History & Geography · Grade 7

Active learning ideas

Motivations for French Exploration

Active learning helps students grasp the complexities of French exploration by moving beyond textbook summaries to firsthand engagement with historical decision-making and relationships. This topic requires students to consider multiple perspectives, and role-play and collaborative tasks make those perspectives tangible and memorable.

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

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Council of 1608

Students take on roles as Champlain, a fur trader, a Jesuit missionary, and a King's official to debate where to establish the next settlement. They must prioritize factors like defense, trade access, and soil quality to reach a consensus.

Analyze the primary motivations for French exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: Motivations for Migration, require students to cite specific historical evidence when discussing economic, religious, or political motives.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were a French monarch in the 17th century, which motivation, economic gain, religious expansion, or political power, would be your highest priority for North American exploration, and why?' Facilitate a class debate where students defend their chosen priority using evidence from the lesson.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Explorer Logbooks

Pairs analyze primary source excerpts from Champlain's journals to identify his first impressions of the land and its people. They create a 'missing page' that reflects the perspective of an Indigenous person watching the French arrive.

Differentiate between the goals of French monarchs and private trading companies.

What to look for

Provide students with a graphic organizer with three columns: Economic, Religious, Political. Ask them to list specific actions or goals of French explorers and settlers under the appropriate motivation. Review responses to identify any misconceptions about the primary drivers.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Motivations for Migration

Students individually rank the three main reasons for French colonization (God, Gold, Glory). They then compare their rankings with a partner to discuss which factor was most influential in the long-term survival of the colony.

Evaluate the long-term impact of early French claims on Indigenous territories.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one sentence explaining the main goal of a French trading company and one sentence explaining the main goal of a French missionary. Collect these to gauge understanding of differing motivations.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing French exploration as a collaborative effort rather than a solo endeavor. Avoid presenting Champlain as the sole architect of success; instead, emphasize the networks of Indigenous knowledge and labor that made settlement possible. Research suggests students retain more nuance when they analyze primary sources, such as fur trade contracts or missionary journals, to uncover motivations.

Successful learning looks like students identifying the interconnected motivations behind French exploration and accurately describing the roles of both French settlers and Indigenous nations. Students should also recognize the limitations of a single-narrative perspective in colonial history.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation: Explorer Logbooks, watch for students crediting Champlain exclusively for the colony’s success.

  Direct students to include entries in their logbooks about the unnamed settlers, Indigenous guides, and allies whose labor and knowledge were essential.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share