Social Studies · Grade 6

Active learning ideas

Loyalist Migration and Settlement

Active learning works for this topic because the complexities of Loyalist migration and settlement require students to engage with multiple perspectives and evidence. When students analyze treaties, examine resources, and explore resistance, they move beyond passive listening to construct their own understanding of historical impacts and injustices.

Ontario Curriculum ExpectationsON: Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, Past and Present - Grade 6
20–50 minPairs → Whole Class3 activities

Activity 01

Inquiry Circle50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Treaty Perspectives

Groups examine a specific treaty from two perspectives: the written English version and the oral Indigenous understanding. They create a T-chart to compare the different interpretations of land 'sharing' versus land 'surrender.'

Explain the motivations behind Loyalist migration to British North America.

Facilitation TipDuring the Collaborative Investigation on Treaty Perspectives, assign each group a specific treaty or land agreement to analyze for bias, omissions, or coercive language.

What to look forAsk students to write down two reasons why Loyalists left their homes and one major challenge they faced when arriving in British North America. Collect these at the end of the lesson to gauge understanding of motivations and difficulties.

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Activity 02

Think-Pair-Share20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Impact on Resources

Students consider how the arrival of fences and farms changed the way Indigenous people hunted or gathered food. They share one specific challenge with a partner and brainstorm how a community might adapt.

Analyze how the arrival of Loyalists transformed existing communities.

Facilitation TipFor the Think-Pair-Share on Impact on Resources, provide students with primary sources that describe environmental changes after settlement, such as deforestation or disrupted waterways.

What to look forPose the question: 'How did the arrival of thousands of Loyalists change the communities that were already here?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to consider impacts on Indigenous peoples and existing European settlements.

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Activity 03

Gallery Walk30 min · Individual

Gallery Walk: Resistance and Resilience

The teacher displays images and stories of Indigenous leaders who stood up for their people's rights. Students move through the gallery, noting the different strategies used, such as petitions or alliances.

Evaluate the challenges Loyalists faced in establishing new settlements.

Facilitation TipWhen conducting the Gallery Walk on Resistance and Resilience, post images and quotes from Indigenous leaders alongside Loyalist accounts to provoke thoughtful comparisons.

What to look forProvide students with a short, simplified primary source excerpt (e.g., a letter from a Loyalist settler describing their new home). Ask them to identify one specific detail about the settlement experience mentioned in the text and explain its significance.

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Templates

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A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing Loyalist migration as part of a larger process of colonial expansion, not an isolated event. Avoid presenting the Loyalists as simply 'refugees' without addressing their role in displacing others. Use primary sources to humanize all groups involved and emphasize the agency of Indigenous nations in defending their lands and livelihoods.

Successful learning looks like students explaining how Loyalist migration disrupted Indigenous communities through specific examples, not just general statements. They should connect treaty negotiations, resource impacts, and acts of resistance to the broader theme of colonial dominance and land dispossession.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

  • During the Collaborative Investigation on Treaty Perspectives, watch for students assuming treaties were willingly agreed upon by all parties.

    Use the treaty analysis to highlight how cultural misunderstandings and power imbalances shaped agreements. Have students identify which terms favored the British and where Indigenous perspectives were excluded.

  • During the Think-Pair-Share on Impact on Resources, watch for students believing that Indigenous nations simply 'moved away' when resources declined.

    Use primary sources to show how Indigenous communities adapted their practices, negotiated with settlers, or resisted policies that restricted access to traditional lands and resources.

Methods used in this brief

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