Grade Level

Grades 4 to 6

Time Required

About 45 to 60 minutes

Curriculum Connection

Nova Scotia – Elementary Social Studies

Key-stage curriculum outcomes: By the end of Grade 6, students will be expected to:

• ask geographic questions; acquire, organize and analyze geographic information; and answer geographic questions at an age-appropriate level
• use maps, globes, pictures, models and technologies to represent and describe physical and human systems
• identify, evaluate, and use appropriate primary and secondary sources in order to learn and communicate about the past

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element #6 – The Uses of Geography

• influences of physical and human features on historical events – Grades 4 to 5 standard

Geographic Skill #2 – Acquiring Geographic Information

• locate, gather and process information from a variety of primary and secondary sources including maps – Kindergarten to Grade 5 skill

Atlas of Canada Resources

Go to the Atlas of Canada Web site found at: atlas.gc.ca The following parts of the Web site will be accessed by students during the lesson:

• Explore Our Maps

Map Archives

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment

• overhead projector, markers
• print off pictures from this Web site for use during the student activity: www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/intro.asp
• suggested photos from the above Web site:

• soldiers standing guard on Kaye Street
  www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/exhibit.asp?ID=11
• women walking from Africville towards Halifax, on Campbell Road near Hanover Street
  www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/exhibit.asp?ID=13
• Campbell Road (later Barrington Street) looking north from Rector Street after the explosion
  www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/exhibit.asp?ID=14
• Argyle Street at the corner of George Street, noticeably less damaged than other photos
  www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/exhibit.asp?ID=22
• Duffus Street
  www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/exhibit.asp?ID=37
• Gottingen Street a few hours after the explosion
  www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/exhibit.asp?ID=40

• The Web site created by students at Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth at www.pahs.ednet.ns.ca/explosion/maps.shtml has a map showing the areas devastated.

Main Objective

This lesson is designed to immerse students in primary documents to aid in their understanding of the Halifax Explosion and to provide a way of linking photographic representations of places with geographic features.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson the students will be able to:

• use a historical map of Halifax to locate where photos of the wreckage caused by the Halifax Explosion were taken
• analyse where the most damage occurred
• practice map-reading skills

Introduction

Teacher Activity

• Take 5 minutes to brainstorm with students what they already know about the Explosion.
• Explain that today you will be using copies of photos and a map of Halifax to learn more about the devastation of the city.

Student Activity

• Students offer ideas to teacher to record on chart paper, overhead, etcetera.

Lesson Development

Teacher Activity

• Hand out copies of the map from the Atlas of Canada Web site. Using the overhead, familiarize students with major streets, the location where the two ships collided and where both were coming from.
• Then, provide each group with photos taken from the Nova Scotia Archives Web site above and explain what they are to do with them.

Student Activity

• Students draw lines and label to show where the Mont Blanc and the Imo travelled on the morning of the Explosion.
• Students should locate where each photo was taken on their group’s map.

Conclusion

Teacher Activity

• Draw the class back together to discuss what they discovered, how their group worked together, any challenges they encountered placing the photos and how they solved them, etcetera. Then ask each student to write a short reflection about the activity.

Student Activity

• Students should write a short reflection/journal entry about what they learned from this lesson. This could take the format of a simple 3 paragraph reflection: I learned. . . I liked. . .I was challenged by. . .

The student worksheet is printed separately for distribution to students.

• Student Worksheet – Mapping the Halifax Explosion

As a next step, students could research contemporary Halifax Explosion-related sites, such as the Fort Needham Memorial Tower, the Maritime Museum, graveyards where victims were buried, the Mont Blanc cannon near Albro Lake in Dartmouth and the Hydrostone district built afterwards. These sites could be plotted on student maps and then, if possible, a field trip could be planned to visit some or all of these areas.

A short reflection/journal entry about what they learned from this lesson will form the basis of assessment.

This info sheet produced by the Nova Scotia Museum, and is available on their Web site, has excellent background information about the Explosion:
museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/AtoZ/HalExpl.html

Elementary teachers, take note of the many other useful resources in the Atlas of Canada. It is an excellent source of outline maps, learning modules, and even fun interactive quizzes. Make sure you check it out whenever you are planning for social studies.

• PDF version. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)