Learn how Canada became a country in 1867
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Week of Mar. 23/26
This lesson plan will teach your beginner ESL students the names and significance of common landmarks in Canadian cities. Activities include vocabulary building, a short video, discussions, and reflection questions to help students articulate their…
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Lesson plan overview
| Task | To learn how Canada became a country in 1867. |
| CLB level | CLB Stage I (CLB 2-4) |
| Delivery method | Online |
| Class size | 10-15 students (vary the number of activities according to your class size) |
| Estimated time | 1.5 hours (depending on class size) |
| CLB Skills and Competencies | Speaking: Interacting with others Sharing information Listening: Interacting with others Comprehending information Reading: Comprehending information |
| Language focus | Learn the vocabulary needed to understand this topic. Use the appropriate grammar structures and vocabulary to respond personally to the reflection questions. (Encourage students to respond in full sentences.) |
| Cultural focus | Students understand some of the history of Canadian Confederation (and why we celebrate July 1 as our national day). |
| Specific task learning objectives | Beginning ESL students learn some basic facts about Canada’s history in the Discover Canada study guide. Students learn some facts about Canadian Confederation in 1867 and when each province joined Confederation. Students share information about any colonial experiences in their home countries. |
| ESL Directions original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities? | This lesson includes original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities. |
| Resource attribution | ESL Directions original resources are marked below with an asterisk (*). Feel free to use these, but please give credit to ESL Directions. |
Notes for ESL teachers and students:
This is a shortened and simplified version of some of the information in Canada’s citizenship study guide (intended to introduce this topic to beginner ESL students).
Students who are eligible to write the citizenship test should consult the Government of Canada’s full official guide, Discover Canada: The rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Please check Discover Canada for any content changes made since this webpage was created.
Lesson plan
Warm-up: Introducing the topic and defining our terms
- Today, we’re going to learn about Canadian Confederation (when Canada became a country).
- What is a province? Can you name some Canadian provinces?
- What does it mean to “join Confederation”?
- Does anyone know which provinces joined Confederation in 1867? Which provinces joined later?
Skill-building activities
- Vocabulary flashcards*
- Let’s review the vocabulary and definitions* 🔊 (Pay attention to the order, pronunciation, and spelling of each word or phrase. Think about what the definitions mean.)
Skill-using activities
FEATURED CONTENT
- Canadian Confederation* 🎥
- Listen to and read a passage about Canadian Confederation*🔊 (This activity also includes comprehension questions.)
- Label each province with the date they joined Confederation*
Assessment/review tasks
- Vocabulary quiz*
- Spin the wheel* (Tell us what you know about each word or phrase.)
Reflection questions
- Tell us three new words you learned today.
- What is Canadian Confederation? When was Confederation?
- Who were the Fathers of Conferation and what did they want?
- Do you celebrate Canada Day? If you do, how do you celebrate it?
- Does your home country have a national day like Canada Day? Why do you celebrate that day? How do you celebrate that day?
- Were any of your home countries colonies of another country? What was that experience like for your countries?
RELATED PAGES
Introducing Canadian citizenship
This page provides simplified and shortened lesson plans for beginner ESL students on topics related to Canadian citizenship. The page is…
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History: The first Europeans
Intended as an introduction to Canada’s citizenship guide for ESL beginners, this lesson plan focuses on the history of several of…
Keep readingCANADA YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
Click the small arrow at the top right of this video to play the videos or go to the YouTube Canada Playlist.
CANADA WORDWALL ACTIVITIES
Wordwall is a very useful interactive lesson-creation site. If you sign up for a free Wordwall account, you will be able to see our “Canada” folder, which includes ESL Directions activities that you can add to your lessons.
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ABOUT ESL DIRECTIONS
ESL teacher, movie buff, constant reader, and former editor and communications pro. Now a graduate of the Teaching English as a Second Language program at the University of Manitoba and an ESL teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, I specialize in teaching online classes of beginner ESL students.
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