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Settlement Patterns in Canada’s North
Lesson Overview:
This one or two class period lesson is loosely based on a reading of the
Prologue and Chapter 6 of Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse: How Societies
Choose to Fall or Succeed. The purpose of this lesson is to encourage students
to consider what the historical societies of the Vikings, the Dorset people, and the
Inuit in Canada’s northern and arctic regions can teach us about the choices that
our own modern Canadian society makes, and how these choices may affect not
only our own long-term well-being, but the survival of human beings on a global
scale. The culmination of this station-based student inquiry project will be a
position paper based upon research presented from group presentations on
information derived from each of the four workstations.
Prior to commencement of student inquiry, the teacher will have organized
the classroom into four workstations entitled, “The Vikings,” “Dorset Culture,”
“The Inuit,” and “The Modern Day Canadian North.” Each workstation should be
supplied with copies of any pertinent resources (See notes on "Setting Up the
Stations"). The teacher will divide the class into four work groups within which
students may work independently, in pairs, or in larger groups depending on the
teacher’s preferences and the needs of the class. If research for the paper is to
be confined to one session, the teacher will rotate the groups through the stations
every 20 minutes. If research spans two sessions of inquiry, the teacher rotates
the groups every 40 minutes. In any case, allow ten minutes for re-organization
and rotation lag.
Grade Level:
Social 10 (Can be modified for Social 13 by taking a more teacher-focused
approach to the materials)
Modify this lesson for Social 10-2 by presenting each of the four categories of
research through teacher-led presentations and classroom discussions directly
related to globalization. Diversify classroom activities by using music, art, stories,
myth, and legends about the Dorset, Inuit, and the Vikings as an introduction to
the essay topic. Use of modern day newspaper articles or newsreels on global
warming or the degradation of arctic waters is important to link past societal
“collapses” 1 to present and future ones. Follow this introductory activity with
1
By “collapse,” Diamond means “a drastic decrease in human population size and/or political
/economic/social complexity, over a considerable area, for an extended time.” Diamond
distinguishes collapses from milder types of decline, such as “the normal minor rises and
falls of fortune, and minor political/economic/social restructuring, of an individual society;
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mapping tasks concerning the locations of each society in the Canada’s
northern/arctic region. Also include brief synopses of the most important research
and perspectives on each group, as well as current day challenges that relate to
Canada’s global responsibilities in the north. Teachers may provide students with
worksheets, or "Effective Writing Templates," that will help them focus and
organize their research on the paper topic.
Time Required: One or two classes
Curriculum Connection for Alberta Social Studies 10-1 0r 10-2:
In the proposed new curriculum: Key Issue – To what extent should we embrace
globalization? (Evaluating globalization, effects on Aboriginal peoples, and the
manner in which our choices may affect our own society as well as others around
the world.)
Links to Canadian National Standards for Geography:
Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms
Students will learn about the migratory routes and locations of various Inuit
bands, as well as the locations of lost Dorset and Viking settlements, and the
positioning of modern settlements using maps.
Essential Element #2: Places and Regions
Students will learn about the settlement patterns of Canada's first northern
peoples in various places and regions throughout Canada.
Essential Element #3: Physical Systems
Students will research how the Medieval Climate Optimum and the Little Ice Age
affected the earliest settlement of Canada’s northern/arctic regions. Students will
consider the modern phenomenon of global warming in light of its effects on the
north both past and present.
Essential Element #4: Human Systems
Students will learn how Vikings, Dorset culture, and the Inuit adapted or failed to
adapt to life in Canada’s north, how “first contact” episodes affected their
one society’s conquest by a close neighbor, or its decline linked to the neighbor’s rise,
without change in the total population size or complexity f the whole region; and the
replacement or overthrow of one governing elite by another.” See Jared Diamond, Collapse:
How Societies Choose to Fall or Succeed (New York: Penguin, 2005) 3. Diamond’s book is
organized around the central thesis that collapses may be studied by examining them using a
“five-point framework”; all collapses occur due to some combination of: (1) environmental
damage, (2) climate change, (3) hostile neighbors, (4) friendly trade partners, and (5) the
society’s response to its environmental problems. Diamond remarks that the fifth factor
always proves significant. Diamond, Collapse 11.
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success, and what lessons the success or failure of each group might pose for us
today
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society
Students will explore how environmental changes (such as global warming and
cooling) affect northern populations in Canada.
Essential Element #6: The Uses of Geography
Students will use their knowledge of geography to build a deeper understanding
of the modern day challenges for Canada and the global community.
Geographic Skill #1: Asking Geographic Questions
Students ask whether the collapse of older northern societies can teach us
anything about the future success of our own society.
Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring Geographic Information
Students examine a variety of teacher-selected resources (see Additional
Resources list below).
Geographic Skill #3: Organizing Geographic Information
Students must organize their geographic research effectively in order to address
the research question.
Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information
Students analyze settlement information in order to develop a better
understanding of how societies can choose to fail or succeed.
