Grade 7 Canadian History: Learning Through Literature
By completing this project, the student will meet targets from the following curriculum
areas:
History: Inquiry/Research and Communication Skills
Language Arts: Reading, Oral Communication, Media Literacy, Writing
Information Studies: Inquiry and Research
Essential question (the So What?): How can digging into past history help us today
and tomorrow?
Knowledge and Understanding
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can read a wide variety of texts: narrative, graphic and informational.
can demonstrate understanding by summarizing and citing a variety of details.
can begin to identify the stages of the research process.
know the difference between primary and secondary sources.
demonstrate understanding of the time period/event I chose.
Thinking and Inquiry
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can develop questions to help me to guide my research.
can analyze, synthesize and evaluate different points of view.
can evaluate Internet websites for authority and relevance.
can reflect on strategies that helped me to complete my project.
can choose artifacts that are significant to the novel and the historical event
Communication
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can organize my information in a variety of ways.
can show my ideas using appropriate visual aids.
can orally communicate my ideas clearly to my audience.
can use conventions appropriately.
can use appropriate vocabulary.
Application
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I can use online databases and the school library catalogue to help me find
information.
I can write a bibliography using simple conventions.
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I can keep track of the resources that I used to find the answers to my research
questions.
I can search the Internet using keywords, phrases and Boolean language.
I can use primary and secondary sources to help me find the answers to my research
questions.
I can demonstrate insight into the historical time/event through role-play.
Have you ever been to a museum? What was it like? What did you find out when
you looked at the displays?
You are a museum curator at the Banwell Road Canadian Historical Museum.
Your task is to create an exhibit based on the 19th Century Canadian Historical
Novel of your choice. You will create your exhibit using the information from the
novel, researching the time period and the events. Your exhibit will include an
original poster of the novel your choice and artifacts developed from your
research: maps, letters, diaries, photos, sketches, music, art, all related to the
story and the time period. You will share your display by role-playing the main
character of your novel. Your role play has the purpose of teaching others
about the historical period and event in Canadian history and convincing people
to read your novel.
Your museum display will be visited by students and teachers from the junior
division and interested parents/guardians and relatives.
After the display you will be prepared to answer the guiding question: How can
digging into past history help us today and tomorrow?
Your final product will consist of:
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An original poster showing the title and author of the book, illustrated with a scene
from the story.
Five to seven artifacts based upon your novel and your research.
Artifact labels which are clearly typed or printed.
Oral presentation at the museum display.
Due date for project: _________________________
Stage 1 – Preparing for Research (Wonder and Explore)
Part 1:
 Go over the project with your teacher. Complete the handout Understanding the
Assignment.
 Listen carefully to the book talk about the Canadian novels.
 Select a novel that you would like to read for this project. If you are not ‘hooked’
after the first few pages, try another until you find the right book for you.
 Read your novel. Use the sticky notes to keep track of interesting place names,
historical events, dates and people.
 Prepare a Research Portfolio.
Part 2:
 On a KWL chart, list what you know about the events, time and people of your time
period, using the information from your sticky notes and from what you have learned
in the unit. List what you would like to learn and where you think you can look to find
the information.
 Participate in the lesson about developing research questions. Complete the
handout: Think Deeper: Developing Research and Inquiry Questions.
 Make sure that one of your questions is “What impact did this event have on
people?”
 After you have completed the Student Scoring Chart, conference with your teacher.
Due Date for Stage 1: ___________________________________
Stage 2 – Accessing Resources (Search and Select)
 Participate in the lesson on using online databases (Knowledge Ontario, ELibrary
Elementary).
 Participate in the lesson Focusing Your Search. Complete the handout Thinking
About Your Search: Focusing Your Search to develop the key words to help you find
the answers to your research questions.
 Using your textbook, the Student Reference Portal, the online databases and the
Internet, find both primary and secondary sources of information. You must use all
four sources for resources and find at least one primary source and one
secondary source about your topic. Your teacher and teacher-librarian have
compiled a list of suggested web-sites and online database resources to help you
find the best resources. Use Boolean search terms to help in your search.
 Record the resources that you found on either the Print Resources or Web-Based
Resources Log.
 Complete the handout Ask For Someone’s Opinion and then conference with your
teacher or teacher librarian.
Due Date for Stage 2: ______________________________________
Stage 3: Processing Resources
 Participate in the lesson Evaluating Resources. Choose one of your resources that
you found on your own and evaluate it by completing the handout Be Information
Wise: Evaluating Websites. Make a decision based on your evaluation of whether or
not the resource should be used for your project.
