Rights and Freedoms
The African Canadian Experience from 1780 to 1850
Using culturally responsive practices teachers will engage themselves and the students in the historical background of African Canadians and their impact on Canadian history. If teachers explicitly teach students how to write using paragraph form, use linking words and how to compare, define, describe, determine, identify, explain, and justify when writing, then students will be able to respond to text and communicate their thinking clearly and with detail.
Student - Theory of Action
If students describe the major challenges African Canadians faced during 1780 to 1850 and the key measures to address these issues, then they will be able to formulate questions to guide investigations into some of the hardships people faced and how they impacted Canadian history. Students will explore what are Human Rights and which rights have certain people been denied.
Vocabulary to support the Unit
What Draws People to Canada?
What Does Freedom Mean to You?
Everyone has the Right to….
Home Connection
Home Connection
- Beautiful with lots of trees
- No corruption
- Better health system
- Equal rights for everybody
Home Connection
Freedom Quote
Students completed this activity in complete silence as they were not allowed to talk with other students. The goal was to promote independent thinking skills.
Freedom Quote
Freedom Quote
Grade 3 Paragraph Writing
Students discussed the right to:
- Have an Education
- Practice their Religion
- Marry whomever they choose
- Be treated fairly regardless of Race or Ethnicity
- Be treated fairly regardless of their Gender, Ability or Age
I can't live without my religion.
I can't live without the right to be safe.
I can't live without the right to an education.
Evolution of the Inquiry
- Iqbal Masih from Lahore, Pakistan
- Shannen Koostachin from Attawapiskat First Nation on James Bay, Ontario
- Shazad from Kabul, Afghanistan
The Story of Iqbal Masih
Kids of Kabul
Shannen's Dream Biography
Student Comparison to Iqbal
Student Comparison to Shannen
Student Comparison to Shazad
Comparing their life to Iqbal
Comparing their life to Shazad
Comparing their life to Shazad
Diagnostic, Formative and Summative Assessment Data
Diagnostic Task: What does Freedom mean to you?
Formative Task: Which freedom means the most to you?
Summative Task: Compare your life to one of the people we studied, Iqbal, Shannen or Shazad.
Class A
Level 1=6
Level 2=11
Level 3=1
Level 4=0
Absent =2
Formative
Level 1=4
Level 2=11
Level 3=2
Level 4=2
Absent =1
Summative
Level 1=2
Level 2=10
Level 3=6
Level 4=2
Diagnostic
Class B
Level 1=5
Level 2=12
Level 3=3
Level 4=0
Formative
Level 1=10
Level 2=7
Level 3=3
Level 4=0
Summative
Level 1=0
Level 2=17
Level 3=5
Level 4=0
Grade 1 students write to the Prime Minister about the conditions of Shannen's School
Grade 1 letter to the Prime Minister
Response from the office of the Prime Minister
Literature
Every Human Has Rights
Declaration of Human Rights
by Mary Robinson
I Have the Right To Be a Child
The Last Safe House
by Barbara Greenwood
Underground Railroad
by Flip Perspective
Moments in Canadian Black History
Let's Talk About Race
Rights and Freedoms in Canada
Talk About Freedom
by Natasha L. Henry
Lest We Forget
by Velma Maia Thomas
In the Hoofsteps of Emooly Murphy
The Right for Boys and Girls to Be Treated as Equals
by Dustin Milligan
The First Flock
by Dustin Milligan
Anne of Green Tomatoes
by Dustin Miligan
Desmond and the Very Mean Word
Henry's Freedom Box
by Kadir Nelson
The Patchwork Path
by Bettye Stroud
Student Voice- Grade 3 students
- I learned different people were treated like slaves and forced to do things. I really liked this unit because I didn't know about slaves before. I also learned how we can help people.
- I learned that some American people long ago used other people from other countries as their slaves. I think that's torture and it shouldn't happen anymore.
- I learned about different rights like you have the right to marry whoever you want.
- I learned kids should have freedom and not do chores.
- When Iqbal is late for work he will get hanged upside down and chained and he only gets three cents a day for 14 hours. It's not fair.
- Shannen's school has black moss (mould) and that's gross.
- Some girls in other countries can't go to school and I feel bad because in Canada both boys and girls can go to school.
Teacher Voice
We think that given the opportunity to co-plan and collaborate with a variety of colleagues allowed for rich discussion and the ability to plan activities that valued many different aspects of the diverse needs of individuals within our classrooms.
We were able to develop rich tasks on a topic that helped us provoke deeper thinking in our students and enabled us to engage in rich discussions. This topic was enlightening for all students and provoked discussions at home, connecting families to our curriculum and students to their heritage. Students were eager to share their personal stories.
We saw much improvement in the content of their writing; they were able to think critically and empathetically. Ideas and content of student writing improved, with time, conventions, and organization will hopefully improve also.
Catherine Richer and Patricia Tarr - Grade 3 Teachers
Students at another school researching the issue of child labour similar to Iqbal Masih
Child Labour
- What surprised you?
- What are children being forced to do?
- What is Canada doing about it?
Child Labour in Korea
Child Labour in Russia
Child Labour in India
Key Learnings
- Implement the inquiry over a longer period of time in order for students to improve their writing skills - conventions and organization (teacher reflection)
- Continue to co-create success criteria and have students refer to it for each written task
- Sharing the learning goals with parents, inviting them to be part of the learning community facilitated connections between home and school, and a sense of pride in students
- Utilize formative assessment data to create small group instruction based on students' needs. (mini lessons -topic sentence, organization, details and closing sentence)