Assignment #9: Diary of a Loyalist

Dear diary,
Today is the day. We, as in me and my whole family, will soon arrive at a new land called Nova Scotia. Our trip from the Thirteen Colonies and the sore feeling on my whole body will finally end. Just now I can feel the freedom in the air, but not for long. The fact of why I got kicked out from Boston hit my head for the third time today. Dear diary, I think this is the right time to tell you the real reason.

.
It was a very nice day to get outside, but there's one small tiny little problem; there's a war going on between Britain and America. Not for long I found out that the American Revolutionaries gained control of all the 13 states, which means that we have to give our loyalties to the Crown by doing things such as giving aid or volunteering to fight. Or else we will be tarred and feathered (a kind of punishment).

And we have to move out of here. And we have to move out of here. AND WE HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF HERE!!

It's really not fair. That time I felt a bit disappointed that I am one of the loyalists, though I could never change it. Our family have strong ties with Britain, and it seems like the knot is too strong for me to try to separate the two. I just wish everything stays the way it is, me, my parents, and my siblings playing together with my three best friends who were moving to Quebec. But everything changes, and I have to like it no matter what.
.

Suddenly my mood changed, from bored to excited. Even though I was sitting on the boat (which crosses the huge St. Lawrence River) for a really long time. A piece of land was stranded in front of the boat, which means that we arrived at Nova Scotia!

Let me tell you the longest part of the trip. Actually, make it the second longest part of the trip. So I was trying to get out of the boat with ma and pa, but it seems impossible to me. There were people crowding everywhere. And yes, I tried squishing, but for a tiny little girl, that would be impossible. That's right, I was stuck. For a while I looked around the room. I can see that some loyalists that brought their slaves. I felt pity for them just by looking at how miserable they looked. A lot of them looked as tired as I am, I can see eye bags almost under everyone's eye. After a couple of minutes, I finally went out of the boat and found ma, pa, and Clara standing in front of me.

The smell of this island felt new to me, though I really like how green and fresh this land is. For the fiftieth time, maybe, I stepped on Nova Scotia's land with my new handmade foot wear. To tell the truth, I have no idea where we were going. In mind, I thought about my old friends who are probably being separated from each other again. I remembered when my grandpa told me that Quebec is divided in Upper and Lower Canada before he died, thanks to an army who shot him.

As my life goes on, I experienced some bad and good experiences. We loyalists don't get along with the "Neutral Yankees", which are the old settlers here on Nova Scotia, so we tried to stay away from them as much as possible. We doubted their loyalties, and we don't trust them one bit. I started to wonder if we ever going to be friends. But life goes on, so things could be different someday.

Sources: a a a a a a

Assignment #8: The Real Riel *not*

MYSELF: We're back to SPILL!, the juiciest show on earth. Today, as usual, I'll bring another hero to interview for --and of course, to spill their secrets. But this person is a little different. For the Métis, he is known as a hero or an inspiring spokesperson, though some people thought that he is a traitor or a villain. Isn't that strange? Anyways, let's give it for.. Louis Riel!

*a bunch of people applauded when Louis entered the room*

LOUIS: Thank you, thank you, everyone! I am so glad to be here, since I have nothing else to do rather than sleeping on the grave.

MYSELF: *looking at his fancy clothes* Wow, I just love your clothing. Since when did you wore those? It looks like you just washed it on a washing machine. But that's impossible, right? Because you just got up from the grave.

LOUIS: Eh..er..erm...yeah. Uh..yes, thank you. I like to keep my clothes clean, even though there are lots of worms that wants to eat me and my clothes. I'm pretty tidy, aren't I?

MYSELF: That explains so much. So, before we begin our conversation, couldyou tell us a little bit about yourself?

LOUIS: Sure! First of all, my full name is Louis David Riel. I am known as a traitor by some..

MYSELF: Hello, we already know that! What I meant was, you have to tell us things like the day you were born, how many siblings that you have or something.

LOUIS: Well, if you insist. I was born in the Red River Colony on 22 October 1844. I had eleven siblings, and I was the eldest of all. I'm a son of a Métis leader and a French-Canadian mother, which is why I lived in a French Canadian-Métis family. Pretty complicated, right? But at least it makes sense. I died.. *looking at his palm* on 16 November 1885 when I was 41 years old in Regina. Just so you know, Red River Colony is now called Winnipeg.

