(BC Social Studies Grade 4) First Peoples and European Contact

A new British Columbia social studies series designed and developed to provide a student-centred, user-friendly, flexible and engaging set of resources to fully support teachers and students.

First Peoples and European Contact

Topics

Land, People, and Identity Students explore the diversity of British Columbia’s peoples as shaped by the traditional territories where they reside.

Trade: Conflict and Cooperation Students explore the interactions between First Peoples and Europeans during the coastal fur trade, and investigate whether First Peoples were equal partners in the trade networks that connected the coast to the world in the 1700s.   

Judging the Impact Students explore how the influx of European settlement and changes to the landscape impacted First Peoples, and determine what the consequences of those changes are.

Changes and Consequences Students explore the ways in which important events have shaped British Columbia and will investigate why British Columbia joined Canada and how it impacts the relationship between First Peoples and government. 

How We Remember Students will investigate the Chilcotin War of 1864 to explore how the same event can take on a very different level of importance for different people. They will also investigate other events from the past to determine their significance from a First People's perspective. 

Making Responsible Choices about the Land Students explore the uses of land from a variety of perspectives and consider solutions to the question of how resources and land should be used responsibly in British Columbia.