Name: Sarah Jargiello Day: 2 Period: 6

Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Early Explorers Grade: 6 Date: Mon. Dec. 4th
Subject/Strand: Social Studies and Language Unit: Canada Times: 2:00-2:50
Lesson Plan Description (What are you teaching? How does it fit into the context of the unit? What are the big ideas/essential/enduring understandings?)
Today I will be teaching about the early explorers that came to Canada. This fits into the context of the unit because these early
explorers shaped Canada’s future. The big idea for this lesson is that many different early explorers have made a significant
contribution to Canada’s development.
STEP 1 : CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Ontario Curricular Overall Expectations (numbers from documents and details)
Social Studies: A1. Application: assess contributions to Canadian identity made by various groups and by various features of Canadian
communities and regions.
Language: Writing: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose.
Ontario Curricular Specific Expectations and Achievement Chart Categories
(Numbers from documents and details) selected & listed from the Ont. Curriculum, (refined when necessary): realistic number of expectations (1 or 2), connect to
assessment. Indicate category in brackets beside specific expectation :Knowledge and Understanding( K ) Thinking (T); Communication (C); Application(A)
Social Studies: A 1.2 Evaluate some of the contributions that various ethnic groups have made to Canadian identity.
Language: Writing: 1.4 Sort and classify information for their writing in a variety of ways that allow them to view information from
different perspectives and make connections between ideas.
Learning Goals Discuss with students: What will I be learning today? (Clearly identify what students are expected to know and be able to do, in language that
students can readily understand.)
Today I will learn: (Social Studies)
- Which early explorers came to Canada
- Why early explorers came to Canada
- What it was like when early explorers came over to Canada
Today I will learn: (language)
- To gather and organize information from a paragraph about early explorers.
STEP 2: ASSESSMENT
Purpose of the lesson (indicate purpose for this lesson/assessment) [ x ] FOR [ ] AS [ ] OF

Success Criteria Discuss with students: How will I know I have learned what I need to learn? (Clearly identify the criteria to assess student’s learning: evidence of
learning students will provide to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and thinking, in language that students can readily understand). Indicate the Achievement Chart
criteria.
Social Studies
Learning goal 1:
I can …
 name the early explorers that came to Canada (Jacque Cartier, Samuel de Champlain)
Learning goal 2:
I can …
 List why explorers came to Canada; they were looking for new land and resources
 Name which resources they were looking for
Learning goal 3:
I can …
 Describe the explorer's relationship with Indigenous peoples
 Describe the explorers experience when they arrived in Canada
Language
I can:
- Highlight each question in a different colour
- Read the paragraph and highlight the answer to the questions with their corresponding colours
- Write a brief answer (jot note) to the questions from my highlighted answers
Assessment Mode- Written, Oral, Assessment Strategy and Task for Students- Assessment Tool - Instrument used to
Performance (Write, Say, Do) What are the students doing to show their learning? assess; Record Keeping format
Written Students will be working on the comprehension Record keeping format.
sheet. Here they are answering the questions I will be walking around the classroom
about three explorers by high lightening the observing if students are completing the
answer in the paragraph. comprehension sheet and are able to find
the information from the questions in the
paragraph about that explorer.
STEP 3: CONSIDERATIONS FOR PLANNING
Prior Learning: Prior to this lesson, students will have
Student will have prior knowledge from grade 3; communities in Canada 1780-1850 and grade 5; First Nations and Europeans in New
France and Early Canada.
I.E.P. program implications: Accommodations, Modifications
Students on IEP may need read the questions and paragraph to them; provide additional support if needed
Differentiation: Content, Process, Product, Environment, Assessment
Proximity to the teacher. If students need a quiet place to work on worksheet, I will provide that for them
Learning Skills/Work Habits: [ ] responsibility, [ ] organization, [ ] independent work, [ ] collaboration, [ ] initiative, [ ] self-regulation
Independent Work: uses class time appropriately to complete tasks.
Initiative: looks for and acts on new ideas and opportunities for learning.
Self-regulation: seeks clarification or assistance when needed.
Vocabulary: (for word wall addition or reference and/or to develop schema for this lesson. To be addressed in lesson)
Explorers
Settlers
John Cabot
Jacques Cartier
Samuel de Champlian
Resources and Materials /Technology Integration: List ALL items necessary for delivery of the lesson. Include any attachments of student worksheets used
and teacher support material that will support communication of instruction. Include the use of Information Technology (ICT) in your lesson plan where appropriate.
Grade 6 Social Studies Curriculum
Projector, computer [for PP slide]
Comprehension sheet, 5 different colour markers
Three Part Lesson Identify what the students are expected to think about or do.
What Teachers Do: Write the lesson description with enough What Students do: Identify what the students are expected to
detail that another teacher could replicate the lesson without a think about or do (in terms of learning processes).
personal discussion. Prompts and guiding questions are
required in each section.
Minds on: Motivational Hook/engagement /Introduction (5-15 min)
Establish a positive learning environment, connect to prior learning, set the context for learning, pre-determine key questions to guide lesson.
Time: ___5mins_____ (Indicate time breakdown of instructional elements)
Receive students’ attention: “If you can hear me clap Student will follow the clap.
twice, if you can hear me clap once”