Geography Skill #5: Answering Geographic Questions
Students will have completed a research paper about the Canadian arctic and its
connection to theoretical questions concerning the future survival of Canadian
society and our global responsibility to protect our northern/arctic environment.
Additional Resources, Materials, and Equipment Required:
NOTE: Many of the attached resources transcend average student abilities.
Teachers are advised to peruse these sources carefully, to paraphrase, to gather
short excerpts, to summarize, and to simplify materials for student inquiry.
Archeological Survey of Canada. Inuit and Norsemen in Arctic Canada A.D. 1000
to 1400. April 10, 2007.
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/archeo/oracles/norse/40.htm
Barnett, Don C. Prehistoric Inuit Cultures. April 10, 2007.
http://www.usask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/pre.htm
Diamond, Jared. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fall or Succeed. New York:
Penguin, 2005.
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Dorset culture. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorset_culture
Eric the Red’s Saga. April 10, 2007.
http://www.fva.is/~vinland/english/eriksaga.html
Greenland Sagas. April 10, 2007.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/greenland/sagas.html
Harris, John N. The Last Viking. April 10, 2007.
http://www.spirasolaris.ca/1aintro.html
Helluland. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helluland
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Inuit Innovation. RCAP April 10, 2007.
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg8_e.html
Inuit. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Our Earliest History. April 10, 2007.
http://www.itk.ca/5000-year-heritage/early-history.php
Janzen, Olaf U. A Reader's Guide to the History of Newfoundland and Labrador
to 1869 --Discovery and Early Exploration, ca. 1000 – 1550 . April 10, 2007.
http://www.swgc.mun.ca/nfld_history/nfld_history_early_exploration.htm
L’Anse Aux Meadows. April 10, 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Anse_aux_Meadows
Library and Archives Canada. Vikings. Passageways: True Tales of Adventure
for Young Explorers. April 10, 2007.
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/explorers/kids/h3-1210-e.html
Library and Archives Canada. The Vinland Sagas. Pathfinders and
Passageways. April 10, 2007. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/explorers/h241201-e.html
Little Ice Age. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
Markland. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markland
Mease, Anne. Explorers and Northern Exploration. April 10, 2007.
http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/northern/content?pg=ex05-1
Smithsonian Institute. Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga. April 10, 2007.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/start.html
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Smithsonian Institute. Arctic Studies Center. April 10, 2007.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/
Sutherland, Patricia D. Strands of Culture Contact: Dorset-Norse Interactions in
the Canadian Eastern Arctic April 10, 2007.
http://www.civilization.ca/academ/articles/suth_01e.html
Vinland. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinland
Vinland Map. April 10, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinland_map
Voyages to Vinland. Historical Documents. April 10, 2007.
http://www.historicaldocuments.com/VoyagestoVinland.htm
Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. The Norse in the North Atlantic. April 10,
2007. http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/norse.html
Main Objective:
To encourage students to think about the Canadian Arctic, and to consider the
ramifications that both an historic as well as a scientific understanding of climate
change might have for Canada and the global community.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
•
•
•
generalize about the extent to which past and present northern societies
have chosen to succeed or to fail. Inquiry into arctic settlement is meant to
develop a conceptual understanding of aboriginal identity, the Canadian
north as a distinct region, and our global responsibilities to protect the
arctic from environmental degradation. (Knowledge Objectives).
develop "Process Skills." Students acquire information from various
sources, record and organize information in note form, analyze and
evaluate research materials for bias, as well as interpret and summarize
materials. Students hone their "Communication Skills," developing their
ideas in written and oral form. Finally, students develop their
"Participation Skills" by working at individual tasks in a group situation
(Skill Objectives).
Through independent and cooperative work, students are encouraged to
appreciate various dimensions of this inquiry. It is hoped that all students
will develop a critical, respectful attitude towards issues affecting Canada's
northern peoples (Attitude Objectives).
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The Lesson:
Introducti
on
Teacher Activity
Teacher can introduce topic using newspaper
clippings on current or recent environmental
problems in the arctic, and how they affect
everyone globally.
Conclusion
Lesson
Development
Teacher organizes classroom into work stations.
Teacher circulates among groups asking
questions, offering guidance, and time-keeping.
Teacher will offer direction and editing
assistance as students develop writing and
argumentative skills.
Student Activity
Students read clippings and
engage in classroom
discussion of environmental
degradation and global
warming.
Students work at stations
independently or in pairs.
When proceeding beyond
research phase into writing
phase, they may engage in
peer editing or seek direct
teacher assistance.
Students will have written an
effective argument paper.
Lesson Extension:
Could be linked to questions about arctic sovereignty as it relates to ownership of
natural resources and the North West Passage.
Assessment of Student Learning:
Student essays and presentations may be evaluated on rubrics.
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Setting up the Four Learning Stations on the Canadian Arctic
The Over-Arching Inquiry topic for presentations and position papers:
"Using Inuit, Dorset, and Viking societies as examples, assess the future viability
of Canadian society in light of Jared Diamond’s claim that societies choose to fall
or succeed.”