MYSELF: Okay, okay! Enough with that! So, have you ever been educated before?

LOUIS: Indeed I have. I was first educated by Roman Catholic priests at St. Boniface. Then came Alexandre Taché who was promoting priesthood for talented young Métis. I was interested on priesthood, so I went to the the Petit Séminaire of the Collège de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, arranged by Taché. And then my father died on 1864. I was so sad that I lost interest in priesthood! *fake crying*

MYSELF: Are you crying? Oh, I'm so sorry! Do you need a tissue?

LOUIS: No, no, no, it's okay. Let's just move on and talk about another topic. It just makes me so sad. (Heh-heh, this is a very easy way to get out of the topics that I know nothing about!)

MYSELF: Okay, up to you, Louis. So, I have another question. What kind of accomplishments that you made before?

LOUIS: First of all, I am an inspiring Métis spokesman and a teacher in Montana. I am the founder of.. what's it called? Minatoba..Manituba..Miatelly..Maniaria.. That's it! Manitoba!

MYSELF: Oh, that's impressive. So, why does some people thought that you were a traitor, but some people doesn't?

LOUIS: I was actually a victim of Ontario's religious and racial bigotry and prevailing prejudices. Although some people though of me as a troublemaker as a traitor just to stood up for my rights, beliefs, and people. Also, the Métis and the Indians saw me as a spiritual leader.

MYSELF: This is getting serious everyone. Let's be more quiet and pay attention. Because you could be the one that will win the prize today. Moving on..

LOUIS: It was not fair! I was not meant to be hanged, but they hang me anyways. About the date when I was hanged, which is 16 November 1885, was not the real date. It was moved from date to date until it reaches November the 16th.

MYSELF: I see. I started to understand why you were known as a traitor. But, could you give me more details?

LOUIS: Because the Métis people was afraid that they'll lose control to their own homeland, I was gathering some people around me to stop Canadian representatives from entering our settlement. Our actions were known as the Red River Rebelion, and I was the leader.

MYSELF: So that was the reason of why they hanged you! I get it now! Thanks for sharing the information with us. I hope you have a good night sleep. Ups, I forgot to ask you one more question. *drum roll* Is that true that you were a poet?

LOUIS: Eh..erm...I.....don't know. I'm sorry.

MYSELF: Aha! I knew that you will say that you don't know! Because you are just a poser! You're not the ghost of Louis Riel, right? Or maybe you are?

LOUIS: Okay, okay, I'm not Louis Riel, all right! My real name is Louis Raul (pronounce: rah-ul), and I'm just a big fan of Mr. Riel. I was payed by the producer because he couldn't make the real Riel back alive. Please forgive me, your very highness!

MYSELF: All right, I forgive you. SECURITY!!! Help me, there's a POSER!!!

LOUIS: I..I'm sorry. Please, just let me be in your show just this once. Please, pretty please, pretty, pretty.. *a security guard dragged him out of the show*

MYSELF: Sayonara! Goodbye! *waved at Louis Raul*

LOUIS: *mimicking* Grammy, I'm on TV!!!!!!!

MYSELF: And that's the end of our show. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you tomorrow for more spilling to do. Bye-bye, everyone!

By the way, this assignment is supposed to be an interview between Louis Riel and me, right? But, why did Louis Raul came out instead? Just stay tuned for more information..

-o-o-o-o-o-
"I have to go to sleep right away. Suddenly I felt so dizzy that I can't even stand up or sit down," I thought as I lay down on my comfy couch. In the middle of my sleep, someone knocked the door. I woke as soon as possible, then I yelled, "come in!" But it came out a bit too loud. Then there was another knock on the door. I shouted, "I told you, just come in!" Finally, the person opened the door. Though I couldn't see anybody behind that door. "Maybe it was just a coincidence," I thought. I went back to sleep. Then a sound echoed on my right ear, "I..I...am so sorry that I couldn't perform in front of the public today. I just wish..just wish..you shouldn't call the security." I shrieked. "WHO...ARE...YOU??" The ghost whispered, this time through my left ear. "I'm the ghost of Louis Riel. As a ghost, I am painfully shy when I'm in front of humans. So I went inside that Louis Raul boy's body for a while." I gasped. "I didn't know that! And, that explains it. At first Louis Raul was pretty confused, then before I knew it he was telling his life story perfectly." Then Louis' ghost continued, "after that I went into your body. It was more comfortable than it looks." I freezed, than fainted. Weirdest...day...ever!!

