by a group of First Nations people in Manitoba for the 2010 Olympics. A bust of Riel was erected in commemoration of Riel as the Father of Manitoba.

2.3. Finding connections to human hopes, fears, and passions: What content can be best shown in terms of hopes, fears, intentions or other emotions? Students will connect to moving from their first house or neighborhood, or seeing their childhood home destroyed and rebuilt. They will question what brought Riel back to his home and gave him the courage to face the death penalty for his people. In connection with Riel, students will think about a time when they felt their childhood was threatened or disappearing and wonder if they would take action. Focus on key players, Riel, Dumont, MacDonald and Thomas Scott. Students reflect on the measure we take to form our own identity (clothes, piercing, tattoos). How do these outward expressions reflect our identity?

I would start with a simple example; when I was a teenager, my mom donated a bag of my stuffed animals to the Salvation Army. I never played with the animals, and I hardly even looked at them, however, this action symbolized my childhood identity being threatened. My time with these toys was part of my identity, and their disposal symbolized the loss of a time in my life. Another example belongs to one of my friends. She lived next to a forest in Surrey and played in this forest with her friends everyday. When the forest was cut down, she cried for days, as all she had left was the memory of the hours she spent there as a child. To delve deeper into the heroic image and upcoming themes, I will ask students to think about cultural assimilation and a sense of identity. Many students have immigrated to Canada at a young age, or have parents who are immigrants. They understand what it feels like to have a different culture than other students in the classroom. Students can connect to the feeling of defending or explaining their culture, while also preserving their identity from assimilation. Students can examine Canadian and personal identity, and discuss assimilation in Canadian history. (Big theoretical issue: Multiculturalism how possible is this? Where do we have/hold commonality? How much difference can we have as a people and still share a national identity?) Students will connect to how their childhood sense of place shapes their identity. They will begin to understand Louis Riels motivation behind leading the rebellion. They will see why Riel could not go on with his life when he saw his community in danger.

2.4. Employing additional cognitive tools of Romantic understanding: Collections and hobbies:

Teaching strategy:

The teacher will explore the Mtis culture through pictures and provide general background information. The teacher will then leave the investigation of Mtis culture to the class and challenge the students to discover and find as much as they can find about the Mtis people. The teacher will ask the students to consider what Riels life in the Mtis community of Manitoba would be like if he were still alive today. This will lead students to collect information about the Mtis in the past and present. As an extension to this activity, students will collect information about other communities in Canada such as Native Communities, the Doukobors, the Fenians etc. Students could compare and contrast the different communities and reflect on the changing identities of these communities. Student activity: Students can collect the different aspects of Mtis life to construct a possible identity for Louis Riel. Students will look at the combination of French-Canadian and Native culture that the Mtis identify with. What kinds of activities would Riel take part in? What did he wear? What did he eat? Students will collect information on Mtis people and share different aspects of Mtis culture with their classmates using internet resources and the library. As a class students will put together a collection of Mtis culture in the past and present. Change of context:

Teaching strategy: The teacher will present the trial of Louis Riel through drama or role-playing. Students will take part in a planned mock trial. The teacher will assign students different roles, and ask them to research the role. The mock trial gives students the opportunity to see the events of the Northwest Rebellion through different perspectives. Student activity: Students will lead the mock trial. They will discuss the trial from different perspectives. Students will develop their understanding of the events of the Northwest Rebellion from different points of view. They will see the Rebellion from Riels perspective as he is defending his home and his community. Students who are developing the prime minsters side of the trial will understand the events from MacDonalds point of view. They will see his opinion of Riel as a nuisance and someone who stands in the way of progress. The trial will develop the binary opposition of loyalty/disloyalty in the story of Louis Riel. Students will complete the activity by reflecting on the different perspectives of the trial in relation to the heroic qualities. The mock trial could also be adapted to deal with a more relevant issue in students lives, such as the no cell phone rule, or the possibility of wearing uniforms at school. Students will be engaged with a current issue that threatens their identity and sense of self. The teacher will then link this to Riels experience. The Literate Eye:

Teaching strategy:

Instead of outlining the events of the Northwest Rebellion through a lecture, the teacher will ignite students research skills by providing a 5ws chart for students to fill in information about the events of the rebellion. Students will look at events, such as the creation of the Mtis Bill of Rights, and fill in the who, what, when, where and how of the event. Additionally, students will complete a VENN Diagram to compare different perspectives of the events. The teacher will also demonstrate how to create a flow chart that outlines the events and the significance of the event. Students will then reflect not only on the details of the rebellion, but also on the significance of each event. (See Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography by Chester Brown for more visual representations of Louis Riels life.) Students will visually represent their identity by creating a symbol or image that reflects how they perceive their own identity. The symbols will be posted in the room and students will take part in a Gallery Walk to look at each image. Students will then reflect on how they perceive their identity in relation to their classmates. Student activity: When looking at the events of Louis Riels life, and the Northwest Rebellion, students will pick out what they think are the most important aspects and fill out a 5Ws Sheet. Students have the option to also create a flowchart that says the Northwest Rebellion in the centre. The students will list the major events of the rebellion on one branch, and have a second branch that explains the significance of the event. Students do not just record and regurgitate information, but reflect on what is important in the story of Riel and why.

The sense of wonder:

Teaching strategy: The story of Louis Riel is a reoccurring struggle that reflects the defense of minority rights and identity from assimilation. What impedes our ability to retain our right to identity and culture? Why does one culture dominate another? The teacher will invite students to wonder why assimilation is an ongoing threat and how we can include all cultures instead of marginalizing minorities. As an example, the teacher will show a current debate between the Mtis and the Government of Canada. The Mtis have appealed to the government to revoke Riels label as a traitor and pardon him from his treason sentence (see http://archives.cbc.ca/for_teachers/907/). In examining the debate, students will see how the Mtis are regarded today, and will question if Riels legacy has had an impact on present Mtis rights. Reflecting further on what impedes our ability to retain our right to identity and culture, students can examine current issues such as the burka debate in France, the debate about building a Mosque next to the Twin Towers site in New York and the language laws in Quebec. The students will research current events that reflect our right to retain culture and connect to Riels experience. Student activity:

Students will work together to understand where they see minority groups marginalized today and question why assimilation is a threat to identity. They will consider how the Mtis are treated today. Students will reflect on the question Should Louis Riel be pardoned? and are encouraged to wonder if Riel has left a legacy that we can learn from. Students may further explore the purpose of rebellion. Students will research current events and modern political prisoners and reflect on how these prisoners fought for their identity. As a further extension, students could look at current incidences of environmental rebellion and form their own opinions on the purpose of rebellion. Embryonic tools of philosophic understanding: Teaching strategy: The big idea behind the story of Louis Riel is cultural assimilation. Students will look at the events of the Northwest Rebellion and its aftermath and question what we have learned from Louis Riels death. The teacher will invite students to look at why there are dominant cultures, what it means to be Canadian, and where assimilation occurs throughout Canadian history. This theme will be revisited throughout the Grade 10 Social Studies curriculum through the examination of the treaties with the First Nations people and the treatment of the Chinese workers in B.C. Student activity: Students begin to question their own perspectives on their identity as a Canadian. They discuss how cultural assimilation may have been a factor in their own life and think about a time when they have lost the identity they were raised with. What would have happened if they fought for their identity like Louis Riel did? How can we preserve minority rights? Students will begin to study Canadian history in terms of assimilation. Students will look at the ongoing treatment of the Mtis and Native people and the history of Residential schools. Furthermore, students will examine the influx of immigrants from China to work on the CPR. How were immigrants treated? Were they invited to keep their culture, or forced to assimilate? The remainder of the Grade 10 social studies curriculum can be examined through the lens of cultural assimilation.

