AN ACTIVITY FOR HISTORY AND CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION CLASSES, SECONDARY CYCLE ONE
\nThe Rock art, did you say? learning and evaluation situation (LES) provides an opportunity for secondary cycle one students to make connections between the concepts of history, communication and knowledge about past civilizations featured in the Images on Stone online exhibit.<\/p>\n
The activity focuses on the basics of sedentary lifestyle and examples drawn from the online exhibit. It helps students to understand how rock art conveys information on several aspects of preliterate civilizations and to define related concepts such as history and prehistory, along with rock art and its functions.<\/p>\n
The activity encourages students to make connections between the topic of prehistoric cultures covered in the secondary one cycle History curriculum and knowledge acquired about Indigenous cultures in elementary school. It also introduces students to the analysis of non-written historical documents (maps, timelines, iconographic documents).<\/p>\n
Allow the students some time to do their own research and show the class their results. Suggest that they start with the sites listed in Annex\u00a03. However, this option will require more time and extend the overall duration of this step to 90 or 120\u00a0minutes (1\u00a0? to 2\u00a0periods).
\nThe teacher highlights (or has the students do some research) the meaning and origin of the term rock art: paintings or carvings made on rock surfaces by civilizations prior to the invention of writing and the term parietal art: paintings or carvings made on cave or enclosed space wall (from the Latin paries, meaning \u201cwall\u201d).
\nPrehistoric human groups left visual traces that provide us today with information on certain aspects of their way of life.
\nWhat about the First Peoples who settled here, in North America?<\/p>\n
Did they also use this means of communication? For what purpose? What messages did they seek to convey? What can be inferred from such messages?<\/p>\n
These questions will allow the teacher to transition to the next step of the learning situation, where students will be asked to transpose knowledge about early civilizations on other continents to the first inhabitants of the North American territory.<\/p>\n
Step 2 \u2013 Creation \u2013 One period of individual work in class or not (60 minutes)
\nTell-tale Images
\nObjectives<\/p>\n
Define the characteristics of rock art in Canada:
\nSites and dates
\nSupports and techniques
\nSymbols and interpretation
\nEstablish connections between rock art created by the first inhabitants of Canada and some of their cultural characteristics
\nSeries of Steps<\/p>\n
The teacher reminds students of the main elements of the previous step:
\nHistory is defined as beginning with the invention of writing. The long period prior to history is referred to as prehistory (or paleo-history).
\nDuring prehistory, humans had other means of communication, including rock art.
\nRock artwork is found everywhere in the world, in various forms that date back to several eras.
\nThe teacher points out that rock art sites are also found in Canada. By analyzing the characteristics of these sites with the historical method, students will discover some elements of the cultures of the first inhabitants of the territories in question.
\nExplain to students how to use the \u201cRock Art Site Historical Analysis\u201d (Annex\u00a04) activity sheet. Make sure that they understand what to do and give them a time limit to perform the task based on your planning, individually or in teams, in class or outside.
\nBack in class:
\nIdentify on the map (LIEN) the five\u00a0sites under study.
\nAsk the students questions about their conclusions on the sites studied:
\nWith what Indigenous cultures are the sites associated?
\nWhat have the rock artworks taught us about these cultures?
\nSpirituality or teaching elements
\nTerritorial occupation elements (pathways and directions, settlements, wildlife and plant life)
\nWay of life elements (hunting, customs, everyday objects, means of transportation\u2026)
\nHistorical elements (events)
\nWhat other interesting information did the students collect during their research?
\nExample: The site was mentioned on a geographical map of 1731. Therefore, it was known to missionaries during the New France era (Pepeshapissinikan\/Nisula).
\nConclude the activity with a reflection on the historical sources likely to be used to learn more about the First Peoples of Canada. The activity allowed the students to identify the types of information that can be collected from rock artwork (visual document). What other sources of information can help the students to learn more about prehistoric (paleo-historic) societies?
