Canadian History Form 2 (AO Year 5)

This week, I've been planning Canadian History for the coming school year. Once again, I will be combining lessons for the whole family while following the time period for SA(10)'s Ambleside Online Year 5. (1800-1914). I suppose it is past time that I could make SA do his Canadian History lessons independently, but the truth is that I'm not ready to give up doing it together as a family because we're all enjoying it too much. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?)

This year, I will have students in grades 5, 3 and 1. This plan will take the place of the American history "spine" and biographies in AO Year 5. Of course, I am always careful not to overload my younger students and will take history books out of their AO years to make room for Canadian history.

I want to caution you that this is my personal plan for this coming year. It has not been worked out yet. It's possible that I may decide four weeks in that I have been too ambitious, and start cutting out some of the supplemental reading. I may decide I haven't planned enough and fill it up with more Roughing it in the Bush. It's also possible that I may decide to excuse my Year 1 student from some of the lessons. Anything could happen... use your own discretion! I will try to come back to this post and tell you how it went.

The Books

"Spines"
The Story of Canada by George Brown, Eleanor Harman, and Marsh Jeanneret (hereafter BHJ)
The Story of Canada by Janet Lunn and Christopher Moore. (hereafter LM. My page numbers are from the 1992 edition.)

For more on Canadian history spines, see here. I have been using BHJ  (published in 1950) for several years now, but as we approach more modern times I am hoping to move into LM. For this year, I skimmed through both books and chose whichever readings appealed to me most for the subject. I skipped some sections of both because they overlapped with supplemental readings I was planning to do. Please keep in mind that this is a read-aloud, family plan. For an independent student, I would probably have chosen one spine to keep it less complicated.

Supplemental Reading
Roughing it in the Bush by Susanna Moodie (will not read entire book, may finish later as a free read)
Revolt in the West: The Story of the Riel Rebellion by Edward McCourt
Canadian Yesterdays by Edgar A. Collard, 2 selections: "The Apostle of Nova Scotia" (pp 84-90) and "The Lady on the Cowcatcher" (pp. 1-6)
Great Canadian Adventures by Reader's Digest (hereafter GCA), 11 Selections:
"Lieutenant Worsley's Revenge" pp 346-355
"A Voyage to a New Land" pp 220-235
"Franklin's Last Voyage" pp 207-217
"Tales of the Plains Crees" pp 99-108
"Down the Roaring Fraser" pp 173-179
"Overland to the Cariboo" pp 488-498
"The D-dest Man that Ever Came Over the Cariboo Road" pp 523-531 (I will edit out offensive words as I read, of course)
"The March West" pp 534-547
"Wild and Wooly Days" pp 550-565
"Van Horne Moves the Troops West" pp 368-375
"The Stampeders" pp 500-512

Free Reading (Will likely use as bedtime reading over the course of the school year.)
Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker
George Dawson, the Little Giant by Joyce Barkhouse

The Schedule

I have spread out these readings over four days a week to give myself some margin for map and timeline work. Also, in real life I schedule a regular time slot for Canadian history and just keep picking up where I left off. This "weekly schedule" will not be a strict rule for me...I may move through it more quickly at times, or more slowly at others. If my pace consistently doesn't line up with the weeks, I will adjust (add more Roughing it in the Bush readings, or take away unnecessary supplemental readings) and keep moving. 

Term 1

Week 1

"The Apostle of Nova Scotia" (Canadian Yesterdays pp 84-90), 2 lessons

"The War of 1812-1814" (BHJ 208-210), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson (not scheduling chapters, just picking up where I left off every time.)

Week 2

"Lieutenant Worsley's Revenge" (GCA pp 346-355), divide into 3 lessons and do 2 this week.

