New France, New Home

By Carol White, 2002 Governor-General’s Award Recipient

INTENDED GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT AREA

Grade 4-6 Language, Social Studies, History

CONCEPTS

Students will learn to identify historical significance, how when and where a story takes place affects the characters and plot of the story, and new vocabulary related to New France.

INSTRUCTIONAL OUTCOMES

Students will:

exercise historical empathy and discover historical perspective as they read about the ‘fille du roi”.
learn the historical significance of the “filled du roi” in the growth of New France.
extend their understanding of the text by connecting the ideas in it to their own knowledge, experience, and insights and to the world around them.
make predictions, draw inferences and construct meaning in the text.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

New France in the late 17th Century needed more people. Almost all of the 3,400 living there were men. To grow they needed women. The King of France took steps to help. King Louis XIV offered dowries for young girls called filles du roi to travel to New France to become brides.