Social Studies · Grade 6

Active learning ideas

Lord Durham's Report and its Legacy

Active learning helps students grapple with Lord Durham’s Report because its ideas about governance and identity are complex and historically charged. By engaging with primary sources, debates, and role-plays, students move beyond memorization to analyze Durham’s assumptions and their lasting impact on Canada.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• Ontario Curriculum, Social Studies, Grade 6, Strand A: A3.5 - describe the impact of the arrival of the Loyalists on the population of Canada and on the development of the colonies.
• Ontario Curriculum, Social Studies, Grade 6, Strand A: A3.4 - describe the migration of various groups to Canada between 1713 and 1850, and the challenges they faced (e.g., the Loyalists, including Black and First Nations Loyalists).
• Ontario Curriculum, Social Studies, Grade 6, Strand A: A1.1 - analyse the impact of some key events and/or developments on various groups and communities in Canada between 1713 and 1850.
• Ontario Curriculum, Social Studies, Grade 6, Strand A: A3.3 - identify the main causes and consequences of the American Revolution (e.g., consequences: the migration of the Loyalists to Canada).

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Key Recommendations

Divide class into four expert groups, each researching one recommendation: responsible government, union of Canadas, assimilation, or local improvements. Experts create posters with evidence, then regroup to teach peers and fill knowledge grids. Conclude with a class summary vote on most impactful idea.

Explain the key recommendations Lord Durham made following the Rebellions of 1837–1838.

Facilitation Tip

In the Interactive Timeline activity, ask students to annotate events with one-word emotional labels (e.g., 'resentment,' 'hope') to deepen their analysis of historical reactions.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were a colonist in 1839, would you support or oppose Lord Durham's recommendations? Why?' Encourage students to consider the viewpoints of both French and English Canadians and justify their stance using evidence from the report.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Structured Academic Controversy
• 40 min · Pairs

Debate Circles: Cultural Reactions

Pairs prepare arguments as English or French Canadians responding to the report. Form inner and outer circles for structured debate rounds: 3 minutes per side, 2 minutes feedback. Switch roles and reflect on biases in writing.

Analyze why Lord Durham recommended the assimilation of French Canadians as a solution to colonial unrest.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from Lord Durham's Report. Ask them to identify one key recommendation and explain in their own words what it means for the future of the Canadas. Collect and review for understanding of core ideas.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Structured Academic Controversy
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play Tribunal: Durham's Inquiry

Assign roles: rebels, reformers, British officials, French leaders. Students prepare 1-minute testimonies on rebellion causes. Hold mock tribunal where 'Durham' questions groups, then class votes on report fairness.

Compare the reactions of English Canadians and French Canadians to Lord Durham's Report.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write two sentences summarizing Lord Durham's main goals for the Canadas and one sentence explaining why French Canadians might have disagreed with his report.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Structured Academic Controversy
• 35 min · Pairs

Interactive Timeline: Legacy Path

In pairs, students plot events from rebellions to Act of Union on shared digital or paper timelines. Add 'reaction bubbles' with quotes from both sides. Present one segment to class, linking to today's federalism.

Explain the key recommendations Lord Durham made following the Rebellions of 1837–1838.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were a colonist in 1839, would you support or oppose Lord Durham's recommendations? Why?' Encourage students to consider the viewpoints of both French and English Canadians and justify their stance using evidence from the report.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often begin with a cold read of a short excerpt from Durham’s Report to ground all subsequent discussions in the source material. Avoid framing the topic as a simple moral lesson; instead, guide students to see how Durham’s racialized views shaped his policy ideas. Research shows that when students role-play historical figures, they better understand the constraints and biases of the time.

Success looks like students confidently distinguishing between Durham’s stated goals and the unintended consequences of his recommendations. They should articulate how French and English perspectives clashed over cultural preservation and political reform, using evidence from the activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role-Play Tribunal activity, watch for students assuming Durham sympathized with the rebels.

  Use the tribunal’s witness statements to redirect students to Durham’s condemnation of violence and his focus on governance failures, not rebellion legitimacy.

• During the Debate Circles activity, watch for students assuming the Act of Union successfully assimilated French Canadians.

  Have groups reference French Canadian resistance in their debates, using primary source quotes from the activity to highlight cultural resilience and the report’s limitations.

• During the Jigsaw activity, watch for students assuming the rebellions were led only by French Canadians.

  Direct groups to the Upper Canada Reformers’ grievances in their research packets, ensuring students recognize shared demands for self-government across colonies.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Structured Academic Controversy