Enemy Aliens & Internment in WWI

Active learning works because this topic demands perspective-taking and critical analysis of historical injustices that are often oversimplified. Students grapple with complex emotions and ethical questions when they examine real documents and images from the era, which helps them move beyond textbook summaries.

• Grade 10
• Canadian Studies
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze primary source documents to identify the stated and underlying reasons for the internment of 'enemy aliens' during WWI.
2. Evaluate the constitutionality and ethical implications of invoking the War Measures Act in the context of civil liberties.
3. Explain the long-term social, economic, and psychological impacts of internment on Ukrainian Canadian communities and other targeted groups.
4. Critique the role of wartime propaganda in shaping public perception and justifying discriminatory policies against immigrant groups.

Stations Rotation

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Enemy Alien Documents

Set up stations with registration forms, internment photos, propaganda posters, and survivor letters. Small groups spend 10 minutes per station noting evidence of prejudice and consequences, then share findings in a class gallery walk.

Prepare & details

Critique the justification for invoking the War Measures Act during WWI.

Facilitation Tip: When students map community impacts, ask them to mark both losses and acts of resilience to avoid a one-dimensional narrative.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 40 min·Pairs

Pairs Debate: War Measures Act Justifications

Assign pairs one side: defend or critique the Act's use. They review sources for 10 minutes, debate for 15 minutes, then switch sides to build nuance. Conclude with whole-class vote and reflection.

Prepare & details

Explain why specific immigrant groups were targeted as 'enemy aliens'.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 50 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Mock Internment Tribunal

Divide class into roles: government officials, internees, lawyers. Present cases using primary evidence, deliberate for 20 minutes, then vote on releases. Debrief on fairness and power dynamics.

Prepare & details

Assess the long-term consequences of internment for affected communities.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Individual: Community Impact Maps

Students research one internment site, map locations, and note personal stories. Add long-term effects like cultural stigma. Share digitally or on posters for class discussion.

Prepare & details

Critique the justification for invoking the War Measures Act during WWI.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing historical rigor with empathy, avoiding a sanitized version of events that overlooks trauma. They use primary sources to confront students with uncomfortable truths while modeling how to analyze bias in documents. Research suggests that simulations like tribunals are effective but must include debriefing to process emotions and prevent trivialization.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students questioning propaganda, debating conflicting narratives, and connecting historical policies to modern rights violations. They should articulate how fear and prejudice shaped government actions and personal lives during WWI.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Station Rotation: Enemy Alien Documents, watch for students assuming only Germans were targeted.

What to Teach Instead

Have pairs compare lists from different stations, noting the ethnic diversity of those labeled as enemy aliens, and ask them to summarize their findings for the class.

Common Misconception

During Pairs Debate: War Measures Act Justifications, watch for students believing internment was brief and harmless.

What to Teach Instead

Require each pair to cite at least one source that mentions the duration of detentions in their arguments, then share examples aloud to correct misconceptions collectively.

Common Misconception

During Mock Internment Tribunal, watch for students assuming the War Measures Act was always justified.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt students to review propaganda posters from the station rotation before the tribunal to ground their arguments in historical bias.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Pairs Debate, facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Considering the context of WWI, was the invocation of the War Measures Act a necessary measure to ensure national security, or was it an overreach of government power that violated fundamental rights? Provide specific evidence from your debate or research to support your position.'

Quick Check

During Station Rotation, provide students with a short excerpt from a WWI-era newspaper article or a propaganda poster. Ask them to identify the message being conveyed, the intended audience, and how it might have contributed to the perception of 'enemy aliens' in a written exit ticket before moving to the next station.

Exit Ticket

After Community Impact Maps, ask students to list one specific group targeted as 'enemy aliens' and explain one consequence of their internment on the exit ticket. Then, ask them to write one sentence connecting this historical event to a contemporary issue related to immigration or civil liberties.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to research a lesser-known internment camp and present their findings to the class.
• For students who struggle, provide a partially completed timeline template with key dates and events to scaffold their understanding of duration.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a guest speaker from a community affected by internment or have students write letters from the perspective of an internee.

Key Vocabulary

War Measures Act	A Canadian federal statute passed in 1914 that provided the government with broad powers to maintain security and order during wartime or insurrection.
Enemy Alien	A term used during WWI to describe immigrants living in Canada who were citizens of countries with which Canada was at war, primarily those from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany.
Internment Camp	Camps established by the Canadian government during WWI to detain individuals classified as 'enemy aliens,' where they faced harsh conditions, forced labor, and loss of property.
Propaganda	Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view, often used to demonize enemy nations and their citizens.