Grade 7/8 History Lessons For The Ontario Curriculum

Are you looking for Grade 7/8 History lessons for the Ontario Curriculum? 

Teaching history is one of my favourite content areas. I have created engaging lessons for teachers required to teach this curriculum, including lessons that work well for a Grade 7/8 split class. 

When creating lessons, I think about how students learn best and what activities will engage them in their learning. These lesson plans are not worksheets but a combination of interactive activities, videos, readings, and inquiry assignments. 

By using engaging history lessons, students can develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the subject. Lessons are a powerful tool to help students develop a love of learning and critical thinking skills.

• Lessons that capture students’ attention and make them active participants in the learning process lead to increased retention of information and more connections to historical concepts. When students have to search for the vocabulary sheet and then scan a QR code, it helps make that lesson and word memorable for students.  
  
• Engaged students ask questions, seek out additional information, and think critically about what they are learning. This can lead to a more dynamic classroom environment and a more effective learning experience for all students.
  
• It is also important that students see the relevance of your history lessons to their own lives and the world around them. By connecting historical events and concepts to contemporary issues, teachers can help students develop a greater understanding of these issues and events.
  

Teaching a split grade history lesson is not easy. Learn more about Best Strategies For Teaching Split Grade Classes or check out the post, 7 Sanity-Saving Strategies for Teaching Split Grades. You may also want to check out this article: 13 Ways To Make History Class Engaging For Students.

Grade 7/8 History Lessons

Grade 7 and 8 History Bundle 1713-1914 – Teachers are provided with 85 in-depth, engaging, and cross-curricular lessons to help their students explore and understand the New France, British North America, Conflict and Challenges, Confederation, Western Settlement, Development, and Canada: A Changing Society eras of Canadian history. This unit covers the years 1713 to 1914. 

Resource Includes:
✅85 Detailed Lessons
✅MP3 Audio Files of Articles
✅Answer Keys & Rubrics
✅Assessment Variety: Projects, Quizzes & Unit Test
✅Inquiry Learning
✅Graphic Organizers
✅Print and Digital Formats

Grade 7/8 History Lessons Overview

Grade 7 Lessons

1. Important Events Sorting Activity
2. Historica Minutes Topic: Explorers & First Nations
3. Canadian Settlement Objects Activity
4. Haudenosaunee, Inuit and Métis
5. Map of New France 1700 Creation and Analysis
6. The Creation of New France
7. Medical Care in the 1700s
8. New France Vocabulary QR Code Matchup
9. Historical Figures Monologues
10. New France Inquiry Stations
11. Mid Unit Test Review and Test
12. The Treaty of Utrecht
13. Treaties and Pontiac’s Resistance
14. The Acadians
15. The Seven Years’ War
16. The Treaty of Paris, The Proclamation & The Quebec Act
17. The American Revolution
18. The Loyalists
19. The Impact of the Loyalists Migration on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
20. Canada: A People’s History Episode
21. Constitution Act 1791
22. British North America Summative Task
23. Unit Review and Test
24. Introduction: Top 10 List of Events from 1713-1800
25. Establishing Upper Canada
26. Métis & Settler Relations
27. Historica Minutes: War of 1812
28. War of 1812 Overview Reading
29. War of 1812 Inquiry Stations
30. War of 1812 Newspaper Article
31. Results of the War of 1812
32. Mackinac & Drummond Islands & The Treaty of Ghent
33. A Question of Identity: The War of 1812
34. War of 1812 Review & Quiz
35. Life in Lower Canada
36. The Rebellions in Lower Canada
37. Life in Upper Canada
38. The Rebellions in Upper Canada
39. Rebellions Quiz
40. Canada A People’s History Videos (Optional)
41. Legal Issues
42. Politics in British North America
43. British – Indigenous Treaties
44. Conflict and Challenges Summative Task
45. Unit Review and Test

