Overview

Students will examine the various perspectives that different individuals and groups of people had on the causes, peoples, events and impacts of the War of 1812 to understand the motivations and experiences of the peoples who participated in the war. Students will begin by taking a closer look at what is meant by “worldviews” and perspectives. They will then examine various aspects of both verbal and non-verbal communication to understand the factors and strategies that influence communication.

Students will look gather information from the graphic novel about the perspectives of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples on the war and compare them within the context of historical perspectives and world views. Students will also reflect on contemporary perspectives in relation to the War of 1812 and compare the similarities and differences to the historical perspectives.

Key Concepts

Historical Perspective

• People have diverse perspectives on historical events
• Historical perspective means looking at past events and peoples in the context of the times and the worldviews of the time. These diverse perspectives affect the interpretation of significance, cause, and consequence
• Differences in worldviews affect the perspectives held by people who participated in the War of 1812
• Perspectives on the war held by various groups including the British, Americans, Canadians, and First Nations peoples are unique and different
• Perspectives on the roles of key individuals, groups and nations in the War of 1812 are varied

Skills

• Inquiry/Research Skills
• Recording key ideas and information from a range of resources
• Analyzing texts to identify and explain elements in them
• Critical thinking
• Working with a partner and in small groups
• Communicating effectively (listening, speaking, and writing) to different audiences for different purposes using a variety of communication strategies