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Black History Month

Int · CLB 5–6

Exercises 7

Reading

75 min

Some of the most important chapters of Canadian history are the ones many Canadians never learned in school. This lesson tells them through a clear, accessible article: Black people in Canada before Confederation, Black soldiers in the War of 1812, the reality of enslavement in Canada and the people who fought against it. Then it follows a remarkable story of persistence, from a petition to the City of Toronto in 1979 to a unanimous vote in Parliament in 1995. Students build the timeline themselves, meet five real people behind the campaign (a navigator, two activists, an MP and a senator) and argue about whose contribution mattered most. They also learn words they need to discuss history and society (enslaved, inclusive, heritage, announce) and finish by debating whether every country should have a month to remember important history. Answer key included.

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