Social Studies · Grade 5 · French-English Relations · Term 2

The Acadians: Displacement and Resilience

Students will investigate the history of the Acadians, focusing on their unique culture, the Grand Derangement, and their enduring resilience.

About This Topic

The Acadians were French settlers in Acadia, now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, who built a unique culture around dykeland farming, fishing, and ties with Mi'kmaq peoples. By the mid-1700s, British colonial expansion clashed with Acadian neutrality during conflicts like the French and Indian War. This led to the Grand Derangement, a brutal deportation from 1755 to 1764: British forces burned villages, loaded families onto ships, and scattered over 11,000 people to ports in the American colonies, Britain, and France. Thousands perished from disease, shipwrecks, and hardship.

In Ontario's Grade 5 Social Studies, this unit on French-English relations uses the topic to explore cause and consequence, historical perspective, and continuity and change. Students analyze primary sources such as Governor Lawrence's orders, Acadian petitions, and Longfellow's poem Evangeline. They trace impacts on identity, including cultural suppression, yet also examine resilience through descendants like Louisiana Cajuns and modern revivals in the Maritimes.

Active learning suits this topic well. When students map migrations, stage deportation simulations, or recreate Tintamarre noisemaking traditions, they connect emotionally with human stories. These approaches build empathy, critical thinking, and retention beyond rote facts.

Key Questions

1. Explain the historical events leading to the Grand Derangement of the Acadians.
2. Analyze the impact of forced displacement on Acadian culture and identity.
3. Assess the resilience of the Acadian people in preserving their heritage.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the sequence of events that led to the Grand Derangement, identifying key British and Acadian actions.
• Analyze primary source documents to determine the motivations behind the deportation orders.
• Evaluate the short-term and long-term impacts of the Grand Derangement on Acadian culture and identity.
• Assess the strategies Acadians employed to preserve their heritage following displacement.
• Compare and contrast the experiences of Acadians who resettled in different regions, such as Louisiana and the Maritimes.

Before You Start

Early European Colonization in North America

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of the initial settlement patterns and competing colonial powers (France and Britain) to grasp the context of Acadian settlement and subsequent conflicts.

Indigenous-First Nations Relations in Canada

Why: Understanding the relationships between European settlers and Indigenous peoples, including alliances and land use, provides context for Acadian life and interactions with both British and Mi'kmaq communities.

Key Vocabulary

Acadia	A historical territory in northeastern North America, including parts of present-day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, settled by French colonists.
Grand Derangement	The forced deportation and expulsion of the Acadian people by the British between 1755 and 1764, resulting in the scattering of thousands of Acadians.
Resilience	The ability of the Acadian people to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions, such as displacement and cultural suppression.
Diaspora	The dispersion of any people from their original homeland, as in the case of the Acadians forced to relocate to various parts of North America and Europe.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Acadians betrayed the British by fighting alongside the French.

What to Teach Instead

Acadians maintained neutrality to protect their lands and families, refusing conditional oaths. Mock trials and role-plays let students argue both sides, revealing nuances in loyalty and building perspective-taking skills.

Common Misconception

The Grand Derangement was a single event in 1755.

What to Teach Instead

Deportations spanned nearly a decade with multiple waves. Building timelines collaboratively helps students visualize the prolonged suffering and resistance, correcting compressed timelines.

Common Misconception

Acadian culture vanished after the expulsion.

What to Teach Instead

Survivors preserved traditions through oral histories and communities abroad. Cultural fairs and performances show ongoing vitality, as students actively recreate elements to grasp resilience.

Active Learning Ideas

Timeline Build: Acadian Events

Provide excerpts from historical accounts and images. Small groups sequence 10 key events from Acadian settlement to modern revival on a mural-sized timeline, adding cause-effect arrows and quotes. Groups present one event to the class.

45 min·Small Groups

Migration Mapping: Derangement Paths

Pairs receive blank maps of North America. They plot original Acadian settlements, deportation routes to 20 destinations, and return migrations using colored strings and pins. Discuss survival challenges at each site.

35 min·Pairs

Debate Simulation: Neutrality Oath

Divide class into British officials, Acadian leaders, and Mi'kmaq observers. Each role prepares arguments from sources on swearing allegiance. Hold a 20-minute debate, then vote and reflect on outcomes in journals.

50 min·Whole Class

Heritage Showcase: Acadian Culture

Small groups research one element like language, music, or food. They create posters or perform a short skit/dance. Rotate through stations for peer feedback and tasting samples if possible.

60 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Historians specializing in Canadian history and cultural studies use archival research and oral histories to document events like the Grand Derangement and understand their lasting effects on communities.
• Cultural preservation organizations, such as the Société Saint-Thomas d'Aquin in New Brunswick, work to maintain Acadian language, traditions, and historical sites, similar to how other cultural groups protect their heritage.
• Genealogists trace family histories, helping descendants of displaced Acadians connect with their roots and understand the journeys their ancestors undertook, mirroring the work done for many immigrant and refugee families.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a map of North America. Ask them to draw arrows showing the general directions Acadians were deported to and label at least two distinct resettlement locations. Then, have them write one sentence explaining why this event is called the 'Grand Derangement'.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'How did the Acadians demonstrate resilience in the face of the Grand Derangement?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to cite specific examples from their learning, such as maintaining language, forming new communities, or adapting traditions.

Quick Check

Present students with three short primary source excerpts: one from a British official justifying the deportation, one from an Acadian petition against it, and one describing the hardships of the journey. Ask students to identify the author's perspective and one key piece of information each document provides about the Grand Derangement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What caused the Grand Derangement of the Acadians?

Rising British fears during the French and Indian War prompted Governor Charles Lawrence to view neutral Acadians as threats. Their refusal to swear unconditional allegiance to the British Crown, combined with Mi'kmaq alliances, led to preemptive deportation orders in 1755. Sources like council minutes reveal calculated policy, not spontaneous violence, displacing families to break French influence in Acadia.

How did forced displacement impact Acadian identity?

The Derangement shattered communities, causing deaths, property loss, and cultural disruption through separation and assimilation pressures. Yet it forged a strong collective memory of injustice, evident in literature like Evangeline and symbols like the Acadian flag. Students trace this in journals, noting how trauma strengthened ethnic pride and bilingualism.

What shows Acadian resilience after the expulsion?

Exiled Acadians regrouped in places like Louisiana (Cajuns), St. John River valleys, and France, maintaining French language, Catholic faith, and folklore. Modern examples include the Tintamarre festival proclaiming identity and return migrations post-Confederation. These stories highlight adaptation, as seen in vibrant Maritime festivals today.

How can active learning help teach the Acadians in Grade 5?

Active methods like migration mapping, role-play debates, and cultural showcases immerse students in Acadian experiences, fostering empathy over memorization. Hands-on tasks reveal cause-effect chains and resilience firsthand: for instance, simulating ship voyages builds understanding of human cost. Collaborative reflections deepen historical thinking, making abstract events relatable and memorable for diverse learners.