LINKS and SOURCES:
Mysteries of Canada - For you who wants the answer to know the title of this post (Louis Riel – Martyr, hero or traitor?), you should visit this site and read the whole page. They made the page less-boring, and it's full of questions and important facts about him.
Wikipedia - The site that most people like to visit, including me. It has all the informations about him, from his early life to his Legacy.
The Canadian Encyclopedia - It tells a lot about him already on the first paragraph. Though I don't really get the further paragraphs, so I have to read it all over again.
Library2 - Another great website about Louis Riel. There are not a lot of writings, but it's so useful.
Biographi - Finally, I can understand each paragraph!
Histori - The hypnosis is easy to understand, and there's a video on the top of the hypnosis.
And the last one..
Louis Riel's handwritten poems.
p.s.: Check this out!

Assignment #7: Canadian Personalities

a) Which category of Canadian Personalities interested you the most? Did you like the "we inspired", "we founded", "we fought", "we built" or "we governed" section the best? Why?

From all the sections I have read, my favorite one is the "we inspired" section. Their works have made some changes and improved Canadian culture. The quotes that are written on the bottom of the page inspired me. Each of the personalities wrote one quote, and it helps people to accomplish their goals and desires. It encourages us to contribute and made some changes for Canada.

b) Which personality interested you the most? Why? Find an image of him or her to embed (add to the body of your post) and write, in your own words, a short description of what he or she did and why he or she is your favourite. If you get information from any source, you must credit it by creating a link to it (that includes information from the site that I've asked you to look at).

From that section, the person that interest me the most is Arthur Lismer. He was born on 27 June 1885 in Sheffield, England. Besides being an inspiring educator and lecturer, he was also an important artist. He was one of the members of the Group of Seven, and he was also associated with the Tom Thompson group, although he died before the group was formed. One of the important things that he did was he found important art schools for children that was located in Montreal and Toronto. Lastly, he changed the way people sees Canadian landscape. Since I also like art, this personality interested me the most, and he had some great ideas, like mixing art and education together. (Source: here and here)

"An understanding of psychology, a touch for the maternal, and a capacity for looking at the world through the eyes of a child — these are the marks
of good guides and teachers."

c) In your post, suggest three more influential Canadian personalities that could be added to this site. Why did you choose these people? Which categories would they fit into? Link to information about each of them.

Billy Bishop - A World War I pilot
He should fit in the "we fought" section, because he steer the plane and went to World War I and II. I choosed him because helped the soldiers to go to was by being a pilot.
--> More info
Paul Anka - Singer, Composer
He should fit in the "we inspired" section, because he was a famous teenager singer. I choosed him because his songs kept people entertained.
--> More info

Sir Frederick Banting - Medical Scientist, doctor
He should fit in the "we inspired" section, because he was one of the founder of insulin. I choosed him because his invention helps a lot of people that have diabetes.
--> More info (Source: here)

d.) Which History-Maker did you have the most in common with? Were you able to figure it out from the clues given? What do you share with that person? What are some things that are different between you and that person?

I was born on March 3, 1890 in Gravenhurst, Ontario.

My first language was English, but I also learned French, Spanish, and Chinese.

I loved painting. I once created a mural covering 20 metres of wall space.

I studied medicine in Toronto at the college co-founded by my grandfather.

I traveled troughout Canada and the United States, giving speeches in support of democracy. I visited many countries in times of both war and peace.

Medical care should be free for anyone. During the Great Depression, I opened a clinic for the poor in Montreal.

Museums, schools, and hospitals are named for me.

Awards and scholarships are given in my memory.

My face has appeared on postage stamps in Canada and in the People's Republic of China.

Who am I? Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Emily Carr, or Norman Bethune?