"The Story of a Shawnee Chief" (BHJ 211-214), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 3

"At Queenston Heights" (BHJ 214-216), 1 lesson

"Lieutenant Worsley's Revenge" (GCA pp 346-355), lesson 3 of 3

"An Even Struggle" (BHJ 217-219 ...Plattsburg and LM 90 Sea fights...-91 ...would stay British), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 4

"The New Comers" (LM pp 91-96), divide into 2 lessons and do 1 this week.

"A Voyage to a New Land" (GCA pp 220-235), divide into 4 lessons and do 2 this week.

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 5

"The New Comers" (LM pp 91-96), lesson 2 of 2.

"A Voyage to a New Land" (GCA pp 220-235), lessons 3 and 4 of 4.

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 6

"The People In Between" (LM pp 122-125), 1 lesson

"The Red River Colony" (BHJ 221-227), 2 lessons

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 7

"The Bay's Empire" (LM 126 And the Fur... - 128), 1 lesson

"Ruling Our Law-Makers" (BHJ pp 242-243), 1 lesson

"The Little Rebel" (BHJ pp 244-249), divide into 2 lessons and do 1.

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 8

"The Little Rebel" (BHJ pp 244-249), lesson 2 of 2.

"The Struggle in Lower Canada" (BHJ pp 250-252), 1 lesson

"Nova Scotia's Great Leader" (BHJ pp 253-256), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 9

"The Cry for Reform" and "Government by the People" (BHJ 257-259), 1 lesson

"A Famous Report" (BHJ pp 260-262), 1 lesson

"Cabinet Government" (BHJ pp 262-263), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 10

"Lord Elgin's Decision" (BHJ pp 264-267, LM chart on p 109), 1 lesson

"Franklin's Last Voyage" (GCA 207-217), divide into 3 lessons and do 1.

"Wanderers and Artists" (LM pp 129-132)

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson 

Week 11

"Franklin's Last Voyage" (GCA 207-217), lessons 2 and 3 of 3.

"Leaders of the West" (LM pp 132-135), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 12

"Tales of the Plains Crees" (GCA pp 99-108), 3 lessons

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Term 2

Week 13

"Mountains and Oceans" (LM 138-139), 1 lesson

"The Nootka Traders (LM 140-141), 1 lesson

"People of the Salmon" (LM 142-146), divide into 2 lessons and do 1.

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 14

"People of the Salmon (LM 142-146), lesson 2 of 2

"From Canada, by Land" (LM 146-151), 1 lesson

"Down the Roaring Fraser" (GCA 173-179), divide into 2 lessons and do 1

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 15

"Down the Roaring Fraser" (GCA 173-179), lesson 2 of 2

"The Father of BC" (LM 151-155), 1 lesson

"The Gold Fields" (LM 155-157), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 16

"Overland to the Cariboo" (GCA 489-498), 2 lessons

"Mountains and Oceans" (LM 158-159), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 17

"The D-dest Man" (GCA 523-531), 2 lessons

"Building a Dominion" (BHJ 298-302), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 18

"John A. MacDonald and Confederation" (BHJ 302-303), 1 lesson

"Breaking the Deadlock" (LM 165-166), 1 lesson

"The Idea of Confederation" (LM 166-169), 1 lesson

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 19

"From Charlottetown to Quebec" (LM 170-171), 1 lesson

"The Battle for Confederation" (LM 171-178), 2 lessons

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson

Week 20

"The Law that Made a Nation" (BHJ 305-307), 1 lesson

"Dominion from Sea to Sea" (BHJ 308-314), 2 lessons

Roughing it in the Bush, 1 lesson (This is where I will stop doing lessons from Roughing it in the Bush and either switch it to a free read or put it away.)

Week 21

"Into the West" (LM 180 The Metis... - 182), 1 lesson

"Massacre in the Cypress Hills" (LM 184) and "Scarlet and Gold" (BHJ 316-317), 1 lesson

Revolt in the West chapter 1, 2 lessons

Week 22 (If desired, can choose only one of the GCA supplemental readings for the NWMP, "The March West" or "Wild and Wooly Days" and spread it over more lessons for a lighter schedule)

"The March West" (GCA 534-547), divide into 4 lessons and do 2 this week.

