GradeMap

Grade 5 · Social Studies · Unit 5 of 6

Learning from the Past

Past wrongs, apologies, reconciliation

What your child practises

An age-appropriate, factual look at the Chinese Head Tax, the Komagata Maru, the internment of Japanese Canadians and residential schools, with a focus on apologies, redress and reconciliation. No graphic detail.

BC Curriculum learning standard: Past discriminatory government policies and actions, such as the Chinese Head Tax, the Komagata Maru incident, residential schools, and internments

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Put these events in order, oldest first.

    • 💵The Chinese Head Tax begins
    • 🕊️Canada apologizes for the Chinese Head Tax
    • 🧡The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
    • 🏚️Japanese Canadians are forced from the BC coast
    Show answer

    The Chinese Head Tax begins → Japanese Canadians are forced from the BC coast → Canada apologizes for the Chinese Head Tax → The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

    Hint: Check the years, then put the earliest first. Japanese Canadians are forced from the BC coast (1942). The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (2021). The Chinese Head Tax begins (1885). Canada apologizes for the Chinese Head Tax (2006).

  2. Question 2

    During the First World War, thousands of people, many of them Ukrainian Canadians, were interned. What does 'interned' mean?

    • sent on holidays
    • given free land
    • held in camps because of where they or their families came from
    • hired as office interns
    Show answer

    held in camps because of where they or their families came from

    Hint: More than 8,000 people were held in camps and forced to work, though they had done nothing wrong.

  3. Question 3

    About how long were the passengers kept on the ship in Vancouver's harbour?

    The Komagata Maru

    In May 1914, a ship called the Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver's harbour. It carried 376 passengers from India, which was then ruled by Britain. Most were Sikhs, and others were Muslims and Hindus. As British subjects, many believed they had a right to come to Canada.

    But Canada had a rule that immigrants must arrive by a 'continuous journey' from their home country. There was no direct ship route from India to Canada, so the rule was really a way to keep people from India out.

    The passengers were kept on board for about two months while they waited. Only 24 were allowed to stay. In July 1914, the ship was forced to leave and sail back to India.

    In 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized in the House of Commons for what the government did. Today, a memorial in Vancouver helps people remember.

    • about two months
    • about two days
    • about two hours
    • about two years
    Show answer

    about two months

    Hint: The ship arrived in May and was forced to leave in July. Check the third paragraph.

  4. Question 4

    In which year did the last federally run residential school close?

    • 1996
    • 1945
    • 1920
    • 1867
    Show answer

    1996

    Hint: Residential schools operated for more than 100 years. The last one closed in 1996, so many Survivors are alive today.

  5. Question 5

    Was it a discriminatory policy, or a step toward making things right? Tap an item, then tap its basket.

    Sort into: ⛔ discriminatory policy · 🕊️ step toward making things right

    • 🗣️the 2016 apology for the Komagata Maru
    • 🕊️the 2008 apology for residential schools
    • 💵the Chinese Head Tax
    • 🤝the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement
    • 🏚️forcing Japanese Canadians from their homes
    • 🏫the residential school system
    Show answer

    ⛔ discriminatory policy: the Chinese Head Tax, forcing Japanese Canadians from their homes, the residential school system · 🕊️ step toward making things right: the 2016 apology for the Komagata Maru, the 2008 apology for residential schools, the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement

    Hint: Discriminatory policies treated groups unfairly because of who they were. Apologies, redress and learning the truth are steps toward making things right.

  6. Question 6

    Most passengers on the Komagata Maru in 1914 were people from…

    🚢
    • Japan
    • China
    • France
    • India, most of them Sikhs
    Show answer

    India, most of them Sikhs

    Hint: The ship carried 376 passengers from India, which was then ruled by Britain.

More Grade 5