Social Studies · Grade 6

Active learning ideas

The British North America Act (1867)

Active learning works well for this topic because the British North America Act involved complex negotiations and political trade-offs. Students need to experience the give-and-take of governance decisions to grasp how power was divided in 1867, rather than just memorizing sections of the document.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, Past and Present - Grade 6

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Document Mystery
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Confederation Negotiations

Assign roles as Fathers of Confederation from different provinces. Groups prepare arguments for federal versus provincial powers based on section 91 and 92 excerpts, then debate in a mock conference. Conclude with a class vote on power divisions.

Explain the foundational importance of the BNA Act.

Facilitation Tip

During the role-play, assign specific provincial or federal concerns to each student to ensure all perspectives are represented.

What to look for

Students will receive a card with a scenario, e.g., 'Building a new highway' or 'Setting school curriculum.' They must write which level of government (federal or provincial) would likely be responsible according to the BNA Act and briefly explain why.

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

Activity 02

• Document Mystery
• 35 min · Small Groups

Document Stations: BNA Act Analysis

Set up stations with excerpts from the Act, maps of 1867 provinces, and Indigenous perspectives. Small groups rotate, annotate key sections, and note power divisions or omissions. Share findings in a gallery walk.

Analyze how the BNA Act delineated powers between federal and provincial governments.

Facilitation Tip

At the document stations, provide a graphic organizer for students to categorize excerpts from Section 91 and Section 92 as they read.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were a leader in 1867, what powers would you want the federal government to have, and what powers would you want provincial governments to have? Why?' Facilitate a class discussion comparing student ideas to the actual provisions of the BNA Act.

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

Activity 03

• Document Mystery
• 25 min · Pairs

Jurisdiction Sort: Modern Issues

Provide cards with current issues like healthcare or immigration. Pairs sort them into federal, provincial, or shared categories using BNA Act criteria, then justify with evidence from the document.

Evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of the BNA Act on Indigenous sovereignty.

Facilitation Tip

For the jurisdiction sort, include a few ambiguous cases to encourage students to debate overlaps and consult the BNA Act directly.

What to look for

Present students with a list of government responsibilities (e.g., national defense, public education, postal service, hospitals). Ask them to categorize each as primarily federal or provincial, referencing their notes on the BNA Act's division of powers.

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

Activity 04

• Document Mystery
• 40 min · Whole Class

Timeline Mapping: Impacts Over Time

As a whole class, plot BNA Act events on a shared timeline, adding branches for Indigenous effects and later amendments. Students contribute researched facts and discuss long-term changes.

Explain the foundational importance of the BNA Act.

Facilitation Tip

When mapping the timeline, have students link events to specific clauses in the BNA Act to reinforce connections between cause and effect.

What to look for

Students will receive a card with a scenario, e.g., 'Building a new highway' or 'Setting school curriculum.' They must write which level of government (federal or provincial) would likely be responsible according to the BNA Act and briefly explain why.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often start with the BNA Act’s structure before diving into its real-world impacts, but that risks making the document feel abstract. Instead, begin with the role-play to let students experience the tensions of 1867 firsthand. Use primary sources sparingly but strategically, focusing on clauses that directly relate to the scenarios students explore. Avoid overemphasizing the Act as a standalone legal text; connect it to broader themes like federalism and colonialism to give it context.

Successful learning looks like students accurately applying the BNA Act’s sections to historical and modern scenarios, explaining why certain powers belong to specific levels of government. They should also recognize the document’s limitations, especially regarding Indigenous governance and gradual independence from Britain.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role-Play: Confederation Negotiations, watch for students assuming the BNA Act immediately granted Canada full independence from Britain.

  Use the role-play debrief to highlight the language of 'dominion' and British approval clauses in the Act, then contrast this with the 1982 Constitution Act during the Timeline Mapping activity to show gradual evolution.

• During the Jurisdiction Sort: Modern Issues, watch for students assuming federal and provincial powers operate in completely separate spheres with no overlap.

  Include items like 'agriculture' or 'environmental regulations' in the sort, then use Section 95 of the BNA Act to show where powers intentionally overlap, prompting students to revisit the Act’s wording.

• During the Timeline Mapping: Impacts Over Time, watch for students assuming the BNA Act had no effect on Indigenous peoples beyond the creation of 'Indians and Lands Reserved for Indians.'

  Have students incorporate the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and numbered treaties into their timelines, then discuss how the BNA Act’s Section 91(24) reinforced federal control without consulting Indigenous nations, using primary sources from the Document Stations.

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Methods used in this brief

• Document Mystery