“Perfect, today we are going to be talking about early Students will raise their hands and suggest early explorers
explorers. Does anyone know any early explorers?” that came to Canada:
 “Samuel de Champlain: founded Quebec City”
 “Jacques Cartier: mapped St. Lawrence river”
 “Henry Hudson: English explorer, a river named after
“Great. Can you tell the class something about Samuel de him called the Hudson Bay.”
Champlain? Can you tell the class something about Jacque
Cartier?
Students will raise their hands]
“Why might explorers want to explore Canada?” Why might explorers come to Canada?
 “New lands”
  “Travel routes”
 “Natural resources such as gold and spices”
“Here is a short video. While watching the video I want
you to listen for 2 names.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch78RfDlQhA

“Who can give me one name they heard?” [Students will raise hands]
“Christopher Columbus”
“John Cabot”
“Samuel de Champlain”
“Excellent, let’s learn about some of these explorer” “Jacques Cartier”

Action: During /Working on it (time given for each component, suggested 15-40 min)
Focus is on student interactions with task/peers/teacher. Identify students/groups receiving teacher direction.
Time: ___40mins_____ (Indicate time breakdown of instructional elements)

[Show PP slide] Students will view PP slide displayed on overhead

“John Cabot was known for his voyage to North America in
1497. He was given an order from King Henry VII to seek
out to find and discover new land for England.”

“Who would like to read the next point?”
“Why do you think he ended up in North America or
Canada and not Asia?”
(Because there were no maps or even compasses at this
time. Explorer just had a goal on where they wanted to go,
but would end up somewhere totally different)
Students will raise hands
Student will read: “His goal was to sail to Asia, so he left
Europe sailing west but instead he arrived in North America
(Canada) and their he claimed land for England.
[Want students to be thinking; that there were no maps at
this time or even a compass, so navigation was hard, they
would go where the wind and the sea took them]

“In 1498, it is said that John Cabot went missing on this

voyage to North America, where it is said he was travelling
with many things like cloth and lace, to trade with the
Indigenous people that resided on the land already.”

“Let’s take a look at Jacques Cartier, what is one thing we

know about Cartier already?” Students will raise hands
“he founded the St. Lawrence river”
“Right, but there are other things he explored when he
was traveling.”

“In 1534 he received an order from the King of France

(King Francis I), to go discover certain islands and land
where it is said there was a great quantity of gold and
other precious resources to be found.”
[Students will raise hands]
“would someone like to read the next point” Students will raise hands
Student reads:
“Cartier sailed to the island of Newfoundland, where he
“Did or does anyone remember learning about the
Mi’kmaq in grade 3 or 5?” came in contact with the Mi’kmaq (Micmac)”

Student think back: [want them to think about what group

“Cartier’s journal passage has come to be the earliest in they were from; algonquin nation.]
recorded Canadian history of the first encounter with
Indigenous people.”

“I am going to read you a bit of his passage and I want to

think about it and as I’m reading think about the words
and how he describes the people on the land.”

