ACADIAN HANDOUT
12-02-27 12:48 PM
Grade Two Curriculum Connection: A Community in the Past
2.2.1 Students will appreciate how stories of the past connect
individuals and communities to the present.
Present Day Meteghan is a fishing village on Saint Mary’s Bay on the western
coast of Nova Scotia. It the largest shipyard for building wooden ships in
Canada. Joseph LeBlanc settled in Meteghan, with his friends, the Melansons
in 1785 and that’s how the village got started.
The Acadian story begins in the 17th century, however, when people came
over from France to settle in what we now know as mainland Nova Scotia.
The Acadians worked hard to build dykes to tame the sea, and soon they
had lots of fertile farm land. Back then, the Acadians were mainly farmers.
ACTIVITIES:
2.2.3 Students will appreciate the importance of collaboration and
living in harmony
Cooperation was critical for the Acadian people because the system of dykes
and valves surrounded the lands of several families. That meant that
everyone had to build them, look after them and be ready at all times to
repair weak areas caused by weather conditions or soil erosion.
Building a Dyke Takes Team Work
Work with your team to build a dyke. It should have the levee (big wall of mud and
grass), an aboiteau (gate to let the rain water run off, but keep the sea water out)
and a ditch for the water to run through after it goes through the gate. Maybe you
could create a salt marsh on one side of your dyke (for growing hay for the animals)
and show the sea water on the other side (some blue paper for the ocean when the
tide comes in).
Materials you might want to use: plasticine, toothpicks, bits of shredded paper (for
the sod on the dyke), craft sticks (to make the little gate), coloured construction
paper.
2.1.1 Students will appreciate how a community’s physical
geography shapes identity
Prior to deportation – dykes – rich farm land –Acadians were farmers
Resettlement – rocky soil – fishing/ship building – Acadians were fishermen
and shipbuilders.
2.1.3
What are the cultural characteristics of the communitities (flag,
celebrations, language, music)
After the deportation the Acadians created a flag to recognize and honour
their Acadian culture. They chose the colours of France and added the “stella
maris”, the star of the sea.
Make an Acadian Flag
Using the Acadian flag template, colour the bar with the star blue, the middle bar,
white, and the last bar, red. Colour the star yellow.
Design a Flag
Using the red bars of the Canadian flag, design a flag for your family. What special
symbol would you put in place of the maple leaf? Every August 15 the Acadians
celebrate their heritage with big parties and festivals. They decorate
everything with the colours of their flag and even paint their faces. There is
lots of lively fiddle music and dancing and even the children play the spoons
in time to music.
Hold an Acadian Festival
How many things in your classroom can you find to decorate like the Acadian flag or
using the Acadian colours? Find out if your music teacher has any fiddle music and
French spoons you can use for your celebration. Regular teaspoons will also work if
you have any old ones at home. They are a bit trickier to play. You have to hold
two spoons with their backs together. Place your index finger between the two
handles so that there is a little space between the backs of the spoons. Hold the
spoons in place with your thumb on the top and your middle finger on the bottom
like a sandwich. Now, with the palm of your other hand above the spoons, tap them
between the palm of your hand and your leg. Many Acadian children learn to play
the spoons before they even start school!
Have an Acadian Recess
Traditional Games and Activities: marbles, hopscotch, leap frog, jump rope
The Acadian’s native language is French. Label some things in your classroom with
French words.
window - fenêtre
door - porte
paper -papier
notebook – cahier
computer – ordinateur
pencil – crayon
You can look up many more words on your computer by asking your computer to
translate them into French.
Make a class quilt
Each student is to make a quilt square on paper with their symbol that they chose
for their flag.
Laminate each student’s square
Mount squares on large sheets of foam board (from Michael’s) to make a class quilt.
Tape the foam squares together to form a quilt to hang on display.
Folktales
The Acadians loved to tell stories of magical creatures and fantastical
adventures. Many of the stories mention elves who love horses. The elf will
sneak into the stable at night and braid the horses mane for stirrups to get
up to his neck. Then the elf would ride the horse in the field during the
night. They look after their chosen mount, always feeding and watering him.
That’s why the elf’s horse is always fat.
(Taken from Acadian folklore by Father Anselme Chiasson, Charlotte Cornier,
Donald Deschenes, Ronald Labelle.)
Create an elf character:
• Draw a picture of your elf.
• Name the elf
• What does your elf’s horse look like?
Things to think about before you write the story:
Where does your elf go riding at night? What does he see? smell? Hear?
What happens while he is out riding? What kinds of problems might occur when the
elf is out riding?
What does your elf do when he brings the horse back?
Write the Story
Beginning – One day, long, long ago, in the land called Acadie there was an elf
named ___________________. He loved horses. Each night he would sneak into
the barn and… Each student should then write a few sentences about what the elf
does at night.
Middle – One night when _____________ was out riding … A problem needs to
arise (a big storm, the elf gets lost, he falls off the horse)
Middle – The elf tries two different ways to solve the problem, but neither of them
work. The third solution works and the elf is able to get back before the sun
comes up.
Ending – The boy or girl who lives on the farm comes out in the morning and sees…
Evidence that the elf has been there (the mane is braided, the horse isn’t hungry or
thirsty, the horse has been brushed)
Trading
Using found or made props, act out a trading transaction between an Acadian
farmer and a merchant from Boston.
As a class, discuss what products the Acadian might have to trade.
Create A Writer Series Part 1
12-02-27 12:48 PM
CREATE A WRITER 2
12-02-27 12:48 PM