Revolt in the West chapter 2, 2 lessons

Week 23

"The March West" (GCA 534-547), lessons 3 and 4 of 4.

Revolt in the West chapter 3, 2 lessons

Week 24

"Wild and Wooly Days" (GCA 550-565), divide into 4 lessons and do 2 this week.

Revolt in the West chapter 4, 1 lesson

Revolt in the West chapter 5, divide into 2 lessons and do 1 this week.

Term 3

Week 25

"Wild and Wooly Days" (GCA 550-565), lessons 3 and 4 of 4.

Revolt in the West chapter 5, lesson 2 of 2

Revolt in the West chapter 6, 1 lesson

Week 26

"Steel of Empire" (BHJ 321-326), 2 lessons

Revolt in the West chapter 7, 2 lessons

Week 27

"Van Horne Moves the Troops West" (GCA 368-375), 2 lessons

Revolt in the West chapter 8, 1 lesson

Revolt in the West chapter 9, divide into 2 lessons and do 1.

Week 28

Revolt in the West chapter 9, lesson 2 of 2

Revolt in the West chapters 10 and 11, 3 lessons

Week 29

Revolt in the West chapters 12 and 13, 4 lessons

Week 30

Revolt in the West chapters 14, 15 and 16, 3 lessons

Revolt in the West chapter 17, divide into 2 lessons and do 1.

Week 31

Revolt in the West chapter 17, lesson 2 of 2

Revolt in the West chapter 18, 1 lesson

Revolt in the West chapter 19, divide into 2 lessons and do 1

"Lady on the Cowcatcher" (Canadian Yesterdays 1-6), divide into 2 lessons and do 1

Week 32

Revolt in the West chapter 19, lesson 2 of 2

Revolt in the West chapter 20, 1 lesson

"Lady on the Cowcatcher" (Canadian Yesterdays 1-6), lesson 2 of 2.

"Sunny Ways" (LM 196-198), 1 lesson

Week 33

"Gold Fever" (LM ch 198-200), 1 lesson

"The Stampeders" (GCA 500-512), 3 lessons

Week 34

"The Last Best West" (LM 200-206), 2 lessons

"Isaac Barr's Fiasco" (GCA 109-119), divide into 3 lessons and do 1.

"Dreams and Struggles" (LM 207-208), 1 lesson

Week 35

"A Voice for Women" (LM 208-210), 1 lesson

"Isaac Barr's Fiasco" (GCA 109-119), lesson 2 of 3.

"A Turn of the Century Time Trip" (LM 210-214), 2 lessons.

Week 36

"Into the North" (LM 215-216), 1 lesson

"Isaac Barr's Fiasco" (GCA 109-119), lesson 3 of 3

"The Canadians and the Empire" (LM 217-219), 1 lesson

"Canada in WWI" (BHJ 344-346), 1 lesson.

Canadian Living Book Review: Into Unknown Waters

Part of my process of finding Canadian living books is to search my library's online database for any title related to the subject I wish to have a living book about. Of course, this results in a huge range of books for many different age levels. But I reserve them all in the hopes of finding a gem. This week I found one!


Into Unknown Waters: John & Sebastian Cabot by Eric N. Simons is part of a series entitled "People from the Past" edited by Egon Larsen. This series was intended to "bridge the gap" between overly simplified biographies and overly detailed accounts written by and for academic historians. This book is out of print, published in 1964 by Dobson Books, but you may be able to find it used or at your library.

One of my "living books" pet peeves is the way people seem to assume that you must turn to historical fiction in order to make Canadian history come alive. I have nothing against historical fiction, especially when it is well-written and well-researched, but living books come in a much greater variety. This is why I appreciated the intent of the "People from the Past" series:

"...while introducing dramatic and colourful figures the authors have a wonderful opportunity of filling in the whole background of a particular time and its political, cultural, economic conditions and developments, without having to introduce fictitious characters or adventures--for truth is more exciting than fiction, and the reader can rely on the historical authenticity of the story."

