Activities:

• List the reasons why the early explorers came to Western Canada..
• On a large wall map, mark the route each explorer followed while journeying to or across Saskatchewan. Draw sketches or cut pictures from magazines to illustrate scenes each of the explorers might have observed during the journey. Put pictures in the appropriate locations on the wall map. Mark routes.
• List physical difficulties explorers, fur traders, and Indian peoples encountered while travelling through the different land formations and waterways of Saskatchewan. Some might include rapids, waterfalls, and wild animals. Think of others. How would these difficulties be overcome?
• Imagine that you are an explorer or fur trader. Make a list of all of the food, clothing, and other goods that you would bring from Europe or eastern Canada for use during your trip. Remember to bring only what you can carry. Give a reason for each item. Make another list of the things that you would obtain from the Indian peoples or from nature.
• Draw a diagram showing the differences between the food eaten by a party of explorers or fur traders and the food we eat today. Label each item in the picture.
• You are an explorer writing a letter to your family in Europe. Describe your impressions of the first buffalo herd you saw.
• Dip writing paper into tea to yellow it and make it look old. Pretend you are an explorer. Write a diary page describing a day in the life of the explorer. Copy this onto the yellowed paper. Use real feather quills and India ink. Students may wish to have an adult help them burn the edges of the paper.
• Keep an explorer's journal. Journal entries shouldhave a three-line heading:
  - On the first line, write today's date.
  - On the second line, write the title of your journal entry.
  - On the third line, write the exploration dates your entry covers.
  You can also include the description of the scenery along the route of your journey.
• Before the fur trade began, the Indian peoples made all of their tools, equipment, and clothing from materials found in nature. Make a list of these skills. Conduct an interview to find out how these skills are used or adapted today.
• Trapping is an important source of income today in Saskatchewan. Make a mural showing how the life of a fur trapper today compares to the life of a fur trapper in the 18th or 19th century. This activity could be completed in Unit 3 when learning about wildlife as a resource. Use Saskatchewan Trapper Training Manual.
• Take a field trip to Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt, or Cumberland House. These early fur trading posts are provincial historic parks today. Brochures describing these historic sites can be obtained by writing to these sites. See the list of historic sites on the Related Resources & Links page.
• Beaver pelts were used extensively in Europe in the 18th and early 19th century for the manufacture of hats. Research and write a report on the beaver hat. Include descriptions of the different styles of hats and techniques used to process the furs into finished hats.
• Explore Saskatchewan names and events that feature or honour explorers and fur traders.
• Draw a picture representing one important aspect or moment in an explorer's or fur trader's journey. Write a paragraph explaining the picture. Mount the pictures and paragraphs together.
• Select Your Top Ten. After becoming familiar with the exploits and adventures of various explorers, create your personal 'top ten' list of explorers. Explain why you selected each.
• Identify Explorer Traits. After studying different explorers, make a list of 10 attributes that you believe are needed to be an explorer.
• Create A Poster. Select a favorite explorer and create a poster illustrating their discovery, mode of transportation, and costume/dress.
• Lure new settlers to the Saskatchewan!
  Create a travel brochure to lure people to Saskatchewan. You only have one rule: you must tell the truth.
  
• Do a research project about explorers and fur traders. The following suggests one procedure for such a research project.
  • Model procedures for research by doing a class research project.
  • With the class access information about one of the explorers or fur traders. Make notes about the explorer.
  • Create a drama in context to represent some significant events in the life of the explorer. Make this activity more concrete by focusing on technology used by the explorer such as tools, transportation, clothing. Ask each person in the drama about her/his role. Explorers may show their route on a wall map.

  Questions to guide research include:

  • Where did the explorer come from?
  • For whom was the explorer working?
  • What was his main goal?
  • Through what areas did he travel?
  • How far did he travel?
  • What kind of relationship did he have with the Indian peoples encountered?
  • What were some of the major hardships he encountered?

  Divide the class into groups. Assign an explorer or fur trader to each group. Each group will research the explorer, making a short list of the significant points about the explorer then create a tableau to share with the class. Focus on technologies. The teacher will tap in on each person in the tableau and ask them about their role. Ask one person in each group to use a wall map to explain their route.

  Or each group will prepare a page for a class book. Each page could contain pictures of tools, transportation, and clothing used by the explorer. A short caption could explain main accomplishments. Record routes on a map at the end.

  Or prepare a large mural-type map of Canada and the World. Each group could record the route of the explorer they researched on this map. Make a key so explorers can be matched up with their route. The groups could also prepare a cut-out picture of the explorer and the technologies used to display on the map.

It is not intended that students complete a formal `report' about an explorer. In many situations there are not suitable resources available for students to do extensive `reports' about explorers. Also, completing a `report' on an explorer may not be developmentally appropriate for most grade four students.

Integrate with art education by learning about the art forms of the explorers and fur traders. Identify reasons why art forms evolved.

(some ideas taken from Saskatchewan Learning Social Studies Curriculum Elementary Level)