Lesson 2: Point of View Writing Activity

• Lesson 1: Creating a Facsimile of a Hand-Coloured Postcard
• Lesson 2: Point of View Writing Activity
• Lesson 3: Creating a Choose Your Own Adventure Story
• Lesson 4: Telling the Story with Visual Prompts
• Actual Factual
  Discussion Questions

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Introduction
Providing Background - Teaching Points
Teaching Support
Materials Required
Process

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Introduction

Subject

A cross-curricular learning opportunity in language arts and social studies/history - an appropriate follow-up companion to Lesson 1.

Grade

This lesson is relevant to Grades 5 - 8.

Relevant Curriculum Expectations

Canada and World Connections (Grade 5 & 6): use of primary sources, identify Canada's economic and social links to other regions of the world; Canada: A Changing Society (Grade 8): economics/immigration as factors shaping Canada.

Learning Objectives

Social Studies: Exploration of the cultural context of postcards; immigration, mobility of labour; Language Arts: point of view creative writing, establish distinctive voice, using draft and revision to complete writing.

Activity

Creation of a fictionalized 'Note home' on the message side of a postcard.

Duration

30 minutes (15 - 20 minutes discussion; 15 - 20 minutes writing)

Providing Background - Teaching Points

1. Draw the students' attention to the opening scenes of the Cobalt Adventure in which the three main characters receive a postcard from someone already in Cobalt.
2. Remind students that the boomtown era coincided with the "Golden Era" of postcards. The introduction of the divided back allowed for room for both an address and a brief message home.
3. People came to Cobalt from very different places, including distant countries such as Mexico, Syria, Greece, the United States and England.
4. Most people arrived in Cobalt on the train from Toronto. Cobalt at the time was over-crowded and chaotic.

Teaching Supports

Visual Example

Materials Required

Each student will need:

1. A facsimile of the back of a postcard. This could be reproduced from the example provided or reproduced through hand drawing. Students can view the postcard in the Gallery section.

Process

First session:

1. Students should have the opportunity to discuss why people traveled to Cobalt (seeking wealth, adventure, a new start in life) as well as identify some of the places they might have originally lived.
2. Students can draw on the content presented in the Cobalt Adventure game to brainstorm as to what kind of experiences people might have had in boomtown Cobalt.
3. Students should then develop a brief profile of the character (see Worksheet 1) that will be used for writing the 'Note Home'.

Second session:

1. The student will draft a rough copy of a note home (3- 5 sentences) to a relative or friend.

Once reviewed, the student should use cursive writing to create their fictional note home on the postcard facsimile.