Jesuits and Ursulines in New France

Active learning lets students step into the roles of historical figures, making the complex dynamics of New France tangible. When students act as missionaries or nuns, they confront the realities of cultural exchange, adaptation, and education in ways that reading alone cannot achieve.

• Grade 7
• History & Geography
• 4 activities
• 25 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

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

Hot Seat

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

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.

Prepare & details

Compare the roles and impacts of the Jesuits and Ursuline Nuns in the colony.

Facilitation Tip: During the role-play, provide a script outline but allow students to improvise based on their character’s letters or diaries to deepen empathy and historical accuracy.

Setup: One chair at the front, class facing it

Materials: Character research brief, Question preparation worksheet, Optional: simple costume/prop

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

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.

Prepare & details

Analyze Marie de l'Incarnation's legacy in establishing education for French and Indigenous girls in New France.

Facilitation Tip: For the gallery walk, place primary sources at eye level and include a mix of visuals, letters, and maps to engage different learners.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Hot Seat

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

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.

Prepare & details

Analyze the challenges faced by missionaries in adapting to Indigenous cultures.

Facilitation Tip: When building the timeline, assign each student a specific event to research, ensuring no gaps in coverage and fostering accountability.

Setup: One chair at the front, class facing it

Materials: Character research brief, Question preparation worksheet, Optional: simple costume/prop

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Hot Seat

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

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.

Prepare & details

Compare the roles and impacts of the Jesuits and Ursuline Nuns in the colony.

Facilitation Tip: In debate pairs, assign roles as either supportive or critical of missionary work to push students to consider multiple perspectives.

Setup: One chair at the front, class facing it

Materials: Character research brief, Question preparation worksheet, Optional: simple costume/prop

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should frame the topic as a study of cultural exchange and adaptation, not just evangelism. Avoid framing the Jesuits and Ursulines as purely heroic or villainous, as this oversimplifies their complex relationships with Indigenous communities. Research shows that focusing on primary sources and role-play helps students move beyond stereotypes to analyze historical actions with nuance.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining the differences between Jesuit and Ursuline missions while recognizing their shared educational goals. They should also articulate the challenges these groups faced and how their methods reflected both cultural adaptation and religious dedication.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Role-Play: Missionary Encounters, watch for students assuming Jesuits focused only on forced conversions.

What to Teach Instead

Use the role-play scripts to highlight how Jesuits prepared lessons, learned languages, and adapted their teaching methods to local cultures, as seen in their surviving catechism materials.

Common Misconception

During Gallery Walk: Primary Sources, watch for students assuming Ursulines educated only French girls.

What to Teach Instead

Have students examine Marie de l'Incarnation’s letters and student rosters in the primary sources, noting the names and backgrounds of Indigenous girls enrolled in the convent schools.

Common Misconception

During Debate Pairs: Legacy Impacts, watch for students claiming missionaries faced no real challenges adapting to Indigenous cultures.

What to Teach Instead

Use the debate structure to require students to cite specific evidence from letters or journals about illnesses, cultural clashes, or resistance encountered during their interactions.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Role-Play: Missionary Encounters, have students write a journal entry as either a Jesuit or Ursuline, describing their daily work and a challenge they faced. Collect entries and facilitate a class discussion comparing the similarities and differences in their experiences.

Quick Check

During Timeline Build: Collaborative Chain, circulate and check that students accurately identify at least two distinct roles and two shared goals of the Jesuits and Ursulines in their timeline entries.

Exit Ticket

After Gallery Walk: Primary Sources, ask students to write one contribution of Marie de l'Incarnation and one challenge faced by missionaries when interacting with Indigenous cultures to check their recall and understanding of key figures and conflicts.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to create a dialogue between a Jesuit and an Ursuline nun, incorporating at least three historical details from their roles to debate an issue like language use or educational methods.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide sentence stems during the role-play or debate, such as, 'As a Jesuit missionary, I struggled with... because...'
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare a modern-day mission (e.g., educational NGOs) to the historical models, examining how educational goals and cultural approaches have shifted or remained the same.

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.