Activities
Introduction
If this unit is used at the beginning of the course, take time to discuss the following:
A Vast and Varied Land
What is the students' personal map of Canada? Have students consider the following quotation.
When one thinks of the influence of a place on one's writing, two aspects come to mind. First, the physical presence of the place itself--its geography, its appearance. Second, the people.
Even in a technological, urbanized society, Canadians appear to have a mythological relationship with their land ...
The ties that bind any group of human beings to their homeland are extremely powerful. The love of land transcends rational thought and competes on the highest level of human emotions. A people's love of their homeland equals--and often surpasses--the love of family and love of life itself.
- Brian Maracle
Students might begin a "personal map" of Canada through journal writing, identifying quotations about the country, and collecting visual images of Canada.
Have students reflect upon how this vast land has shaped both individual Canadians and cultural groups or nations of people within Canada. Have students consider how this vast land has shaped the following writers. What is each of the following poets saying about us as Canadians?
Reading Poetry:
from Between Two Furious Oceans (Diespecker) or another poem about the physical nature of Canada.
Canadian literature ... began with the given forms of land and sea, mountain, river, city, village.
- Elizabeth Waterston
Canada, like any nation, is ultimately held together by its territory, its land. This land is varied, rich, and magnificent. This poem is mostly about the diverse landscapes of Canada.
Reading
The poem is full of visual images. As students read it, have them find one or two specific images for each of the provinces and, on a blank map of Canada, label the place names found in the poem.