Program DescriptionIn the manner that a group of citizens might meet to initiate action, students will be invited to the house as a group of community members who are mobilizing at the turn of the century. As concerned citizens they will discuss social problems affecting their city, tour the house to consider current methods available for improving social conditions, and look at the efforts that will be required to bring about change. Students will then explore how these efforts can be utilized to tackle contemporary issues of social justice in Canada.
To encourage students to examine the events of the early 19th century in relationship to their own lives. To use the historic house as a primary source to find clues about the class divisions that existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To help students pin point events that can change social fabric, such as rapid growth and urbanization. To apply this critical thinking about human rights and justice to the realities of life in Manitoba today for many of the provinces citizens who are marginalized. To highlight the value and necessity of the collaborative process to effect change.
6.2.2
Social ChangeKH-035 Describe the causes, main events, and results of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike
KH-037 Describe changing roles for women in Canada from 1914 to 1945
KE-057 Give examples of the impact of technological development on life in Canada from 1914 to 1945.
e.g., electricity, telecommunication, transportation, medicine, industrialization…
VI-006 Value the contributions of various groups to the development of Canada
e.g., suffragettes, trade unions…
VH-013 Appreciate the struggles of past generations in achieving the rights that people in Canada enjoy today
Component
Time (minutes)
Description
1. Introduction
10
Students brainstorm the issues facing Manitobans at the Turn of the Century, with a vocabulary list defined (including words like: urbanization, industrialization, class).
2. Tour
30
Students tour the house, focusing on the discrepancies between the rooms used by the Macdonalds and those used by their servants.
3. Penny Social Justice Game
40
Students participate in a game that highlights the connection between wealth and power.
4. Conclusion
10
Major points of the day are recounted. Students then brainstorm what social justice issues that existed at the Turn of the Century still exist in present day Manitoba. Students then brainstorm an action plan for how to combat these issues.
Page revised: 19 February 2012