In order to use this lesson plan effectively, it is imperative that the teacher reads
the Prologue and Chapter 6 of Diamond’s book. Each station ought to include
some mention of Diamond’s five point framework. In his view, all collapses occur
due to some combination of: (1) environmental damage, (2) climate change, (3)
hostile neighbors, (4) friendly trade partners, and (5) the society’s response to its
environmental problems. Diamond remarks that the fifth factor always proves
significant.
The Inuit Workstation
See selected resource list for suggestions. Materials in this station ought to:
(1) demonstrate when and how the Inuit arrived in the Canadian arctic. Blank
maps with a complete map ought to be included that shows areas of settlement,
the various distinct Inuit bands, and routes of migration.
(2) offer information about some of the technical innovations that the Inuit
improvised, and that the other two early societies (Dorset and Viking) failed to
adopt. Information ought to be provided concerning how the Inuit not only
adapted, but also how they learned from the other societies, whereas the other
societies failed to learn from them.
(3) offer information on evidence of “first contact” scenarios between the Inuit and
the other groups; what does this suggest about their receptivity to new ideas and
willingness to cooperate?
(4) provide information about the Inuit today. How has Inuit culture changed?
What challenges do the Inuit face today? What challenges do we face in other
parts of Canada? Can we learn anything from the Inuit about how to choose to
succeed as a society that is a part of a larger global community?
Excerpts from Chapters 6-8 of Diamond’s book would be very useful, insofar as
they demonstrate that:
9 Inuit were far more adaptable to the harsh northern environment than
other early societies in the Canadian arctic. See Diamond 255-266.
The Dorset Workstation
See selected resource list for suggestions. Materials in this station ought to:
(1) demonstrate when and how the Dorset (and pre-Dorset) cultures arrived in
the Canadian arctic. Blank maps with a complete map ought to be included that
shows areas of settlement.
(2) present information on how the Dorset culture survived in the north, and the
ways in which they were out-performed by the Inuit.
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(3) chronicle any known encounters between Dorset and Viking peoples, in order
that students might reflect on what these encounters suggest about both
societies.
(4) engage students in reflecting about the challenges we face in other parts of
Canada. Can we learn anything from the disappearance of the Dorset people
about how to choose to succeed as a society that is a part of a larger global
community?
Excerpts from Chapter 6-8 of Diamond’s book would be very useful, insofar as
they demonstrate that:
9 The Dorset people were out-competed by the Inuit, and posed much less
of a threat to the Norse than either the Inuit or the Canadian Indians. See
Diamond 255-260.
The Vikings Workstation
See selected resource list for suggestions. Materials in this station ought to:
(1) include information about when and how the Vikings arrived in the Canadian
north and the arctic regions in particular. Blank maps with a complete map ought
to be included that shows areas of settlement and routes of migration.
(2) present information about the manner in which the Vikings attempted to
survive in their new environment, and how they were out-performed by the
aboriginal peoples (and the Inuit in particular)
(3) provide evidence of how and why the Vikings failed to learn better survival
skills from the Inuit, including some discussion of their use of the derogatory
term, “skraelings” (literally, “wretches”) to describe the native peoples they
encountered.
(4) offer some suggestions as to why the Vikings failed to maintain permanent
settlements at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland (Vinland), the Labrador
(Markland) coast south of Baffin Island, and the east coast of Baffin Island
(Helluland). Some mention in this workstation of climate change would be
appropriate.
Excerpts from Chapters 6-8 of Diamond’s book would be very useful, insofar as
they demonstrate that:
9 The Vikings damaged their environment (ex. Iceland). See Diamond 197205
9 The Vikings suffered from climactic changes (The Little Ice Age) See
Diamond 204, 219-220, 267.
9 The Vikings’ cultural values and responses negatively affected their
outcome (they were hostile to “skraelings” or natives peoples; they failed
to establish good relations with them, and resisted learning from them how
to adapt to the harsh northern environment; this prevented them from
engaging in effective trade). See Diamond 205-210; 257-266.
9 The Vikings were out-competed by aboriginal peoples. (Beothuks and
Inuit). See Diamond 205-210.
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The Modern Day Canadian North
See selected resource list for suggestions. Materials in this station ought to:
(1) include information about how modern settlement of Canada’s arctic regions
has developed. Blank maps with a complete map ought to be included that
shows areas of settlement, burgeoning industry, and the northwest passage.
(2) present information about the manner in which Canadian activity in the north
may pose long term environmental problems for Canada and the rest of the
world.
(3) provide some analysis of how Canadian activity in the north (or our actions in
more southerly regions) might be understood in terms of Diamond’s five-point
framework.
(4) offer some suggestions as to what sorts of alternatives and choices we must
consider if we are to behave responsibly and for our survival in a global
community. Some mention in this workstation of climate change would be
appropriate.
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Application of Jared Diamond’s Five-Point Framework:
Workstation: ____________________
Student Name: __________________
Environmental
damage?
Climate change?
Hostile neighbours?
Friendly trade?
Society’s response to
its environmental
problems?
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