“There are people on this coast whose bodies are fairly

well formed, but they are wild and savage folk. They wear
their hair tied up on top of their heads like a handful of
twisted hay, with a nail or something of the sort passed
through the middle, and into it they weave a few bird’s
feathers. They clothe themselves with the skins of
animals, both men as well as women, but the women are
wrapped up more closely and snugly in their skins; and
have a belt at their waists. They paint themselves with
certain tan colours. They have canoes made of birch bark
in which they go about, and from which they catch many
seals. Since seeing them, I have been informed that their
home is not at this place but that they come from warmer
Students think [want students to be thinking about how
countries to catch these seals and to get other food for
Cartier described how the Mi’kmaq dressed the way they
their sustenance.”
wore their hair. how they painted their skin tan, what he
“What are your thoughts about what i just read/ what did
called them]
you get from his passage?”

“why do you think he said they paint themselves with Students will raise hands (want students to think)
certain tan colour?” “He has not seen people of colour before”
“That they don’t look like him”
“Right, because he has not been around people of colour
he assumed that they had painted themselves, not that,
that was their actual skin colour.”

“What he did was, he brought back Beaver fur to France

which became very popular and had traders interested in
Canada.”
“Therefore, he brought the traders with him back to
Canada on his next voyage”

“Let’s talk about Samuel de Champlain”

“Champlain in 1603 travelled the St. Lawrence river, where

he met the Montagnais.”
“During this time the Montagnais were celebrating a
victory over the rivals the Iroquois, the chief of the
Montagnais allowed Samuel to join in the celebration and
established territory but with no land title”

“What does no land title mean?” Students will raise hands

“Right, he had no claim over the land that he was a guest.” “could not have the land”
“no claim of the land”
“who would like to read the next point?”
Students will raise hands
Student will read:
“Stadacona is where Cartier first arrived but the Stadacona “Then Champlain arrived at the St. Lawrence valley in 1608
(Iroquoians) started to disappear, so when Samuel got and resided on the site of Stadacona.”
there it was uninhabited.”

Student thinking:
“does anyone have a guess why they disappeared?” “why did they start to disappear?”
“well it is said that from when the French came they
brought diseases that were unknown to the Indigenous [want students to think of illness]
people, and they ended up becoming ill and dying.”
“He was the first explorer to form an alliance with the First
Nations.”
“In 1609, he joined the Odawa and Wendat war party
against the Iroquois.”
Cam and Caleb answer: “the founder of New France and
“As well Cam and Caleb he is?” Quebec.”
 Founded New France and Quebec.

“Henry Hudson was an English explorer, who had a total of four

voyages, His orders were to find a route to Asia, he did this twice
and was unsuccessful.” Students will raise their hands
“who would like to read the next point?” Students will read:
“His third voyage brought him to the new world (Canada) where
“on this voyage he was given instruction to search for the the river he took to get there was named after him.”
Northwest passage, but he ended up sailing to Canada, where he
found it full of wildlife and met some of the Indigenous people
who resided along the shores of the land. As well he took notice
to the enormous amount of wildlife there was”

“On his fourth voyage he discovered a body of water that later

became Hudson Bay.”
“Then in 1610 Henry Hudson along with his son and other crew
member found themselves being sent out to sea in a small boat,
because he crew took over his ship and cast him out”

 He was a determined explorer, which led other

explorers to continue his journey and discover more of
North America.

“I have a comprehension worksheet that you are going to

work on, it is about these three explorers that we have
talked about, and what I am going to get you to do it this.”
“we are going to do the first on together, you are going to
need to have 5 different coloured markers, because
instead of writing the answer you are going to highlight it
in the paragraph.”

“Question 2 is already done in pink, and when we look at Student will raise hands
the paragraph the answer is highlighted in what colour?” student will answer:
“pink”

“why?” “because the question is pink”

[choose student]
“what does question 2 say?” Student will read:
“In what year did England win Acadia?”
“who can tell me the answer for that question?” “1710 they won”

“how do you know?” “because the answer is highlighted in pink like the question”
“Let’s write a brief jot for the answer in the space
provided”
“right, what about question 3?” Student reads:
“Why were the French Acadians moved?” “I think the
question is supposed to be why did they move”

“what colour is 3 in?”

“blue”
“is it the same as 2?”
“no”
“right, what is the answer for that one?”
“because they had to be loyal and faithful to England and
they didn’t want to be, so they left”
“what about question 4?”
“Where were the Acadians sent?”
“the answer is?”
“they were sent to settle in the south of the United States in
Louisiana.”
“Let’s do question 5, I will pick yellow marker to highlight
my answer”
“the question is why did the Acadians move to Louisiana?”
“because the English made them leave Acadian in 1755”
“last question, let’s do this one in orange what are the
Acadians called today?” “Cajun people”
“and what colour are we highlighting in?”
“orange”
“perfect, does everyone understand what they are doing
for the last three people that we just talked about, Samuel
de Champlain, John Cabot, and Jacques Cartier.”

