The Quebec Conference (1864) and 72 ResolutionsActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of the Quebec Conference by moving beyond dates and names to the real work of negotiation and compromise. Students engage directly with primary sources and debates, making the abstract concept of federalism tangible and the political stakes visible.
Learning Objectives
- 1Analyze the primary components and compromises within the 72 Resolutions of the Quebec Conference.
- 2Compare and contrast the division of powers proposed between the federal government and provincial governments.
- 3Evaluate the extent to which the 72 Resolutions addressed the diverse concerns of the colonies present at the Quebec Conference.
- 4Explain the significance of the 72 Resolutions as a foundational document for Canadian Confederation.
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Role-Play: Negotiating Resolutions
Assign students roles as delegates from specific provinces with position cards on key issues like representation and railways. Hold a 20-minute debate on three resolutions, then vote and record compromises. Debrief with reflections on challenges faced.
Prepare & details
Analyze the main points and compromises embedded within the 72 Resolutions.
Facilitation Tip: During Critique Gallery Walk, post student critiques of the 72 Resolutions around the room and have peers add sticky-note responses to deepen peer feedback.
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
Jigsaw: Sections of the 72 Resolutions
Divide resolutions into four sections; small groups become experts using primary excerpts. Regroup to teach peers, then create a class chart of federal versus provincial powers. End with a quiz on main points.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between the proposed federal and provincial powers.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
Power Sort: Federal or Provincial?
Provide cards listing 20 government powers from the resolutions. In pairs, students sort into federal or provincial categories, justify choices, and discuss edge cases like agriculture. Share with class for consensus.
Prepare & details
Critique the extent to which the resolutions addressed the concerns of all colonies.
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
Critique Gallery Walk
Groups create posters critiquing one resolution's strengths and weaknesses for colonies. Students rotate, adding sticky notes with evidence-based comments. Conclude with whole-class vote on most effective compromise.
Prepare & details
Analyze the main points and compromises embedded within the 72 Resolutions.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Teaching This Topic
Start with a brief overview to frame the conference’s goals, then move quickly to student-centered work. Use role-play to surface power dynamics, jigsaw to build content knowledge in chunks, and sorting to make abstract divisions of power concrete. Keep whole-group discussions short and focused on connecting activities to the big idea of Confederation as a process, not an event.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students explaining how different colonies influenced the final resolutions, identifying key compromises, and justifying where power should sit in a federal system. They should debate trade-offs between representation and equality, showing they understand why Confederation took years to finalize.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Role-Play: Negotiating Resolutions, watch for students assuming the 72 Resolutions became law immediately.
What to Teach Instead
Use the role-play timeline to mark when ratification happened, pointing to Charlottetown as the first step and London as the final stage.
Common MisconceptionDuring Role-Play: Negotiating Resolutions, watch for students assuming all colonies had equal influence.
What to Teach Instead
Have students track votes by colony size and note how Canada’s larger delegation swayed outcomes, then debrief how this shaped the final document.
Common MisconceptionDuring Power Sort: Federal or Provincial?, watch for students labeling all powers as federal.
What to Teach Instead
Ask students to defend their categorizations by citing specific lines from the 72 Resolutions, especially for education and municipalities.
Assessment Ideas
After Power Sort: Federal or Provincial?, present students with a list of powers and ask them to categorize each, explaining their reasoning for two examples.
During Jigsaw: Sections of the 72 Resolutions, pose the question: 'Which colonial group do you think felt best represented by the 72 Resolutions, and which felt least represented? Use specific resolutions to support your answer.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their perspectives.
After Critique Gallery Walk, ask students to write down one key compromise made at the Quebec Conference and one unresolved issue that might have caused future problems for Confederation, briefly explaining the importance of each.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to draft a letter to a delegate arguing for one unresolved issue to be addressed before Confederation finalization.
- Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide a partially completed Power Sort table with 3 pre-sorted powers and 3 blank rows to complete.
- Deeper exploration: Ask students to research how one unresolved issue from the 72 Resolutions later led to a specific political conflict in Canada.
Key Vocabulary
| Quebec Conference | A meeting held in 1864 where delegates from British North American colonies discussed and drafted the 72 Resolutions, a plan for Confederation. |
| 72 Resolutions | A document outlining the proposed structure and powers of a new federal government for Canada, agreed upon at the Quebec Conference. |
| Federal System | A form of government where power is divided between a central national government and regional provincial governments. |
| Bicameral Parliament | A legislature with two separate chambers or houses, typically an upper house and a lower house. |
| Representation by Population | A system where the number of elected representatives a region sends to a legislature is based on its population size. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in Confederation: Building a Nation
Political Deadlock in the Province of Canada
Understand how the equal number of seats for Canada East and West led to a government that could not make decisions.
2 methodologies
The Great Coalition and its Leaders
Examine the formation of the Great Coalition and the roles of key figures like John A. Macdonald, George-Étienne Cartier, and George Brown.
2 methodologies
Economic Pressures for Union
Explore the end of Reciprocity with the US and the need for new markets and an intercolonial railway.
2 methodologies
Military Threats and Manifest Destiny
Examine the threat of American expansionism (Manifest Destiny) and the Fenian Raids as catalysts for union.
2 methodologies
The Charlottetown Conference (1864)
Trace the initial negotiations at Charlottetown, originally intended for Maritime Union, and its expansion to include the Province of Canada.
2 methodologies
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