You have been given a simple open-ended group assignment - to Research a First Nations Group, prepare a presentation and present it.
Grade 9 Socials studies focuses on how the Aboriginal peoples lived before Europeans arrived and what happened to them after they made contact.
Approach this project with an open mind. What aspects of life can you explore?
You will have way too many possibilities, so your job is to create a focus. Here is a tried and true method.
1. Think about your audience. Do they want you to stand up there and read pages and pages of boring stuff? NO! They don’t want boring power points or boring posters or skits or boring videos either.
2. They want something interesting. The secret is in your ideas, NOT the tricks and technology.
3. How to find good ideas? Take out a paper and pen and a big question mark. Scan books & the terrific online sites chosen for you. ( Don’t wander aimlessly online)
4. As you read collect Questions –NOT a bunch of random facts (how do you know they will be useful?)
5. Here are some sample questions - make up more!
- Where did your first Nation get a source of vitamin C when there were no oranges?
- Did 15-year-olds marry and have children?
- Did your Nation create works of art? Why or why not?
- Why were the people wearing wild animal skins in one photo and European clothes another?
- How did some First Nations save the Europeans from starving to death?
- Why did they live by a river?
- No internet? What did they do for entertainment?
6. Get together with your group, compare questions and decide on a general theme for your presentation and a list of questions you will answer. You may want to ask your audience to participate. Submit a plan to your teacher for approval.
7. Now start your research to find specific details. What search words are best in a Google search, the indexes of books and encyclopedias?
8. Don’t forget to give credit to the people whose ideas you are using – use Citation Machine – it is so easy.
