Historical Thinking Lesson Plan
“Woodstock, Kingsclear & the Wolastoqiyik resistance to the federal relocation plan – Part 1”
In the 1940s, the Government of Canada undertook plans to centralize Indigenous peoples of the
Maritimes. Ottawa’s New Brunswick centralization plan started to seep through some
communities and had a profound effect on the lives of the people and their land. However, strong
opposition from the Wolastoqiyik effectively mobilized against federal centralization schemes,
demonstrating the limits of state power at the time, and the power that a marginalized population
can hold when we consider the historical perspectives of the time.
The following lesson is part of a larger series which will explore historical perspectives at the
local level using primary and secondary source evidence. The lesson series will attempt to
engage students in local history of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi'kmaq populations in New Brunswick
and their place in history over time. The lesson below is an introductory lesson where students
will investigate sources and attempt to paint a picture of the socio-cultural landscape of the time,
specifically inferring on changes that may have happened to cause differences in perceptions, use
of land, traditional knowledge systems and diets, household dynamics, cultural values, with
special attention to Ottawa’s Indian Relocation Plan. Ultimately, this first lesson is a class on
examining sources and their meaning at the local level.
The lesson is designed to bring out some of the prominent components of Evidence and
Historical Perspectives with respect to “The Big Six” Historical Thinking Concepts (Seixas &
Morton, 2013). Arguably, the lesson also explores elements of Ethical Dimensions. This lessons
has the following objectives:
➢ To engage students in the major guideposts of Evidence through exposure to primary
source information
➢ To allow students to explore some concepts of Historical Perspectives and Ethical
Dimensions through discussion and analysis
➢ To have students demonstrate an understanding of some of the impacts that colonial
initiatives have had on the peoples of New Brunswick
Lesson Plan for Woodstock, Kingsclear & the Wolastoqiyik resistance to the federal
relocation plan – Part 1”
Tappan Adney described Kingsclear as a site with "nothing whatever to recommend it" and as an
area which represented "no spot the Indians would have chosen."1 According to federal plans,
Kingsclear was to become a farming community as of 1945. Yet the Wolastoqiyik of the time
only farmed on occasion, hunting and game meat representing the bulk of their diet (Hall, 2015).
This was not the first attempt at “civilization” programs in the region. A century earlier, an
Indian Agent by the name of Moses Perley proposed a program to move the Wolastoqiyik to
Kingsclear where they would be placed under tutelage and taught to farm; the main funding from
the program would come from selling reserve land that the Wolastoqiyik would have to abandon
when relocating. This plan failed, but a later plan proposed in 1897 partially succeeded (Upton,
1975, p. 100). The lesson below explores some historical sources which highlight colonial
attempts to train Wolastoqiyik people to farm in New Brunswick throughout the late 1800s and
mid-1900s.
Approximate time
1 period of 90 minutes
Materials
- Student netbooks or mobile devices (optional for additional research)
- Computer and projector/smartboard + hookup connection
- Presentation with images and sources
- Class set of Data Organizers
- 4 Sheets of paper, one with each excerpt: Excerpt1, Excerpt2, Excerpt3, Excerpt4
Setup
- Tables set up in groups of three to four
Background knowledge
- Students are familiar with historical thinking concepts
- Students have some knowledge of colonialism and its impacts
1 (Walls, 2008) via Adney notes, undated, E. Tappan Adney Fonds, case 4, file 7, no. 9, UNBASC
Lesson Plan Breakdown
Time Activity Students are… Historical
Thinking Concept
10
A picture of Wolastoqiyik women farming in Woodstock (Image1) is presented on the
projector as students come into the classroom.
• Students are asked to take some time to look at the picture and to make notes on their
observations. They are also asked to make inferences about the people in the picture,
who they are, where they are, what they are doing, how they got here, the time period
(etc.)
• After a few minutes, students are to speak with their table partner about their
observations. And to imagine what was happening before the picture was taken and
immediately after.
• The students are encouraged to share their inferences with the wider class.
Looking at the picture
and making
observations by
themselves.
Discussing what they
have observed with their
table partners.
Sharing their inferences
with the class
Evidence
(1)(3)
10
The teacher engages the class into a small discussion where she asks questions to the group
about the picture. Some questions may include:
• Who are the people in this picture?
• What are they doing?
• When was it taken?
• Who was taking it?
• Where was it taken?
• What is the larger story behind this image?
• What kind of source is this?
• What are the facial expressions? What can we infer from these expressions about
the subject’s feelings?
Answering questions
and discussing the
picture with the whole
group
Filling out their data
organizer
Evidence
(1)(2)(3)
The teacher splits the class into four groups and hands out Excerpt1, Excerpt2, Excerpt3,
Excerpt4, one for each group.