2.5. Drawing on tools of previous kinds of understanding: Somatic understanding Teaching strategy: Students may ignite their musicality in examining Mtis culture. The Mtis people are extremely musical. The teacher can present different recordings of Mtis music and videos of cultural festivals. Students will also reflect on what their music could tell us about them. The teacher will ask the students to consider if someone found their Ipod a hundred years after they died, what would the Ipod tell about their identity? Student activity:

Students will examine the comic book depiction of John A MacDonald, in addition to his depiction in political cartoons. Students will construct their own comic book image of MacDonald and Riel together. How would they look? What would they say to each other? Students will ignite their creativity and sense of humor in a comic depiction of the past. After examining Mtis music and festivals, students could imagine Riels contribution to Mtis celebrations. Students create songs to celebrate Riel, or take on the opposite perspective, and write and perform songs that depict Riel as a nuisance. Mythic understanding Teaching strategy: The story of Riel is a metaphor for minority rights. Louis Riel is the ongoing struggle to preserve identity from assimilation. In looking at the story of Louis Riel, students will examine the binary opposite of minority/majority. Riels story reflects a small group fighting for their rights against a more powerful and larger group. Additionally, when examining how the government reneged on their treaties, and Louis Riels connection to his community, students can look at the opposition of loyalty/disloyalty. One of the great mysteries in the story of Riel is why he was hanged. When Riels sentence was handed down, he was found guilty of treason, but the jury did not recommend the death penalty. However, the next day Riel was hanged for treason. Who passed this sentence down? If the court stated he did not deserve this harsh sentence, why was he hung anyway? Another puzzle surrounding Riel is the question of MacDonalds intentions. Did he lead the Natives and the Mtis in the Northwest to rebellion so that he could use the CPR to send the RCMP and show the people of Canada the need for the CPR? Through examining the puzzles and mysteries surrounding the story of Riel, students will engage in thinking about history as mysterious, and that not all answers can be found in textbooks. Student activity: The binary opposites of minority/majority facilitate students discussion on cultural assimilation in Canada. Students will use this opposition to understand the events of the rebellion and to frame the conclusion of the unit, as students examine if Louis Riels sentence as a traitor should be pardoned. In looking at cultural assimilation as a reoccurring theme in Canadian history, students can examine the sense of loyalty/disloyalty of the Canadian government. Although the Canadian government boasts about our inclusive society, is this the reality that students see? 3. Resources List of resources:

Louis Riel a Comic Strip Biography by Chester Brown Coca-Cola art bottle celebrates Riel rebellion By Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun, February 16, 2010 The Trial of Louis Riel http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/riel/riel.html Metis National Council http://www.metisnation.ca/ The Pardon of Louis Riel (CBC Archives) http://archives.cbc.ca/for_teachers/907/ The Retrial of Louis Riel (CBC Archives) http://archives.cbc.ca/for_teachers/906/ Louis Riel Day (Government of Manitoba Website) http://www.gov.mb.ca/february_holiday/index.html Louis Riel Sites and Resources (Government of Manitoba Website) http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/louis_riel/index.html

4. Conclusion Concluding activities: In conclusion students will examine the question Should Louis Riel be pardoned of his treason sentence? They will question what this sentence means for the Mtis people in Canada. What affect does Riels title of traitor have on Mtis identity? If the government removed the title of traitor from Riel, what would this symbolize for the Mtis people? Does it matter that he is still considered a traitor? Should the government apologize for Riels unjust demise, and pardon him from a sentence he did not deserve? Students will submit a project to celebrate Louis Riel day in Manitoba (third Monday in February). The theme of the project is Should Louis Riel be pardoned? Students will present their finding and opinions in this project, and the project can take on any form (poster, picture, poem, story etc.). Additionally, students will hand in a reflection on Louis Riel. They will reflect on the importance of studying Riel and relate Riels identity to the identity of Canada. How does the treatment of Riel reflect or not reflect Canadian identity today? Students will revisit the story of Riel throughout the Grade 10 curriculum, as they consider whether history may be rewritten or if we can right the wrongs of our past. As an extension students could look at Stephan Harpers apology for the residential schools as a relevant examples. Students will consider how we should address the injustices of Canadas past throughout their Grade 10 year.

5. Evaluation Forms of evaluation to be used: Students will be evaluated on the thoughtfulness of their response to the question, should Riel be pardoned? Students will present their opinion backed by factual information from the text and library research. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the theme of identity through their reflection on how Riels struggle reflects a change or development of Canadian identity. Students will be evaluated on their ability to connect the unit to their current vision of Canadian identity. A rubric for assessment will be developed. Students will also be assessed for the mock trial, the flow chart and five ws, as well as several formative reflections that relate to the heroic qualities of the unit.