Lesson 4: How did they live?

A comparative Study of First Nations/Early Settler Life

Introduction

All cultures meet their needs through interactions with the environment. In this lesson students will consider basic survival needs and how each group, First Nations and early settlers met those needs through examining picture and text sets.

Lesson Prep: Activity 1

• Students brainstorm basic human needs for survival. These can be contrasted with wants. Chart them with the class on chart paper.

Activity 2

• Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4.
• Give each group an evidence set of photos and text relating to one area
  
  of human need, that illustrates how either the First Nations or the Early Settlers satisfied these needs. Sets include:

First Nations- Food

First Nations- Shelter

First Nations- Transportation

First Nations- Clothing

Early Settler- Food

Early Settler- Transportation

Early Settler- Shelter

Early Settler- Clothing

• Direct each group to examine this evidence to see what they can learn about how each group, First Nations or Early Settler, satisfied a basic need . Record the group’s findings on an Evidence Set Analysis Worksheet.

• When done, each group shares their findings. Are their similarities? Differences? Chart the class’ findings.

• Students then create a comparative chart: First Nations/Early Settlers, using the photos from their evidence sets and text in point form which records the most important features of how the group satisfied a particular need. Each group is responsible for the text for their category.