Unit 1

Early Canada

Skill Builders Targets

  Chapter 4 Assessment

Imagine that it is the early 1800s and you are in the middle of the fur trade.

Many groups of people participated in the fur trade: those working for the Hudson's Bay Company at trading posts, fur traders in the interior, Aboriginal women, and Aboriginal fur traders.

Each of these groups of people had a different perspective of the fur trade and of working with other groups of people.

Remember: Perspective means a shared point of view of a group. It can reflect the outlook of people from a culture or group.

For this assessment, you will pretend to be one of the following people:


  1. the factor for a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post
  2. a fur trader in the interior
  3. an Aboriginal woman living at a trading post
  4. an Aboriginal trapper working with the traders



Follow the steps below to complete your Chapter 4 Assessment.

  1. Read page 97 in your textbook for some ideas about perspective.
  2. Watch the video, "Canada Vignettes: Trading Post" for some information about life during the fur trade.
  3. Use the information in Chapter 4 of the textbook to research the role you have chosen.

    You will be addressing the following two items in your assessment.

    • Choose a time during the year and describe what life is like for you at that time.

      For example, you could explain about the harsh winters, abundance or lack of food, how you get along with your neighbours or the people you have to work with, friendships, allies, or enemies you have made.

    • Identify the greatest challenge you faced living during the fur trade and explain why this was the biggest challenge.
  4. You may conduct additional research using other sources if you wish.

    If you use additional resources to gather information, provide a list of the resources used at the end of your journal entry or postcard. 

    Be sure to provide exact website addresses for sites used. (Remember that general search engines such as www.google.com or www.yahoo.com are not exact website addresses!)

  1. Choose one role (from the list provided in the Introduction above) and construct a journal entry or a postcard to a friend or relative about your life in the fur trade.

    Your journal entry or postcard must be at least one paragraph (5 - 7 sentences).

  2. During this time, many factors contributed to the life of a person during the fur trade.

    Include the following information in your journal entry or postcard.
      • Choose a time during the year and describe what life is like for you at that time.

        For example, you could explain about the harsh winters, abundance or lack of food, how you get along with your neighbours or the people you have to work with, friendships, allies, or enemies you have made.

      •   Identify the greatest challenge you face living during the fur trade and explain why this is the biggest challenge.


Your finished product must meet the following criteria:

  1. You have described what life is like in the fur trade from your chosen perspective.
  2. You have identified your biggest challenge and explained why this is the biggest challenge.
  3. You have included at least one paragraph in the writing form chosen.
  4. You have written your letter or postcard from the perspective of the role chosen.
  5. You have included a list of resources used to gather information, if additional sources were used.
Your project will be evaluated according to the following rubric.
 
Click here to download the rubric

Submit your completed Chapter 4 Assessment on the next page.