CBC Archives

Beginning in the 1950s, the federal government chose to take on the role of educating Inuit children in Canada’s North. They sent children away from their families to residential schools in southern Canada. The effect of this massive life change was the breakdown of the Inuit family, assimilation of the Inuit into the dominant Canadian culture, and the loss of Inuit culture.

Ask students to bring copies of newspapers to class. Have them read a variety of types of writing and describe the characteristics of each. If necessary, review the structure of each type. For example, explain that an editorial provides an opinion on a topic, a feature is an in-depth analysis of a topic, and a news article reports the facts and answers the 5Ws.

In groups of four, students will create a newspaper supplement based on the information they find on the topic An Inuit Education on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Have students examine the topic in depth, then brainstorm in their groups what kinds of writing and art they would like to include in their supplement. They might include an editorial, a feature, a timeline, an editorial cartoon, a news story, and so on.

Have students show and explain elements of their supplements and explain how they chose their topics and writing formats. Leave all supplements in the classroom for all students to examine.