 Complete an Information map about your topic for each resource that you will use to
answer your research question. Be sure to include your source of information on the
map.
 Make sure that your questions are being answered. Also think about how you will
share the information – make sure that you collect the facts that you need!
 List the types of artifacts that you will develop for your museum display based on
the information you are finding.
 Complete the handout Stage 3: Think and Connect Student Scoring Chart and then
conference with your teacher or teacher librarian by sharing your handout and
information maps.
Due Date for Stage 3: ________________________________
Stage 4: Transferring your Learning (Create and Share)
 Create your novel museum (see page 1 for details).
 When developing your poster and artifacts, think about your ideas, purpose and
audience.
 When you are ready to revise think about the traits of voice, organization and
sentence fluency.
 When you are ready to edit, think about conventions. Use the handout Editing:
Checking It Once, Checking It Twice to help you.
 Prepare your oral presentation. Use the handout Presentation Checklist to help.
 Watch the teacher’s presentation and rate his presentation using the handout
Rating Scale for Oral Presentation Participate in the class discussion about what
makes a good presentation. Practice your presentation with a partner. Use the
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handout and rate each other’s presentation. Discuss what went well and what needs
improvement and work together to make your presentations better.
Participate in the lesson Documenting Your Sources. Use the Resources Logs you
created in Stage 2 and create your bibliography using one of the citation tools on
the Student Reference Portal or go to www.noodletools.com
Or www.easybib.com Use the handout List of Resources to make sure that your
resources are correctly formatted.
Attach your bibliography to the back of your poster.
Present your novel museum to the visiting students.
After your presentation, complete the writing prompts below:
 I am proud of…
 Things I did well…
 Things I would like to have done better…
 Some problems…
 Next time I will…
 Answer the So What? question: How can digging into past history help us today and
tomorrow?
Extending the project: Invite an author who writes historical fiction to discuss the
importance of research in preparing to write.
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Novel Museum Rubric
Name:____________________________ Title of Book:___________________________________
Author___________________________ Event: ___________________________________
Level 4
80-100
Level 3
70-79
Level 2
60-69
50-59
- thorough understanding and
knowledge was demonstrated
- understanding and knowledge was
demonstrated
-demonstrates thorough understanding
by summarizing and citing a variety of
details.
-demonstrates understanding by summarizing -demonstrates some understanding by
and citing a variety of details.
summarizing and citing a variety of
details.
-demonstrates little understanding by
summarizing and citing a variety of
details.
- all artifacts were appropriate to
both the novel and the historical
event
- most artifacts were appropriate to
both the novel and the historical event
- some artifacts were appropriate
to both the novel and the
historical event
- few artifacts were appropriate
to both the novel and the
historical event
- organized information in several
different ways
- graphics and visuals were
intriguing, colourful, spaced,
creative and contributed
thoroughly to the key ideas
-oral communication was clear,
coherent and skillful
-all or almost all conventions used
appropriately
-used vocabulary that was clearly
appropriate to the historical time
period/event
- organized information in many
different ways
- graphics and visuals were colourful,
spaced, creative and contributed to the
key ideas
- organized information in
different ways
- graphics and visuals were
somewhat colourful and spaced
and contributed somewhat to the
key ideas
-oral communication was
somewhat clear and coherent
-some conventions used
appropriately
-used vocabulary that was
somewhat appropriate to the
historical time period/event
- organized information in few
ways
- graphics and visuals were
poorly spaced, lacking in colour
and did little to contribute to
key ideas
-oral communication was
lacking in clarity and coherence
-few conventions used
appropriately
-used vocabulary that was
appropriate to the historical
time period/event
- thorough insight into the
historical event through role-play
- insight into the historical event
through role-play
- some insight into the historical
event through role-play
- little insight into the historical
event through role-play
- bibliography was complete and
correctly formatted with little or
no errors or omissions
- bibliography was complete and
formatted with few errors or
omissions
- bibliography was somewhat
complete and formatted with
several errors or omissions
- bibliography was incomplete
and/or incorrectly formatted
with errors and/or omissions
Comments:
-oral communication was clear and
coherent
-most conventions used appropriately
-used vocabulary that was appropriate
to the historical time period/event
- some understanding and
knowledge was demonstrated
Level 1
- little understanding and
knowledge was demonstrated