As I hope to review many Canadian living books over the next years, I will ask and answer specific questions in each case that assess how these books can be classified as "living books" as Charlotte Mason defined them. (For more on how to recognise a living book, see "What's In a 'Living Book'" by Emily Kiser, or listen to A Delectable Education podcast episode 7: "How to Recognize  Living Books.")

Is it written by a single author with a passion for his subject?

Simons' imagination was clearly captured by the story of the Cabots. This is evident from the very first page, where he begins by telling about seeing a ship in full sail one day:

"Suddenly into sight a big sailing ship came, her sails, golden and convex, billowing in the wind --a gallant and now rarely experienced sight. Beautiful were her sweeping lines and curving canvas...

There she was, that day in May, 1961, and hundreds of years ago, there, too, sailed many ships like her, at the mercy of wind and wave, with starvation, disease, fire, piracy and shipwreck ever threatening disaster. In May, 1497, in particular, a ship, which had left Bristol on the 2nd, could have been seen...in the Atlantic, a small speck in a vast circle of water, going out into the unknown, not for days, but for months."

His interest and enthusiasm are contagious, and that is something I look for in a living book.


Does it have ideas, not just facts?

The example quoted above: "a small speck in a vast circle of water, going out into the unknown, not for days, but for months" is a good example of the kind of ideas that abound in this book. The words create a picture in your mind's eye, a feeling of what it might be like to be an explorer. Yes, this book aims at being as historically accurate as possible, but it is by no means a dry recitation of facts, and it certainly never dumbs anything down.

(One thing to note about the facts: scholarship has advanced a bit regarding the route of John Cabot's first voyage, and you may want to compare the map on the inside cover with one in a more current book. However, Cabot's route is still a subject of considerable controversy, including the question of where he first landed...Cape Breton or Newfoundland?)


Is it well-written?

The writing evokes vivid pictures in your imagination. I enjoyed the way Simons wove relevant historical details into the story. On the other hand, I sometimes wished the sentences weren't quite so long, and that some of the excessive commas were removed.


Is it inspiring?

The author highlights the courage of the explorers by comparing it with that of modern astronauts:

"Awed by the courage and determination of men who, calmly entering space capsules, set out to explore the universe, we easily forget that there was a time in history when equally intrepid men embarked in tiny craft to explore the unknown waters of our globe. Their stories deserve to be told and told again, because it is difficult today to imagine the fascination and wonder once aroused by the great rolling waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and equally difficult to appreciate that their knowledge of what they were to meet was as small as that of the first astronauts of the present age." (p. 10)

On the other hand, Sebastian Cabot, whose explorations were in South America and later in Russia, is truthfully portrayed as a less than virtuous character: greedy, deceitful, conniving, and despicable. His intrigues take up a good portion of the second half of the book.


For what age group would this book be a good fit?

This is a difficult question for me, as my eldest son is only going on eight. As with most living books I've come across, this book would be interesting for all ages, though parts might be omitted for younger children. There is also the tangled web of Sebastian Cabot's life to consider.

In terms of Canadian history, the portion of the book on John Cabot is of course the one of the most interest. While the book covers both John and Sebastian Cabot, there is little or no overlap between their stories. Chapters 1 and 2 are about John Cabot (pages 1-57), and chapters 3-8 (pages 58-181) are about Sebastian Cabot. It would be easy to use just the first part of the book if a short and interesting biography of John Cabot is desired for Canadian history.

Personally, I think I would consider using the first portion of the book (on John Cabot) for grades four or five and up. The rest of the book might be more suitable for older students, perhaps grades seven and up.


Please leave me a comment if you have used this book in your homeschool. I'd also love to hear of any other biographies of John Cabot you can recommend!