Grade 8 Lessons

1. Why Do We Study History?
2. How Did We Get Here?
3. How Has The Map of Canada Changed?
4. Life in British North America Prior to 1867
5. Fathers of Confederation Monologues
6. Politics in the Province of Canada
7. John A. Macdonald Personal and Professional Life
8. Confederation Advertisement Assignment
9. The Pros and Cons of Confederation
10. The Charlottetown, Quebec and London Conferences
11. Missing Voices at the Confederation Conferences
12. British North America Act
13. Confederation Unit Test
14. Primary Source Analysis Videos and Photos
15. Legal Documents
16. Settlement of Western Canada Inquiry Stations
17. Manitoba Act 1870
18. The Indian Act 1876
19. Louis Riel Obituary Assignment
20. Canadian Pacific Railroad Lyric Analysis
21. Canadian Pacific Railroad Assignment
22. Primary Source Analysis, Video, and Creative Writing – The Gold Rush
23. The Chinese Immigration Act 1885
24. The Arctic and Indigenous Case Law
25. Numbered Treaties
26. Residential Schools
27. Video Review
28. Western Canada Unit Test
29. Settling Canada Top 10 Events Class Discussion
30. Primary Source Analysis – Examining Photos
31. Historica Minute Videos (Sports, Inventor, Key Females)
32. Interactive Timeline of Canadian Historical Events
33. The Changing Map of Canada – Examining Maps
34. Important Canadians QR Codes (Key People From This Era)
35. Historical Figures Readings – Frederick Ogilvie Loft, Thomas Longboat, Duncan Campbell Scott
36. Changing Society Inquiry Stations – 12 Topics (Technology, Transportation, Internal Politics, External Politics (Part 1 & 2), Immigration, Recreation Activities & Sports, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, Education Reforms & Child Labour, Emergence of Cities & Factories, Changing Role of Women)
37. Primary Source Analysis Assessment – Transportation Changes
38. Legal Issues and Changes (Voting Rights, The Metis, Indigenous Issues, School Policy Changes)
39. Class Newspaper
40. Changing Society Unit Test

What Teachers Are Saying About These Grade 7/8 History Lessons: 

“This resource is great.  It’s my first time teaching history and it’s a split grade so this is SUPER helpful. Thank you!” -Kira H.

“This was an absolute necessity for me with my 7/8 split class.  It was so nice to have all of the resources in one spot.  Everything was tied in with the curriculum so well and it made teaching history that much easier with the split class.  Thanks!” -Tim W.

You can find the Grade 7/8 Canadian History Lessons Bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers USD or Shopify CAD.

Modified Grade 7/8 History Lessons Bundle

This Grade 7/8 History Modified Bundle is specifically tailored to accommodate the unique needs of classroom teachers with students performing significantly below grade level in reading, writing, and comprehension. This adaptable and accessible resource empowers teachers to provide engaging history lessons while ensuring every student can participate actively in their learning journey.

This Grade 7/8 History Modified Bundle is for classroom teachers who are required to teach the Grade 7 and 8 Ontario History Curriculums but have students working significantly below grade level in reading, writing, and comprehension. An MP3 audio file of each student reading has been provided. This resource was designed to meet the needs of ELL students and/or students on a modified IEP.

Resource Includes:
✅77 Detailed Lessons
✅MP3 Audio Files of Articles
✅Answer Keys & Rubrics
✅Assessment Variety: Projects, Quizzes & Unit Test
✅Inquiry Learning
✅Graphic Organizers
✅Print and Digital Formats

Modified Grade 7/8 History Lessons Overview & Modifications

Grade 7 – Strand A

1. Why Study History? (Reading, Cut & Match)
2. Important Events Sorting Activity (Reading, Cut & Match)
3. Historica Minutes (Video, Fill in the Blanks)
4. Canadian Settlement Objects Activity (Matching)
5. Haudenosaunee, Inuit and Métis (Reading, True/False)
6. The Map of New France 1700 (Compare and Contrast)
7. The Creation of New France (Reading, Fill in the Blanks)
8. Medical Care in the 1700s (Reading, Cut & Match)
9. New France Vocabulary (QR Code Scavenger Hunt)
10. Historical Figures Assignment (Poster or Slideshow Creation)
11. Fur Trade Inquiry Assignment (Multimedia, True/False)
12. Mid-Unit Quiz (Multiple Choice, Short Answer)
13. The Treaty of Utrecht 1713 (Fill in the Blanks)
14. The Treaties (Reading, Cut and Paste)
15. Image Analysis & The Acadians (True/False)
16. Seven Years War (Readings, Newspaper Article)
17. The Establishment of British Rule (Reading, Folding Notes)
18. The American Revolution (Videos, Cut and Paste)
19. Black Loyalists Inquiry (Videos, Cut and Paste)
20. The Impact of the Loyalists’ Migration on the Mississaugas of the Credit Nation (Reading, Note-Taking Graphic Organizer)
21. The Constitution Act of 1791 (Reading, Cut and Match)

