Detective of the Past

Try Detective of the Past in 10 seconds

Flip a source. Old does not mean primary. Ask who made it, and were they there. Just to touch — nothing is recorded.

Learn — lessons that teach first, best in this order

1. 1Lesson 1Start hereWhose story?Three people describe one village. Ask a good question, sort primary from secondary, and weigh Champlain against a Wendat ElderTeaches: Whose story? Questions, sources, perspectivesYou will use: a sort · sources · an inquiry · questions · casesOntario A2.1, A2.2, A2.4Test yourself on lesson 1 →
2. 2Lesson 2ReadyMaps and evidenceRead a map as evidence, put the steps of an inquiry in order, conclude fairly, and tell it in two voicesTeaches: Maps, evidence, conclusions — and telling itYou will use: a map · an inquiry · a timeline · a sort · casesOntario A2.3, A2.5, A2.6Test yourself on lesson 2 →

Play with it — any time, nothing recorded

• LabJust playSource BenchPick sources for a comparison chart. The bench shows which side you have not heard yet
• GameJust playSource DetectiveA journal, a belt, a website, a map. Call each one: primary, secondary, or not checked
• MakerCreateTimeline MakerPick the events that belong on your line, name it, and sign it with a code a friend can open

Why it matters today

• Two videos, one event

  When two friends tell a story differently, this world's questions help: who was there, who made this, what is left out?

• A photo is a source

  Every picture on your phone is primary evidence of one moment — and says nothing about the moment before.

• Who gets to tell it

  For a long time only one side's journals were read. Oral history counts, and this world shows you how to weigh it.

Words you will meet

Tap a word. The lessons explain each one the first time it appears.

• primary source

  Evidence made at the time by someone who was there: a letter, a map they drew, a tool, an oral account passed down. Champlain's own journal is a primary source.

• secondary source

  Something made later by someone who was not there, using other sources — a textbook, an encyclopedia, a documentary.

• oral history

  History carried by telling, from person to person, often by trained memory across many generations.

• perspective

  The way a person or group sees something, shaped by who they are and what they want.

• inquiry

  Finding something out in steps: ask a question, gather evidence, analyse it, draw a conclusion, share it.

• Elder

  A respected person in an Indigenous community who carries knowledge, language and teachings — chosen by the community, not by age alone.

What Ontario asks

The 2018 curriculum expectations this world teaches, in the Ministry’s own words. 6 of the course’s 35.

• A2.1 formulate questions to guide investigations into aspects of the interactions among Indigenous peoples, among…

  formulate questions to guide investigations into aspects of the interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between Indigenous and European people in what would eventually become Canada, from the perspectives of various groups involved (e.g., questions about interactions from the perspectives of groups such as European settlers; First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit men and women; different First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities; coureurs de bois ; missionaries; Filles du Roi ; warriors; shamans ; slaves and slave owners)

• A2.2 gather and organize information on interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between…

  gather and organize information on interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between Indigenous and European people in what would eventually become Canada, using a variety of primary and secondary sources that present various perspectives (e.g., treaties; pictographs; petroglyphs ; paintings; maps of trade routes; artefacts and their replicas; oral histories; traditional First Nations and European stories relating to similar themes/events; census records; journals written by Jesuits, early explorers, and/or Hudson’s Bay Company employees; accurate and authentic voices from Internet resources and/or books on Canadian history; interviews with Métis Senators, Elders , and/or knowledge keepers )

• A2.3 analyse and construct maps as part of their investigations into interactions among Indigenous peoples, among…

  analyse and construct maps as part of their investigations into interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between Indigenous and European people in what would eventually become Canada (e.g., thematic maps that show how physical features influenced settlement patterns , seasonal migration, trade routes, Indigenous social networks, agricultural practices, or the habitat of animals that sustained the fur trade; historical maps that show First Nations territory prior to and after contact; historical maps that show the emergence of Métis communities )

• A2.4 interpret and analyse information and evidence relevant to their investigations, using a variety of tools

  interpret and analyse information and evidence relevant to their investigations, using a variety of tools (e.g., assess evidence to ensure that its voice is authentic and the information it provides is accurate; use a graphic organizer to help them compare the views of First Nations, Métis, and European settlers on nature and resource use; examine the content of journals or diaries to determine how European settlers and explorers reacted when meeting and working with First Nations peoples; use oral histories to develop their understanding of how one or more First Nations reacted to meeting and guiding settlers; use a comparison chart to help them analyse different perspectives on the fur trade or the establishment of Christian missions)

• A2.5 evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about aspects of the interactions among First Nations, Métis, and…

  evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about aspects of the interactions among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities, among Europeans, and between Europeans and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in what would eventually become Canada during this period, highlighting the perspectives of the different groups involved

• A2.6 communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary

  communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., Elder , faith keeper , knowledge keeper, Métis Senator , shaman, oral history, wampum belt, pictograph , petroglyph, missionary, colonization , colonialism , settler, xenophobia, racism, prejudice, charter, treaty , coureur de bois, seigneur, Filles du Roi) and formats (e.g., a poem, song, or story that describes the founding of Quebec from two distinct perspectives; an annotated map that shows different perspectives on the growth of the fur trade and resulting settlements; a collection of images they have created themselves, downloaded from websites, and/or taken from printed sources, showing different perspectives on the work of missionaries)