Loyalist Women in New Brunswick, 1783-1827: Lesson Plan: Above the Fold

Above the Fold: Newsworthy Women

Lesson Plan

This lesson plan focuses on learning about the communications and lives of Loyalist women in the period 1783-1827 who settled in New Brunswick. Students will be asked to identify significant events in women's lives and, from women's perspectives, write newspaper articles using an online historic newspaper generator.

Expectations for Historical Thinking

Students will:

Learning Outcomes

This learning activity assists students to:

Required Knowledge and Skills

  • an understanding of the concept of "historical significance;"
  • an understanding of the difference between primary and secondary sources;
  • an understanding of the American Revolution and the subsequent migration of Loyalists to the Atlantic Provinces in the eighteenth century.

Detailed Instructions

  1. The letters women wrote in the 1700s and 1800s are very much like mini-newspapers. In any one letter, births, deaths, and marriages are announced and stories are told about the comings and goings of community and family members.

    In small groups, or individually, ask students to select one of the Loyalist women featured on this website. Ask students to read the letters listed below as well as the historical context information.

  2. From the perspective of the women they selected, ask students to write a newspaper article describing one or more events written about in the letter(s). Use the online newspaper generator.

  3. Have students print their articles. Staple or bind articles together to create a class newspaper.

Primary Sources

About the Learning Resources

Lesson plans and learning activities were developed by the Atlantic Canada Virtual Archives' Instructional Design team, Lisa Charlong and Jody Polec. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Concepts and Grade Levels

Lesson Level

  • Grades 5, 6, and 7

Lesson Duration

  • 2 hours (2 60-minute lessons)

Time Period

  • 1750-1850

Concepts

  • Primary source evidence
  • Historical significance

Resources for Teachers