Split into 4 groups Evidence
(1)(2)(3)(5)
20-25
The teacher then asks the students to discuss the excerpt. The students need to work in their
group to attempt to corroborate their excerpt with the first source (Image1) using their Data
Organizer. The teacher tells the students that they will have to present their inferences to
the class.
Answering questions
and discussing the
excerpt in their small
group.
Filling out their data
organizer
15
The teacher asks the groups to present their Excerpt and their inferences to the rest of the
class; which is inputting the information into their Data organizers as it is presented to
them.
Students are encouraged to discuss and ask questions to the presenting group to make sure
they investigate the source to the best of their collective capacity. She may ask the
following questions to prompt discussion:
• What kind of source is this?
• What do you think could be the larger story behind this text?
• Who made this source?
• Who or what is left out of this source?
• What is similar about these sources? How do they differ?
Presenting their excerpts
Answering questions
and discussing the
sources with the whole
group
Working as a group to
answer the questions in
the data organizer
Evidence
(1)(2)(3)(5)
15
The teacher asks the students to attempt to answer the following questions on a piece of
paper using historical perspectives and reflecting on the day’s activity. The students are to
answer the question in three paragraphs or more. They may discuss with their table partners
before answering and may choose to use their personal devices to strengthen their
inferences. The teacher reminds the students to use Historical Perspective concepts when
answering the question. She may choose to share the summative assessment with her
students.
▪ Why might the English settlers have not truly understood in the importance of the
land for the Wolastoqiyik?
▪ Why is it difficult to determine the perspective of Wolastoqiyik people during this
time?
Applying what was
learned to answer a
question
Evidence
(1)(3)(4)
Historical
Perspectives
(1)(3)(5)
Ethical
Dimension
(1)(2)
Assessments
There are two types of suggested assessments for this lesson, one formative assessment and one
summative assessment. The formative assessment is a self-assessment and can be taken on after
the final group presentation. It has for primary purpose to assess the students’ understanding of
“asking good questions” and of their level of engagement with Historical Thinking Concepts.
However, the learners’ ability to collectively address the questions in their graphic organizers
will make up the bulk of the assessment. Other aspects, such as the students’ abilities to make
insightful inferences, corroborate their sources and their ability and confidence in sharing their
inferences with the rest of the group will be at the forefront of this evaluation. This will help
guide instruction for future lessons which have primary and secondary source analysis and gage
the student’s level of understanding with the historical thinking process.
The summative assessment will be given at the end of the lesson and should be done on an
individual level. The students will be asked to answer two questions using the inferences
showcased in class and throughout the activity. This will require the student to take historical
context, perspectives and worldviews into account. The assessment has for primary purpose to
help us understand the learners’ ability to use Historical Perspectives based on sources and
discussions throughout the class.
Historical Thinking Concepts
This lesson is driven by Evidence and, if conducted properly, can reach all guideposts within this
category. The first guidepost, where interpretations and inferences are made from the primary
sources, can be reached at every level of the lesson through having students reflect back to the
original picture of the Wolastoqiyik women. The second guidepost is mostly reached through the
help of the teacher, prompting the students with questions and directing them towards making
inferences about the sources’ stories and valuing those sources within their context. This is also
why the third guidepost in this category can be reached as frequently – especially when students
are introduced to the Data Organizer. The Data Organizer allows for the learner to ask the right
questions about the sources they are exposed to and directs them towards corroboration (5) and
eventually, amid more subtlety, the sources’ historical setting (4).
Historical Perspectives and its guideposts can be indirectly seen throughout the lesson but make
a notable appearance in the last section where learners are asked to use the experience and
inferences they have had and have drawn throughout the activity to answer a set of question.
These questions guide the learner to take on the worldviews of English settlers and of the local
Wolastoqiyik peoples (1) while considering their historical context (3). The two questions also
allow the learner to dive into the difficulty behind finding Wolastoqiyik perspectives (5).
This last section of the lesson can also indirectly touch on Ethical Dimensions by pushing the
learner to think about the relationship between the English settlers and the local Wolastoqiyik (1)
and questioning why the English settlers may have wanted to train the local Wolastoqiyik into
farming against their own will (2).