\nExamples of answers:
\nOral tradition
\nMyths, tales, legends
\nArchaeology
\nSecondary sources (testimonies of other societies)
\nHighlight that the scarcity of sources of information on such societies makes it all the more important to preserve each available source, particularly sources exposed to the test of time or damaged by human activity. This will be the topic of study in the next and last step of this learning situation.
\nStep 3 \u2013 Integration \u2013 One period\u00a0 in class (60 minutes)
\nRock Art and History
\nObjectives<\/p>\n
Highlight the basic knowledge to remember from the activity:
\nRock art is one of the oldest forms of communication of human societies to reach us today.
\nThere are rock art sites everywhere around the world, including in Canada. o Rock art is a historical documentary source that can provide significant information on prehistoric (paleo-historic) societies.
\nEmphasize the importance of non-written sources in the field of history.
\nInstil awareness of the consistent importance of protecting and preserving rock art sites (because of their vulnerability and their value as a heritage to mankind).
\nSeries of Steps<\/p>\n
In the form of individual work, team work or an evaluation, the teacher hands out the \u201cRock Art and History\u201d activity sheet (Annex\u00a05) to students.
\nIf so desired, the teacher may lead a discussion with the entire class to allow the students to share their points of view.<\/p>\n
The Rock art, did you say? activity is part of the Environmental Awareness and Consumer Rights and Responsibilities broad area of learning. It helps to raise students\u2019 awareness of respect for heritage.<\/p>\n
Subject Area: History and Citizenship Education<\/p>\n
Interpreting social realities using the historical method
\nSocial realities: nomadic and sedentary lifestyles1
\nTechniques used in history:
\nInterpreting a timeline
\nInterpreting a map
\nInterpreting an iconographic document
\nCross-curricular Competency<\/p>\n
Using information
\nRelated to the progression of learning : Sedentarization, 2.2a – Lists traces of preliterate societies that are used to study these societies<\/p>\n
Preparation: Rock Art Landscape
\nCreation: Tell-tale Images
\nIntegration: Rock Art and History
\nThese three steps can be carried out in whole or in part. At the end of the activity, you will have:<\/p>\n
Established connections between rock art and prehistoric civilizations
\nEstablished connections between prehistoric civilizations elsewhere in the world and the First Peoples of Canada
\nGained a better understanding of the types of non-written communications
\nIdentified and characterized rock art sites in Canada
\nAddressed the cultural and historic importance of preserving and protecting rock art sites
\nTo take full advantage of your exploration of the online exhibit and proposed activities, please:<\/p>\n
Read all the information provided at each step of the activity;
\nExplore the individual sections of the online exhibit;
\nReview the annexes.
\nStep 1 \u2013 Preparation \u2013 One period of class activity (60 minutes)
\nRock Art Landscape
\nObjectives<\/p>\n
Position rock art as a means of communication for prehistoric societies
\nDefine rock art
\nExplore examples of rock art
\nSeries of Steps<\/p>\n
Using the definitions provided in Annex\u00a01 or other sources, the teacher asks the students questions to establish a definition of history in groups, for instance by making comparisons with what is commonly known as prehistory. The teacher may also ask the students to research elements of a definition in print or digital sources and share the results with the entire class.
\nIf history is defined as beginning with the invention of writing (from the Western perspective), what were the means of communication used during prehistory? Individually or in groups, the students complete the table available in Annex\u00a02 with the means of communication that they find. Highlight the \u201cPermanence\u201d characteristic.
\nDrawings that exist to this day (unlike signs or speech) are viewed as a means of communication for prehistoric societies. The teacher asks students to name some prehistoric representations (drawings, carvings, images) that they might know. The teacher has two choices:
\nUse the gallery to show the students some examples of rock art, parietal art or prehistoric frescoes.<\/p>\n
The Rock art, did you say? learning and evaluation situation is an interesting introduction for students entering the secondary level who are starting the systematic study of history and building knowledge about the techniques used in this field of study. The teacher may use the LES to introduce the knowledge taught and set a context for students to explore the field of history during secondary cycle one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"