History & Geography · Grade 7 · New France: Growth and Conflict · Term 1

Jesuits and Ursulines in New France

Focus on the specific contributions of the Jesuits in missionary work and education, and the Ursuline Nuns in educating French and Indigenous girls and women in New France.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: New France and British North America, 1713–1800 - Grade 7

About This Topic

The Jesuits and Ursulines shaped New France through dedicated missionary and educational efforts. Jesuits traveled deep into Indigenous territories to establish missions, teach catechism, and run schools for boys, often facing harsh wilderness conditions. Ursuline nuns, under leaders like Marie de l'Incarnation, built convents such as in Quebec City to educate French settler girls and Indigenous girls and women, blending French curriculum with basic literacy and religious instruction.

This topic anchors the unit on New France's growth and conflict from 1713 to 1800. Students compare the Jesuits' focus on male evangelism and exploration with the Ursulines' emphasis on female education and cultural bridging. They analyze Marie de l'Incarnation's letters for her adaptive strategies and evaluate challenges like language differences and resistance from Indigenous communities, fostering skills in source analysis and perspective-taking.

Active learning benefits this topic greatly. Role-plays of missionary-Indigenous encounters or collaborative timelines of Ursuline achievements make abstract roles concrete. Students gain empathy for historical figures and retain details through hands-on debates on cultural adaptations.

Key Questions

1. Compare the roles and impacts of the Jesuits and Ursuline Nuns in the colony.
2. Analyze Marie de l'Incarnation's legacy in establishing education for French and Indigenous girls in New France.
3. Analyze the challenges faced by missionaries in adapting to Indigenous cultures.

Learning Objectives

• Compare the primary educational and missionary goals of the Jesuits and Ursuline Nuns in New France.
• Analyze Marie de l'Incarnation's specific contributions to establishing educational opportunities for girls.
• Evaluate the challenges missionaries faced when interacting with and adapting to Indigenous cultures.
• Explain the distinct roles the Jesuits and Ursulines played in the social and religious development of the colony.

Before You Start

Early European Exploration

Why: Students need a basic understanding of European explorers' arrival in North America to contextualize the establishment of New France.

Indigenous Peoples of North America

Why: Familiarity with the diverse cultures and societies of Indigenous peoples is essential for understanding missionary interactions and potential conflicts.

Key Vocabulary

Missionary	A person sent to spread religious beliefs, often involving teaching and charitable work in foreign lands.
Catechism	A summary of Christian doctrine, typically in question-and-answer form, used for religious instruction.
Convent	A community of nuns, typically living under religious vows, and the building they inhabit.
Indigenous Peoples	The original inhabitants of a land, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Jesuits focused only on forced conversions, ignoring education.

What to Teach Instead

Jesuits established schools and learned Indigenous languages for teaching. Role-plays help students explore dual roles, while source analysis reveals their adaptive methods beyond simple evangelism.

Common Misconception

Ursulines educated only French girls, excluding Indigenous women.

What to Teach Instead

They taught Indigenous girls alongside French ones, as seen in Marie de l'Incarnation's accounts. Gallery walks with primary sources let students uncover inclusive practices and discuss cultural exchanges.

Common Misconception

Missionaries had no real challenges adapting to Indigenous cultures.

What to Teach Instead

They faced resistance, illnesses, and worldview clashes. Debates encourage students to weigh evidence from letters, building nuanced views through peer arguments.

Active Learning Ideas

Role-Play: Missionary Encounters

Assign students roles as Jesuits, Ursulines, or Indigenous leaders. In small groups, they improvise dialogues based on key challenges like language barriers or curriculum adaptations. Groups perform for the class and reflect on impacts in a shared chart.

45 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Primary Sources

Display excerpts from Jesuit Relations and Marie de l'Incarnation's letters at stations. Students rotate in pairs, noting contributions and challenges on sticky notes. Conclude with whole-class synthesis of comparisons.

35 min·Pairs

Timeline Build: Collaborative Chain

In a circle, students add events from Jesuits and Ursulines timelines one by one, using string and cards. Each contributor explains the event's role or impact. Photograph the final chain for unit review.

30 min·Whole Class

Debate Pairs: Legacy Impacts

Pair students to debate which group had greater long-term influence on New France education. Provide evidence cards first, then switch sides. Vote and discuss with evidence.

25 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Historians specializing in religious history or Canadian colonial studies analyze primary source documents, like letters from missionaries, to understand past societal structures and cultural exchanges.
• Educational institutions today, such as universities with religious studies departments or historical societies, preserve and interpret the legacies of early educational orders like the Jesuits and Ursulines.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Pose this question to students: 'Imagine you are a Jesuit missionary and an Ursuline nun. Write a short journal entry (3-4 sentences) describing your daily work and a significant challenge you faced in New France.' Students can then share their entries and discuss similarities and differences.

Quick Check

Provide students with a Venn diagram template. Ask them to fill it in by comparing and contrasting the roles and impacts of the Jesuits and Ursulines in New France, listing at least two distinct points for each group and two shared points.

Exit Ticket

On an exit ticket, ask students to identify one specific contribution of Marie de l'Incarnation and one challenge faced by missionaries when interacting with Indigenous cultures. This checks their recall and understanding of key figures and conflicts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were the main contributions of Jesuits in New France?

Jesuits conducted missionary work among Indigenous nations, establishing remote missions and boys' schools. They documented cultures in Jesuit Relations, aiding French understanding. Students compare this to Ursulines by charting outreach methods and educational focuses for clearer contrasts.

How did Ursuline nuns contribute to education in New France?

Ursulines founded convents to teach reading, writing, and religion to French and Indigenous girls. Marie de l'Incarnation adapted lessons for Indigenous learners. Analyzing her letters helps students appreciate her legacy in promoting female literacy amid colonial challenges.

What challenges did missionaries face in New France?

Missionaries dealt with harsh climates, diseases, language barriers, and Indigenous skepticism toward Christianity. Jesuits trekked vast distances, while Ursulines navigated cultural norms. Timeline activities reveal how persistence shaped colonial growth despite setbacks.

How does active learning support teaching Jesuits and Ursulines?

Role-plays and gallery walks immerse students in historical perspectives, making roles vivid. Collaborative debates on legacies build evidence-based arguments, while hands-on timelines connect events chronologically. These methods boost retention, empathy, and analysis skills over lectures alone.