History & Geography · Grade 8

Active learning ideas

Charlottetown & Quebec Conferences: Negotiations

Active learning works well here because the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences were negotiation-based events. Students need to experience the tension, compromise, and perspective-taking that defined these meetings to truly grasp the complexities of Confederation. Role play and debate activities mirror the real-life give-and-take of political bargaining, making abstract historical events tangible and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: History: Creating Canada, 1850–1890 - Grade 8

• 45–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 60 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Provisional Government Meeting

Students take on roles as members of the Métis National Committee. They must debate which demands to include in their 'Bill of Rights' to ensure their community's survival as Canada prepares to take over.

Differentiate the major points of contention between Canada West and Canada East.

Facilitation Tip

Before the role play, assign specific roles to students based on historical figures or regional perspectives to ensure diverse viewpoints are represented.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the key questions. Assign students roles representing Canada West, Canada East, or Maritime provinces. Ask them to argue for their region's priorities in the negotiations, referencing specific resolutions.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Rebellion or Resistance?

Divide the class into two sides. One side argues that the events at Red River were an illegal 'rebellion' against the Crown, while the other argues it was a legal 'resistance' to protect existing rights and property.

Analyze how delegates balanced regional interests with the need for a strong central government.

Facilitation Tip

For the debate, provide a list of key talking points to shy students to help them prepare structured arguments.

What to look for

Provide students with a simplified list of 5-7 key resolutions from the 72 Resolutions. Ask them to write a one-sentence summary for each, explaining its purpose and who it might benefit or disadvantage.

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

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Thomas Scott Trial

In small groups, students examine primary source accounts of Thomas Scott's behavior and his subsequent execution. They must decide if Riel's decision was a political necessity or a strategic blunder.

Critique the exclusion of certain groups from these constitutional negotiations.

Facilitation Tip

During the Thomas Scott Trial investigation, group students by roles (judge, jury, witnesses) to encourage collaborative analysis of evidence.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to identify one major compromise made during the conferences and explain why it was necessary for achieving confederation. They should also name one group whose interests were largely overlooked.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing the conferences as a series of high-stakes negotiations where no side held all the power. Avoid presenting Confederation as inevitable; instead, emphasize the resistance and compromise required to reach agreement. Research shows that students engage more deeply when they see history as a process of negotiation rather than a predetermined outcome. Use primary sources like the Métis Bill of Rights or the Manitoba Act to ground discussions in real documents.

Successful learning looks like students actively engaging with primary sources to reconstruct historical arguments, using evidence to justify their positions in discussions, and demonstrating an understanding of how Métis leadership shaped Manitoba’s entry into Confederation. Students should move beyond memorization to analyze power dynamics and represent multiple viewpoints fairly.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role Play: The Provisional Government Meeting, watch for students assuming Louis Riel aimed for Métis independence.

  Use the Métis Bill of Rights as a reference point during the role play. Have students identify and cite specific clauses that demonstrate Riel’s goal of provincial inclusion rather than separation.

• During the Structured Debate: Rebellion or Resistance?, watch for students minimizing the scale of the Red River Resistance.

  After the debate, display a timeline of key events from 1869 to 1870 during the gallery walk activity. Ask students to compare the number of participants and political outcomes to other rebellions in Canadian history.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Formal Debate
• Inquiry Circle