Formative Assessment
Throughout this suggested activity, you will support students in achieving the following skill that is the focus for assessment:
The following formative assessment opportunity is provided to help students unpack and develop the focus skill for assessment. Feedback prompts are also provided to help students enhance their demonstration of the focus skill for this activity. Formative assessment support is not intended to generate a grade or score.
Formative Assessment: Assessment for Learning Opportunity
Explain Impacts of Imperialism
Involve students in a peer review to provide and receive feedback on the perceptiveness of their explanation of the impacts of first contact. Use the feedback prompts below to provide structure in guiding students through this formative assessment opportunity.
Feedback Prompts:
- Have I explained the political, economic and social impacts of imperialism from multiple perspectives?
- Do my explanations of the impacts of imperialism make sense based on the background information I have provided?
- Have I explained the various perspectives regarding the question of establishing a national historic site?
These feedback prompts have been incorporated into the Explain Impacts of Imperialism: Peer Coaching Tool 
, which can be copied or adapted for student use. Samples of tools created for a similar skill within a different formative assessment context may be found in the Social Studies 10-4 Formative Assessment Summary 
.
Linking to the Summative Assessment Task
- As students explain the impacts of imperialism through the suggested activity Reflecting on Impact, they will have completed the Summative Assessment Task: Perspectives on First Contact .
- Students should consult the assessment task and the assessment task rubric to ensure that they have provided the information required.
- Encourage students to review the feedback received during the formative assessment opportunity to consider enhancements they wish to make prior to submitting their final product.
- If necessary, continue to use the feedback prompts from the formative assessment opportunity to coach students toward completion of a quality product.
- If student performance does not yet fall within the three levels described in the summative assessment task rubric, work with the student to formulate a plan to address the student's learning needs.
Students consider the political, economic and social impacts of imperialism and explain the various perspectives that might accompany a proposal to honour a European explorer.
Instructional Support
A number of possible tasks are provided in this suggested activity. It is not intended that you work through all of the tasks, but rather select those tasks and resources that will best meet the learning needs of your students. The focus should be on ensuring that students have the background and support to be successful with the skill that is the focus for assessment (explain impacts of imperialism).
Setting the Context for Learning
Thus far in their inquiry, students have been describing the historical background of the various events surrounding first contact. In this suggested activity, students need to extend their inquiry by considering not just the events that occurred but also the impacts of the events. The suggestions that follow identify possible ways to involve students in working with the skill of considering impact.
- If the picture book Encounter was shared previously with students, revisit the book and ask students to think about the events that the author has not shared with the reader. For example, the story concludes with the man reflecting on the past. Ask the students to think about how the visit of Columbus affected the political, economic and social structures of the Taino people.
- Explain to students that impacts are what occur as a result of an event. For example, one impact of the arrival of the Europeans was that Aboriginal peoples began wearing European clothing instead of their traditional dress.
- Ensure that students understand the meaning of the categories used to organize the information about impacts. Brainstorm some basic definitions with students, and, if necessary, assist students in using the definitions below:
- political—how the people kept order
- economic—how the people made sure they had the basic necessities to sustain life
- social—how the people lived, worked and spent time together
- Point out to students that in the picture book, the author did not provide information about the impacts, so students will have to make inferences based on the background knowledge they have acquired.
Explain Impacts of Imperialism
In order to complete the last section of the Summative Assessment Task: Perspectives on First Contact , students will need to consolidate their information to explain the impacts of imperialism. Their exploration of impacts will help them consider the various perspectives that might exist regarding establishing a national historic site to honour the arrival of Jacques Cartier in Canada and his role in early settlement.
- Provide students with a simple retrieval chart . Use a specific question prompt to assist students in making the connections between the events and the impacts; e.g.,
- How was <political life> different for the <insert name of First Nation> people after the arrival of the Europeans?
- Ask students to revisit the notes from their research on first contact in Canada to see if they have recorded any information that might fit within the three categories of impacts.
- Explain that unlike what students were asked to do with the picture book (i.e., make inferences), students will likely be able to find information in various sources about the impacts of first contact. However, they may not have gathered this information in their previous research. As a result, they may need to revisit some of the sources to specifically gather information about the impacts of imperialism.
- Ask students to fill out their retrieval charts as they complete their research.
- Have students consolidate their key points about impacts and use what they have learned to determine possible perspectives regarding establishing a national historic site to honour the arrival of Jacques Cartier in Canada and his role in the early settlement of Canada.
Suggested Supporting Resources
Textbook References
Student Basic Resource—Oxford University Press, Living in a Globalizing World:
- Page 106 Cultural Contact
- Pages 109–115 Effects of Cultural Contact in the Past
- Page 161 Voices: Perspectives on Residential Schools (Figure 10-7 Map, Questions 1 and 2)
Teaching Resource—Oxford University Press, Living in a Globalizing World:
- Page 113 Introductory Activity: Considering Cultural Contact
- RM 0.2 Venn Diagram (to allow students to compare sources)
- RM 0.3 Analyzing & Discussing Issues (comparing perspectives)
Web Resources
Web Links for Online Sources:
Knowledge and Employability Studio:
Videos:
Distributed Learning/Tools4Teachers Resources:
Critical Challenges:
Stories and Other Media (e.g., films, stories/literature, nonfiction, graphic novels)
- The Rabbits, by John Marsden (picture book/graphic novel)
- Riverrun, by Peter Such (short novel about the Beothuk)
- Encounter, by Jane Yolen (historical picture book interpretation of Columbus through the eyes of a young indigenous boy)
