• 7th, 8th and 9th grade students
• 1st and 2nd  Cycle Secondary School students (in Quebec)

• History 
• Literature
  

• Colonialism 
• First Nations
• Canadian history
• XIXth century social history

• Read a novel written in 1894
• Research on the internet and/or in the library
• Criticism of sources
• Selection and analysis of information
• Composition of short historical text
• Understand different historical mentalities

Between 1 to 4 hours
(Depending on the activities the teacher selects. Time for the activity can be separated between home and the classroom)

History and Citizenship, Secondary School Education, first cycle
Social phenomena: The expansion of the industrial world

Present the youth novel ‘‘The Jungle Book’’, volumes 1 and 2, written in 1894 by the British author Rudyard Kipling. Ask the students if they have read the book and then have them resume it. It is also possible to ask the Literature professor to have the language class read and analyse the book several weeks before it is discussed in the history class.  

Ask questions on the author and his books. If need be, ask students to research the subject and bring that information along for the next class. It can be both interesting and useful to share the information so all students can have the same knowledge of the author. 

What are Kipling’s other works? Take out a list of his works and emphasize a poem published in 1899: «White Man’s Burden».   

Read the poem and discuss the ideas presented therein…
Situate this work in its historical context and describe its impact on the society of that day.
Is this a theory still in use today? Reflect a moment on the wars of the XXth century and the conflicts in this beginning of the XXIt century. 

Did these colonialist ideas apply here in America?  How do you believe colonialism/imperialism manifested itself here in Canada?

Assign students a research through the virtual library for texts which demonstrate a colonialist theory.
Suggest the reading of the text by William Clint which addresses colonialist theories in regards to the colonisation of the West and the First Nations who held a part of these coveted lands at the time. Once printed, this text totals 37 pages; it can however be used partially, in order to find examples of the theories brought forth by the author (and shared by a part of the population at the time). 

Copyright – Morrin Centre - 2008