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.

• Grade 8
• History & Geography
• 3 activities
• 45 min–60 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the primary points of disagreement between Canada West and Canada East regarding representation and language rights.
2. Evaluate the compromises made by delegates to balance provincial autonomy with the necessity of a federal union.
3. Critique the extent to which the 72 Resolutions addressed the concerns of diverse populations within British North America.
4. Synthesize the key elements of the 72 Resolutions that formed the foundation for Canadian confederation.

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.

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

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

Teaching This Topic

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.

What to Expect

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.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

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

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

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

What to Teach Instead

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.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Structured Debate: Rebellion or Resistance?, facilitate a class discussion using the key questions. Assign roles representing different provinces and assess students’ ability to reference specific resolutions from the 72 Resolutions to support their arguments.

Quick Check

After the Collaborative Investigation: The Thomas Scott Trial, 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.

Exit Ticket

After the Role Play: The Provisional Government Meeting, ask students to identify one major compromise made during the negotiations and explain why it was necessary for achieving Confederation. They should also name one group whose interests were largely overlooked.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to draft a press release from Louis Riel’s provisional government explaining their demands to the Canadian government, using language from the Métis Bill of Rights.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for students struggling to articulate their arguments during the debate, such as "One reason Métis rights mattered was..."
• Deeper exploration: Have students research and present on how the Manitoba Act’s promises were later broken, linking it to modern Métis rights movements.

Key Vocabulary

Representation by Population	A system where the number of elected officials a region sends to a legislature is based on its population size. This was a major point of contention between Canada West and Canada East.
Federalism	A system of government where power is divided between a central national government and regional provincial governments. Delegates debated the ideal balance of power.
72 Resolutions	A list of 72 proposed articles that formed the basis for the British North America Act and the creation of Canada. They outlined the structure and powers of the new government.
Canada West	The western part of the Province of Canada, primarily English-speaking and seeking greater representation based on its larger population.
Canada East	The eastern part of the Province of Canada, primarily French-speaking and concerned about maintaining its language, culture, and political influence.