Dear Students,

Today you are receiving information which outlines requirements, format, and due dates
for your Independent Social Studies project on Canadas Aboriginal Peoples. You will note, upon
reviewing this material, that a presentation and research paper will be required of you upon
completion of this project.
Please review the information in this packet with your parents. You may need help and
support choosing a topic and locating information. A successflil project, however, will represent
your own work. You should use your Science! Social Studies Large Ringed Binder for keeping
ALL project information and research. You must submit all the notes you make in preparing
your final project.
A final research paper will be 2-4 typewriften pages in length. You are required to use a
variety of resources, with no more than one encyclopaedia as a source. We are fortunate to have a
great many print resources available in the school classroom and library to aid you in your task.
Please note that you will be required to prepare a Bibliography that documents the sources that
you have used in preparing your report.
This project will help you develop many skills necessary for a successffil academic and
business career. Doing research, compiling notes, making a good working outline, writing a wellplanned and documented paper, carefidly self-managing your own time, and creating a visual
display that you are proud of will help you develop organizational skills and give you confidence.
Please be aware of the calendar and plan your work assignments according to the due
dates for each aspect of the project. Enthusiasm and motivation are essential for a successful
project. Remember, choose a topic that you really like, and have fim rising to the challenge.
Sincerely,
Mr. Koiter

Format for the Research Project

Title Page
A. Name of the Project
B. Students Name
C. Grade Level
D. Date
2.

Table of Contents
Clearly label all the sections that follow this page and the page number(s) upon which the
information can be found.

3.

Bibliography
Follow the steps below to successffilly complete this section of your assignment.

Preparing a Final Bibliography

When making a bibliographical list:
1.

Put the list in alphabetical order according to the

authors last name (if the author is not given,
alphabetize by the first word in the title)

2.

Underline the title of books, encyclopaedias,

newspapers, magazines, CD ROMs, and website addresses,
and

3.

Record the city, publishing company, and date of

publication.

Areas of Research
What follows is a detailed list of the areas of research your final research report should address:
Name of the Aboriginal People being investigated
-if appropriate, the origin of the name?
-if relevant, what the Aboriginal people called themselves, if different from
above?
Environment in which the Aboriginal People dwelled
-what was the climate like?
-what where the prevalent landfomis where they lived?
-what forms of vegetation existed in the environment?
-how did the above help shape the Aboriginal lifestyle?
Natural Resources
-what plants where available to the Aboriginal People?
-what animals where available to the Aboriginal People?
-how did the above shape the Aboriginal lifestyle?
Basic Needs
-what foods did the people eat?
-what was their clothing like?
-what was their shelter like?
-how were their societies organized (did they live in small, nomadic family bands,
in large, permanent villages, or some other unorganized or organized fashion.)?
Additional Information
-is there anything else special about your Aboriginal People that you havent been
able to include in one of the four proceeding sections?

Deadlines
Due Dates

Steps in Completing the Project

Week 1 (October 18

22)

Approved Topic and Title

Students will be given time to go to the Library and seek out textual
information on the general topic. They will be expected to provide a statement
in writing that declares the Aboriginal People their research will be focussed
upon. Also, they should be aware that this project requires them to prepare a
Bibliography of the sources they used in completing their work and that they
should be recording the appropriate information on those sources throughout
their research project. A directed lesson will take place on this subject in
class and a sample Bibliography is included in this handout.
Week 2 (October 25

29)

Gather appropriate Illustrations, graphs and

maps for Presentation

While conducting initial research, students should book mark illustrations that
might be of help to them in creating their Presentation and creating at least
one map that illustrates the original distribution of the Aboriginal People that
they are researching in Canada pre-European contact. Students have been
provided a copy of a standardized map of Canada upon which to record this
information with this handout.
Week 3 (November 1

Outline of the Research Paper

5)

Students have to find specific information about the Aboriginal group that
they have chosen. An attachment detailing the specific information that
students are required to find is included with this handout and students should
have completed, at least, point form notes in answer to the questions detailed
on this handout.
Week 4 (November 8

12)

Rough Draft

Students are expected to exchange their work with a peer for peer editing
during the first period in social studies this week. In the second period, the
students will revise their work based upon their peers comments. In the third
and final period of this week, students will submit their second draft to the
teacher. The teacher will make comments and suggestions to the student for
revising their second draft.
Week 5 (November 15

19)

Publication and Presentation Preperation

Students are expected to use the teachers comments to revise their research

project a second time. This second revision will, likely, be the last and
students should be prepared to submit their final written assignment for
evaluation. With the other two periods in this week students should begin
preparing a backboard display for their visual presentation.
Week 6 (November 22

26)

Oral Presentation

Each student will orally present their research to the class as the culminating
activity to this unit. They will be assessed using the attached Rubric by their
teacher and their peers.

5%
5%

Title page is complete with all four elements clearly present

Bibliography is complete with all thee elements clearly present
30% Total score of the Writing Rubric
30% Total score of the Visual Presentation Rubric
30% Total score of the Oral Presentation Rubric

Marking Scale for the Research Project