Curricular links
This lesson can fit well within many New Brunswick social studies curricula as it can be used to
springboard to moments in history which involved Indigenous and colonialist relationships. The
most appropriate curriculum remains the Social Studies Grade 9 curriculum where the lesson can
be easily transferable through most of the units. For the purpose of this exercise, the Canadian
History 122 curriculum will be used as our major curricular link, especially with regards to the
general course outcomes including section A) “Historical Understandings” and section B)
“Historical Thinking”. The most applicable “Understandings” include the following:
(1) Students will understand the regional nature of the country as reflected in the
federal system
(3) Students will understand the evolving face of Canada as various cultural groups
become part of the Canadian multicultural reality
(Department of Education, 1998, p. 26)
Historical Thinking makes numerous appearances throughout the document, but is especially
mentioned in the first few pages, with the following outcomes being targeted in this lesson:
(1) Students will appreciate that historians are selective in the questions they seek to
answer and the evidence they use
(2) Students will recognize that interpretation is an essential ingredient of history
(3) Students will employ processes of critical historical inquiry to reconstruct and
interpret the past
(Department of Education, 1998, p. 26)
Within the curriculum itself, “Unit 1: 1867-1896 the MacDonald era – expansion and
consolidation” and “Outcome #2” where students are to “demonstrate an understanding of the
policies of Canadian western expansion” could be tied to this lesson.
Most importantly, this lesson and its overall series, was designed to adhere to “Essential
Graduation Learnings” where students are to engage with their learnings to develop senses of
citizenship, personal development, expression, communication and problem solving (Department
of Education, 1998, pp. 7-13). More specifically, within Citizenship, “to demonstrate
understanding social, political and economic forces that have shaped the past and present, and
apply those understandings in planning for the future” and “to examine human rights issues and
recognize forms of discrimination”. Within Personal Development, “ to reflect critically on
ethical issues” and within Problem Solving, “to frame and text hypotheses”, “to ask questions,
observe relationships, make inferences, and draw conclusions” and “to identify, describe and
interpret different points of view and distinguish fact from opinion.” (Department of Education,
1998, pp. 7,8,10,15)
Self-Assessment: Evidence
Data Organizers & Presentations
Name: ___________________________________ Date: ________________________
Criteria Always Mostly Sometimes Rarely
Research Questions
I understood my inquiry question before looking at
my source
Research
I was able to recognize where and when I needed
more information
Analysis of Sources
I described all of the key details from my sources.
I analyzed the possible purpose and values of the
creator(s) of the sources (author, photographer,
etc.).
I drew conclusions about how the sources
answered my questions and what they did not tell
me.
I was able to make strong connections between my
sources and corroborate them effectively
Conclusions
I drew thoughtful conclusions and inferences about
my inquiry to the best of my knowledge
Presentation
The presentation helped other students understand
the major questions and inferences tied to my
excerpt
Adapted from (Seixas & Morton, 2013, p. 73)
Summative Assessment: Historical Perspective Questions: Why might the English settlers have not truly understood in the importance of the land for the
Wolastoqiyik? Why is it difficult to determine the perspective of Wolastoqiyik people during this time?
Name:______________________________ Date:______________________________
Criteria for Historical Thinking
Very
well
(4)
To some
extent
(3)
To a
limited
degree
(2)
Not at all
(1)
Notes
Student identifies an example of relevant
difference between the worldview of an
historical actor and current worldviews by
considering, for example,
– social norms
– dominant belief systems
Student uses historical context to make sense
of the perspective of an historical actor.
Student uses textual, visual, oral, or artifactual
evidence to make valid inferences about an
historical actor’s thoughts and feelings.
Student identifies a variety of perspectives
among historical actors participating in a given
event.
Adapted from (Seixas & Morton, 2013)
Summative Assessment: Historical Perspective (Rubric) Questions: Why might the English settlers have not truly understood in the importance of the land for the
Wolastoqiyik? Why is it difficult to determine the perspective of Wolastoqiyik people during this time?
Name:______________________________ Date:______________________________
Criteria for Historical
Thinking Very well (4) To some extent (3) To a limited degree (2) Not at all (1)
Student identifies an
example of relevant
difference between the
worldview of
Wolastoqiyik/English Settler
actor(s) and current
worldviews by considering,
for example,
– social norms
– dominant belief systems
Has attempted to use
one or more worldviews
and has considered
social norms and
dominant belief
systems
Has attempted to use
one or more worldviews
and has attempted to
consider social norms
and dominant belief
systems
Has addressed one or
more worldviews
Has not addressed
worldviews, social norms
or dominant belief
systems
Student uses historical
context to make sense of
the perspective of either
Wolastoqiyik/English Settler
actor(s).
Uses examples of
writing/examples in
history of the local
region to explain events
Attempts to use general
examples in history in
North America to
explain the historical
context
Has used examples
and attempted to make
sense of the historical
context.
Has not attempted to
make connections to the
historical context
Student uses textual, visual,
oral, or artifactual evidence
to make valid inferences
about Wolastoqiyik/English
Settler thoughts and
feelings.
