Submitted by Maureen Curran-Dorsano
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Description of Task:
Each section of this unit includes a comprehension self-check, a question-answer worksheet, and a reflection piece. The reflection questions push students to higher-order thinking, but given the language skills of the students, will probably have to be done as whole-class discussions.
The assessment, then, is more a unit assessment for the teacher: Did the students understand not only the factual concepts, but the overall significance and effects of the fur trade? At the end of the unit, there is a 20-question "Jeopardy"-type game. To maximize student output, students should work on these questions in pairs or small groups, before playing the game as a whole class. If you want to use this as an individual written exam, you can print the questions (See "Attachments" section).
At the end of this unit, you may want to have your own trading post activity. Students bring in articles they wish to trade (with parents' permission), and simulate the trading that went on during the fur trade. Students quickly learn that what they think they should get in exchange may not be at all what someone else is willing to give. At the end of the training, you should evaluate the activity with the students: What did they learn about trading? Did they always get what they wanted? Were the European merchants and the Native American equal partners? Was the trading fair to both sides?