“how many colour markers or highlighters?”

“5”
“I will be collecting this worksheet so please use your time
wisely so that you can complete before the periods ends Students will begin their work sheets.
and that your name is on the paper.”

I will be walking around the classroom assisting any

students that need help, and trying to keep them to stay
on track and finish the worksheet.

“Stadacona is where Cartier first arrived but the Stadacona

(Iroquoians) started to disappear, so when Samuel got
there it was uninhabited.”

“does anyone have a guess why they disappeared?”

“well it is said that from when the French came they
brought diseases that were unknown to the Indigenous
people, and they ended up becoming ill and dying.”
“He was the first explorer to form an alliance with the First
Nations.”
“In 1609, he joined the Odawa and Wendat war party
against the Iroquois.”

“As well Cam and Caleb he is?”

 Founded New France and Quebec.

“I have a comprehension worksheet that you are going to

work on, it is about these three explorers that we have
talked about, and what I am going to get you to do it this.”
“we are going to do the first on together, you are going to
need to have 5 different coloured markers, because
instead of writing the answer you are going to highlight it
in the paragraph.”

“Question 2 is already done in pink, and when we look at

the paragraph the answer is highlighted in what colour?”

“why?”

Consolidation & Connection (Reflect and Connect) (5-15 min.)

Help students demonstrate what they have learned, provide opportunities for consolidation and reflection. Close the assessment loop.
Time: __20 mins______ (Indicate time breakdown of instructional elements)

History of Canada: card game.

Early Explorers: Students will be in their groups and begin to answer the question
1. Samuel de Champlain was sent to explore and among themselves so other groups don’t hear their answers.
colonize the newly-discovered North America.
What country sent him? answer: France Each group will write down their answers on a small sheet of paper
 2. How many trips did Jacques Cartier make to provided. The sheet will be numbered for questions 1 to 6.
Canada: one, two, or three? answer: three
3. What region of Canada did Henry Hudson
explore in the 1600’s? answer: Artic
4. What disease, which killed many early
explorers, was caused by a lack of Vitamin C?
answer: Scurry
5. What did Jacques Cartier erect on the shores
of the St. Lawrence River: a cross, a flag, or a
statue of the King of France? Answer: Cross
6. Who was the first of the modern explorers to
attempt to over-winter in Canada? Answer:
Jacques Cartier
I will give groups 5 mins to write their answers down.
When the 5 mins is up, students will hand their sheet to me and
it will be used as an exit ticket – to demonstrate their knowledge
and understanding of the lesson.

After class I will tally up the points for each group and write it on
the board for the students to see which group has the most
points.

Extension Activities/Next Steps (where will this lesson lead to next)

Cases studies of early explorers.

Personal Reflection - Choose at least one question from each area that best allows you reflect on this lesson. Questions should
vary over the week and specific plans.
Learner Empowerment
1. How did students show understanding of
expectations?
2. How did my lesson transform students from
“passive listeners” to “active participants”?
3. Was my behavior management technique
effective? Why?
4. Were students able to transition to the next
activity successfully?
5. How does the lesson provide a meta-
cognitive opportunity for students to address
their own learning?
 Instructional Strategy
1. Was my motivational technique (hook)
effective? Why?
2. What will I do to improve questions?
Was a balance between teacher and
student talk evident?
3. How did the task provide a Rich
Performance opportunity or other way
of actively demonstrating knowledge?
4. How did I provide modeling, guided &/or
independent practice?
5. Was my behavior management
technique effective? Why?
6. Were students able to transition to the
next activity successfully?

Professional Educator
1. What factors may have influenced the success of
this lesson? Did I note and respond to these elements
appropriately?
2 How might I improve the effectiveness of my
teaching for my next lesson?
3 What additional proactive management step(s)
should be considered for subsequent lessons? Why?
4 What did I learn from this lesson about my own
effectiveness as a teacher (strengths and areas for
future improvement of communication, planning,
differentiation, implementation and classroom
organization, management, assessment)?
5 How is my growth as a professional being
demonstrated?