Minds On
Communities in our everyday lives
A wide diversity of settlers have come to Canada in the past, and people continue to move to Canada in the present. When people move to a new place, it is called migration. Migration often happens when there are push factors and when there are pull factors.
Press ‘Push Factors’ to reveal its definition.
Press ‘Pull Factors’ to reveal its definition.
What are some push and pull factors for settlers coming to Canada in the past or the present?
Brainstorm
Let’s think about communities
Canada is a very diverse country. What are some of the communities that have a presence in your neighbourhood?
If you feel comfortable sharing, which communities might you identify with?
Do you know friends or people who have lived in another country besides Canada? Where did they live?
Action
Settlement story
Canada is a country filled with a rich immigration history. It is important for us to learn about how people came to Canada.
In the following task, you will be researching to learn more about the history of your own community, or of a chosen settler community in Canada. You will be using your research to answer questions about your chosen community. Finally, you will use your research to create a presentation on the information you find.
My community
What is the traditional territory of your community?
Think about the following questions as you explore the history of your community:
- What settler communities came and began a settlement in what is now your community?
- How has your community changed and developed over time?
- When did your family arrive in your community?
You can search for historical information on your community, town, city, or region either online or through your local library website or building.
If you are not able to find information out about your own community, you can choose a specific settler community that came to Canada and learn more about them.
Choose a community to research
For the following activity, you will be choosing one research option for a community in Canada. Press the following two tabs to explore your two research options. Choose one research project option.
Research more about the history of your community and the changes within your own community over time. Discover the Indigenous cultural history, the settler history, and the changes and developments that have happened over time in that community.
- Use the suggested research questions in the following section to guide your exploration.
- Share your community’s settlement history in a presentation using a method of your choice.
Research the history of a specific settler community using the research questions listed in the following section.
- Use the suggested research questions to guide your exploration.
- Share your chosen settler community history in a presentation using a method of your choice.
If you are choosing a settler community that is not your own, the following list contains some possibilities for you. Here are just some settler communities that have come to Canada:
- Chinese
- Caribbean
- English
- Japanese
- Irish
- Nigerian
- Syrian
- Portuguese
- Sikh
- Kenyan
- Scottish
- Romanian
- Dutch
- Egyptian
- German
- Ukrainian
- Italian
- Russian
Canada is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. There are over thirty-five different ethnic communities living in Canada. This list only covers some of these communities. You can choose a community that is not listed.
Research your chosen community
Here are some tips and questions you can use. Remember, you can create your own questions as well!
Press the following titles to explore a list of questions about your chosen community!
- What is the history of the land your community is now on? What traditional territory is it on?
- What settler groups came to Canada and arrived in what is now your community?
- What has changed over time?
- What push factors may have made members of your community want to leave their home country? Examples include safety, religious or political differences, limited employment and educational opportunities.
- What pull factors may have made members of the community want to move to Canada? Examples include multicultural society, great healthcare, and job opportunities.
- What is the history of how members of the community came to settle in Canada?
- What could have been some challenges that the community experienced and overcame when moving to Canada? Examples include being unsure of driving rules or finding a job.
- What are some benefits that the community experienced since settling in Canada?
- How does your family fit into this story of your community?
- When did this settler group first begin to arrive in Canada?
- What were the push and pull factors that brought this settler group to Canada?
- What traditional territory did they settle on?
- What did these settlers do once they arrived in Canada?
- What is this community like now? How has it changed since these settlers first arrived?
Consolidation
Present your story
Now is the chance for you to share your research with others or record it for your own viewing.
Use the following success criteria in ‘Presentation Checklist’ to create a five-minute oral presentation, video, written essay, or other multimedia presentation of your choice representing what you learned during your community research.
Presentation Checklist
Think on it
In what ways is the story that you explored part of the story of Canada?
Record your response in a method of your choice.
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.