Home · For Teachers · Who Am I?
6-8
Who Am I?
Project type: Assignment
Related topic:
Rethinking Riel
Rethinking Riel
Subjects
Social Studies
Summary
Students role-play historical figures and challenge their classmates to guess who they are portraying.
Duration
2 lessons
Purpose
To gather information, in context, about a person of historical significance
Before Exploring
Ask students what they know about the main events of the two rebellions Riel led, the 1870 Red River Rebellion and the1885 Northwest Rebellion. Who are the historical figures involved? Have students identify the location of each rebellion, and the causes and results of each. Record the information on the board.
Outline the Opportunity
Direct students to the topic Rethinking Riel on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. For this activity, students should focus on clips 1, 2, and 3. Students will research the main causes, events, and results of each rebellion.
Select several students and ask each to choose one of the following historical figures to research and present a brief role-play to the rest of the class:
Louis Riel, John A. Macdonald, Thomas Scott, Colonel Garnet Wolseley, Marguerite Monet, Gabriel Dumont, Major General Frederick Middleton, Big Bear, Poundmaker, Riel Defence Committee, Jack Henderson.
Students will not tell their classmates who they are, but will offer the class a series of clues to his or her identity. The clues should be numbered from 1 to 10 and given from the most to the least challenging.
Select several students and ask each to choose one of the following historical figures to research and present a brief role-play to the rest of the class:
Louis Riel, John A. Macdonald, Thomas Scott, Colonel Garnet Wolseley, Marguerite Monet, Gabriel Dumont, Major General Frederick Middleton, Big Bear, Poundmaker, Riel Defence Committee, Jack Henderson.
Students will not tell their classmates who they are, but will offer the class a series of clues to his or her identity. The clues should be numbered from 1 to 10 and given from the most to the least challenging.
Revisit and Reflect
Have students present their role-plays. How many clues does the class need to identify each historical figure? Which figures are easiest to identify? What did you learn about the rebellions from listening to the role-plays? Record any information on the board. Ask students how they would characterize the various historical figures they researched and/or role-played in this activity, and how significant they believe them to be in Canadian history.
Extension
Students can research, prepare, and present a more in-depth assignment on the life and times of one of the historical figures involved in the Riel Rebellions of either 1870 or 1885, and present it to the class.