Grade 7 – Strand B

1. Important Events (Reading/Cut & Match)
2. Métis & Settler Relations (Reading/True/False)
3. War of 1812 (Videos/Fill in the Blanks)
4. War of 1812 Overview (Reading/Interactive Notes)
5. Battle of Queenston Image Analysis (Image Analysis)
6. War of 1812 Inquiry (Structured Inquiry)
7. War of 1812 Newspaper Article (Fill in the Blanks)
8. Results of the War of 1812 (Reading/Cut & Match)
9. Mackinac and Drummond Islands (Reading/Cut & Match)
10. Mid-Unit Quiz (Quiz)
11. A Question of Identity:  War of 1812 (Movie)
12. Life in Lower Canada (Reading/Cut & Match)
13. Lower Canada Government Structure (Reading/Cut & Match)
14. Château Clique (Reading/Fill in the Blanks)
15. The Rebellions in Lower Canada (Reading/Interactive Notes)
16. Life in Upper Canada (Reading/Colour Coding)
17. Rebellion in Upper Canada (Reading/Interactive Notes)
18. Rebellions Quiz (Quiz)
19. Legal Issues (Reading, True or False, Timeline, Opinion Writing)
20. Politics in British North America (Reading/Interactive Notes)
21. British – Indigenous Treaties (Reading, Fill in the Blanks, True False)
22. Summative Task (Poster)

Grade 8 – Strand A

Confederation Lessons

1. Why Study History? (Cut & Match)
2. Important Events Sorting Activity (Cut & Match)
3. The Changing Map of Canada (Analysis)
4. Expansion of the Dominion (Cut & Match)
5. Historical Figures Assignment (Poster Creation)
6. Politics in the Province of Canada (Interactive Notes)
7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Confederation (Cut & Match)
8. Advertising Confederation Assignment (Slideshow Creation)
9. Confederation (Fill in the Blanks)
10. Primary Source – Image Analysis
11. The British North America Act of 1867 (Cut & Match)
12. Unit Quiz

Western Canada Lessons

1. Historica Minutes (Videos)
2. Primary Source – Image Analysis
3. Legal Documents (Interactive Notes)
4. The Settlement of Western Canada: Soddie (Note-Taking)
5. The Manitoba Act of 1870 (Fill in the Blanks)
6. The Indian Act of 1876 (Interactive Notes)
7. Song Lyric Analysis (Primary Source Analysis)
8. Building The CPR (Newspaper Assignment)
9. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 (True/False)
10. Arctic Interests and Indigenous Case Law (Cut & Match)
11. Numbered Treaties (Interactive Notes)
12. Residential Schools (Graphic Organizer)

Grade 8 – Strand B

1. Changing Society (Reading/Cut & Match)
2. Changing Society Videos (Videos)
3. Changing Map of Canada (Analysis)
4. Historical Figures Assignment (Reading/Poster Creation)
5. Important Canadians: QR Code Scavenger Hunt (Scavenger Hunt/Cut & Match)
6. Technology Inquiry (Inquiry)
7. Primary Source Analysis (Photo Analysis)
8. Legal Issues in Canada (Reading/Cut & Match)
9. The Telegraph Age (Reading/Fill in the Blanks/Morse Code)
10. A Changing Society Unit Quiz (Unit Quiz)

You can find the Grade 7/8 History Lessons Modified Bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers USD or Shopify CAD.

History Report Card Comments

Use these 100% editable report card comments for the 2023 Ontario History Curriculum and include comments for Strands A & B. The comments are sorted by Levels 1 – 4, strengths, and next steps. These are available for both Grade 7/8 History lessons. You can find all Ontario Report Card Comments on Teachers Pay Teachers USD or Shopify CAD. 

These comments are:

• 100% Editable
• Google Docs™ Format
• Comment Bank
• Next Steps
• Strands A & B
• Ontario Curriculum Aligned

What Teachers Are Saying: 

“OMG Life saver!! I was unfortunately placed in a period covering History and Geography after returning from a Mat leave. I have only ever taught French and was absolutely LOST. This resource saved my sanity!” – Cheri A. (Grade 8 History Report Card Comments)

You can find the Grade 7 History Report Card Comments and Grade 8 History Report Card Comments on Teachers Pay Teachers USD or Shopify CAD. 

Canadian History Sub Plans

Use these Canadian history sub plans to help your students remain engaged and excited about their social studies classes when you are away.

The Canadian History Sub Plans Bundle is full of engaging and historically relevant activities to leave with your supply teacher when you have to be out of the classroom or to add to your Grade 7/8 History Lessons. This bundle includes 6 resources to help your students learn about a variety of Canadian historical places and events. Save time and grab this no-prep Canadian History Sub Plans Bundle to use when you are away from school.

Included Resources:

1. Significant Moments in Canadian History
2. The Avro Arrow
3. Parliament Hill Cat Colony
4. Parliament Hill
5. All About Canada – Canadian Alphabet Activity
6. Prime Ministers of Canada Research Assignment

Find this Canadian History Sub Plans Bundle on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.

I hope these Grade 7/8 History lessons can help you cover the Ontario Curriculum in your classroom. 

Additional Resources

• 10 Ways To Make History Class Engaging For Students
• 18 Effective Teaching Strategies

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