Uses multiple sources
covered in class (and
out of class) as
examples to back up
their inferences
Uses one or two
sources from class to
back up their inferences
Attempts to use
sources to back up
inferences
Has not attempted to
make inferences
Adapted from (Seixas & Morton, 2013)
Worksheet 1: Data organizer adapted from (Seixas & Morton, 2013) BLM 2.3 Data Organizer (p.72)
Question: What is the story of the Wolastoqiyik people and their colonial relationships in New Brunswick over time?
Guiding questions Source 1: Image1 Source 2: Excerpt1 Information ✓ Type of source ✓ Creator/Author ✓ When and Where
Context ✓ What events were happening at the
time?
Description ✓ What’s important? ✓ What’s interesting? ✓ What can’t you explain?
Inferences: creator ✓ Who was the audience of the
source? ✓ What did they want to hear? ✓ How may the background of the
creator have influenced this source?
Inferences: inquiry ✓ What can you learn from this
source? ✓ What links can you make with the
inquiry question? ✓ What other questions do you have?
Excerpt1: excerpt from (Upton, 1975, p. 50) via “A Plan for civilizing the Aborigines of New-Brunswick” New Brunswick Courier,
October 1, 1825
“The Indians should be enabled to obtain and enjoy the
conveniences and benefits of a social life, taught
Agriculture, and some of the most useful arts, and instructed
in the principles of sound knowledge; by which their
manners might be humanized, a rational submission to
wholesome laws, and regulations introduced, and their
minds prepared for the reception of moral and Christian
doctrine; - by which, in time, they might be fitted to
intermarry with our people, and become profitable members
of the British Commonwealth, and faithful subjects to His
Majesty”
Excerpt2: excerpt from (Upton, 1975, p. 53) via “Petition of Chief Pemmeenauweet”, received at Colonial Office January 25, 1841,
CO 217/179, ff. 406-408, PRO.
“My people are in trouble. I have seen upwards of a
Thousand Moons. When I was young I had plenty: now I
am old, poor and sickly too. My people are poor. No
Hunting Grounds – no Beaver – no Otter – no nothing.
Indians poor – poor for ever. No Store – no Chest – no
Clothes. All these Woods once ours. Our Fathers
possessed them all. How we cannot cur a Tree to warm our
Wigaum in Winter unless the White Man please. The
Micmacs now receive no presents, but one small blanket for
a whole family.”
Excerpt3: Jonathon Odell to Gerves Say, May 11, 1789, REX/PA, Indians, n.p., Provincial Archives of New Brunswick via (Upton,
1975, p. 49)
“If they are ready to learn, we are willing to teach them… all
the methods of agriculture which an unfailing Subsistence is
secured to all civilized and industrious Planters”
Excerpt4: Tappan Adney notes, undated, E. Tappan Adney Fonds, case 4, file 7, no. 10, UNBASC. Via Walls, M. (2008). Countering
the "Kingsclear blunder": Maliseet Resistance to the Kingsclear Relocation Plan, 1945-1949. Acadiensis.
A Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) woman explained to Tappan Adney:
"If we wanted to farm we would have farmed long ago."
Tappan Adney summed up this opinion:
"Why in hell must they keep on trying to make an Indian here
into a farmer, and how in hell can anybody farm on three
acres, and who in hell wants the stink of goats?”
E.T. Adney to Chief S. Paul, 24 June 1947, E. Tappan Adney Fonds, MIC 572 A1, no. 2, reel 1, UNBHIL. A herd of goats had
recently been moved from the Golden Lake reserve in Ontario to Kingsclear, with the idea being that "goats from this herd will be
moved to other reserves in New Brunswick to provide additional supplies of milk." See Department of Mines and Resources, "Report
of Indian Affairs Branch for the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 1948," p. 212.
References
Department of Education. (1998). Canadian History 122. Fredericton: New Brunswick Department of
Educaiton Curriculum Development Branch.
Hall, J. (2015). Maliseet Cultivation and Climatic Resilience on the Wəlastəkw/St. John River During the
Little Ice Age. Acadiensis, 2(44).
Library and Archives Canada. (n.d.). Three First Nation Women, a young girl and an infant in a potato
field. MIKAN No. 3425858(Series tite:SC), FA-001. (W. J.-1. Topley, Ed.) Woodstock, New
Brunswick: PA-010755.
Seixas, P., & Morton, T. (2013). The Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts. Toronto: Nelson Education
Ltd.
Upton, L. (1975). Colonists and Micmacs. Journal of Canadian Studies, 10(3), 44-57.
Walls, M. (2008). Countering the "Kingsclear blunder": Maliseet Resistance to the Kingsclear Relocation
Plan, 1945-1949. Acadiensis.