Virtual Museum Tour: Great Upper Canada Adventure (SydenhamDiscovery.ca)
Grade 7: British North America
Nicole de Boer
Expectations Covered:
 Outline the reasons for the early settlement of English Canada 7h22
 Explain key characteristics of life in English Canada from a variety of perspectives (e.g., family
life, economic and social life, the growth and development of early institutions, transportation,
relationships with First Nation peoples and French settlers) 7h23
Steps in Walking Through the Virtual Museum
1. Go to http://sydenhamdiscovery.ca/english/game_flash.asp. The following page will be
displayed:
2. Be sure to read all of the information on this screen and on all of the following screens. You will
learn a lot about the early settlers of Upper Canada by reading the information on your tour
through the museum. Then click the “next” button.
3. Throughout your tour, you will be given choices of what to do with your life. The first choice you
will encounter is whether or not you should leave Europe to settle in Upper Canada:
4. Don’t worry! If you make a wrong choice, the program will point you in the right direction so
that you can be successful.
5. Continue to read the information given to you and clicking the “next” button after you’ve read
through it all. You will make the trek across the ocean and eventually to Upper Canada.
6. Once you’ve made it to your plot of land along the Sydenham River, you will be directed to click
on the different trees in the picture to learn more about them.
7. After learning about the different types of trees on your land, you will be given three choices of
what to do next:
You have to choose which one of these three to do first, then second, and finally third. The trick
is to put them in the proper order. When you’ve decided on one of the three choices, you must
drag your choice to the barrel that says, “drop here.”
Don’t forget, if you make the wrong choice, you will be given another chance to make a
different choice.
8. Once you have planted your crops, cleared some land, and built a cabin, you will be asked to
choose a career. You will be given one of three choices:
If you choose to become a professional Farmer, go to step 9 and skip steps 10 and 11.
If you choose to become a Miller, go to step 10 and skip steps 9 and 11.
If you choose to become an Oil Prospector, go to step 11 and skip steps 9 and 10.
9. If you choose to become a professional Farmer, the next two screens will direct you to read
some important information about farming and growing wheat. On the third screen, you will be
given choices on how to grow wheat. You will put some of these choices in the correct order
into the barrel.
You won’t even need to drop some of the choices into the barrel because there is no need to
use them when harvesting wheat. Don’t forget to read the screens that follow once you have
placed your choices in the barrel in the correct order.
10. If you choose to become a Miller, you will read the first screen for some important information.
On the second screen, you will be asked to put some choices into order. These choices have to
do with how you will set up your mill. You will drag your choices over and plunk them into the
barrel.
You won’t need to drop some of the choices into the barrel because there is no need to use
them in the milling business. Finally, read the information on the pages that follow.
11. If you choose to become an Oil Prospector, you will read the first screen that comes up for some
important information. The second screen will show a map of the towns around the Sydenham
River.
You will be directed to hover your mouse over each of the four towns that are depicted on the
map. When you hover your mouse over each town, valuable information will be given about
that particular town. You will use this information to help you decide where you want to drill
your hole for oil. Once you have chosen the correct town, you will read the screen that follows.
12. Once you have finished with your career, you will be asked if you would like to try another
career. You may choose to do so or you may choose to stick with the career that you’ve got.
13. If you do choose to try another career, go back to step 9 (professional Farmer), 10 (Miller), or 11
(Oil Prospector) to help you through the new career.
14. If you decide that you are happy with your chosen career, then you will come to the following
screen:
On this screen, you will learn about the town post office and you will be given a choice of
sending a letter to someone that you know to tell that person about what you have learned
during this virtual tour.
Even though the program gives you a choice, I am not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must pick Choice 1 –
That’s a great idea!
15. Once you pick Choice 1, you will be given a choice of which postcard you would like to send. Pick
one of the four postcards.
16. On the next screen, you will have to choose which stamp you would like to use to mail your
postcard.
17. Once you click “next,” you will be directed to write a letter and email it to a friend. This is your
task to hand in to me, so you will actually be emailing your letter to me. I will be giving you a
temporary email (that I will create specifically for this purpose).
In your letter, you will write about what you have learned on your virtual tour through the
life of an early settler of Upper Canada. You will take on the role of the early settler and write
to your friends or family in Europe about why you left Europe in the first place. Secondly, you
will write about the key characteristics of your life along the Sydenham River. You will talk
about the early years when you had to clear the land, build a cabin, and plant some crops for
food. Explain why you had to do these things. You will also write about your career(s),
explaining how it/they work(s).
18. Once you hit “send,” you will be directed to a screen that will ask you if you would like to send
another postcard. You may do so if you have time left. This time you can send your postcard to
whomever you like. Keep in mind that you will have to write a new message.
19. If you go with Choice 2 – No Thanks, you will be taken to the final screen of the virtual tour.
Read this screen and then you are done!