From the result, the History-Maker that I have the most in common with is Norman Bethune. I wasn't able to figure out that it was him from the clues given. Things that are similar between me and him are we both are born on winter, though I wasn't born in March. And I loved painting, just like him. I also thought that medical care should be free for anyone, because there are so much people in this world that couldn't afford medication. And, we both are interested in science. Things that are different between me and him are he have siblings, and I'm an only child. He had a nickname, which is "Beth". People called me by my first name, which is basically not a nickname at all. And he can speak four languages.

e.) One hundred years from now, (in 2109!) imagine that students are learning about Canadian History Makers and they discover you. What will you be remembered for? How were you a Canadian History Maker? You are using your imagination, so think about some things that you would like to accomplish in your life and imagine that you have all the accomplishments of your life to look back on. Write a short profile of yourself, imagining the contributions you have made to the future of Canada. (Write this as though you've lived your whole life. You may have been a phenomenal athlete, the first black Prime Minister, cured cancer...use your imagination!)

Marsha C. P. was born in 1996. She was born in Asia, but she is well-known as a Canadian inventor. When she was in college, she took a doctor course. But she had a lot of trouble in memorizing, so she invented a faster way to memorize things. It was used in a lot of schools, and they named it "M" as in Marsha or Memorizing. As she grew up, she got interested in science, so she tried a lot of experiments and invented new stuff. One of her important contribution was a medicine that can stop you from getting addicted to cigerettes and other drugs. These medicines were made from natural ingredients, and it saved so many people's lives. She also found a cure for minus or plus eyes without surgery. It's a simple and non-dangerous way to say goodbye to glasses and contact lens. Many years have left, and her inventions were piled on her science lab at home. Not only inventions, she also had a lot of drawings and paintings piled in there also, since her love of drawing will never be gone. Because she made so much contributions to Canada, she received a nobel award, and most of her inventions were named after her and used by the people from the future.

Assignment #6: Black History Month

Did you ever realize that there are lots of black Canadians that made important contributions to Canadian society-or even the world? One of them is Ranee Lee, a singer who was born in 1942. Even though she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she is well-known as one of Canadian singer. But how come?

Ranee Lee started her professional career as a dancer. Then, she spent the '70s as a jazz drummer and tenor saxophonist. She toured the United States and Canada with various musical groups. Then, she moved to Montreal as an 18-year-old woman and focused on her singing, though she had no idea that one day she will be a member of the pantheon of Montreal jazz greats. After that, she became one of Canada's most recognizable jazz singer.

Some of the information that I got is from here, here, here, and here. You can check it out if you want to find out more about Ranee Lee.

Assignment #5: It's Really Cold

It was not that easy to live in Canada when settlers first came to Canada. Lots of people died from suffering, but some people lived. They have several challenges, because they were not used to the cold of winter. First of all, there were diseases such as cholera and small pox. There are no hospitals, so they have to use home remedies. They had a fear of getting lost when there's a snow blizzard. They have to find enough woods in order to survive in winter. And, not all of the people speak the same language as the settlers, so it was hard to communicate.

But, no matter how hard living in Canada might be, they could still survived using the stuffs that were available around them. For shelter, Acadians built log houses with woods they found on nearby forests, but some of them built houses from stones. They also used woods to make a fire, which was used to heat and to cook. For the Inuits, they lived in sod homes or igloos. They usually hunt fishes and wild animals for foods. They also hunt wild animals for their skins (for clothing) and their fur (for warmth). They wore cloth, wool and other fabrics to keep them warm. It's no just that. No matter what type of weather Canada have, they can finally own their own farm. The place was not crowded and it was free from pollution. It turned out that Canada was actually a good place to live after all.

My dad have to move to Canada to work, so my family have to move too so we're not far away from each other. When I came to Canada, my first opinion about winter was it was the coldest season ever. I never had winter in my country before, because there are no seasons in my country. Every month is a sunny day, and sometimes it rains. After a while, I started adapting to the cold weather, because I started to get used to it. And I always do something at school, so I didn't always felt the cold weather. Instead, I had fun living here!

-Challenges that early Canadians faced
-Daily life for settlers
-The reasons of why people are immigrating to Canada

Assignment #4: Linking Back to Your Peers

I think Mariam's thought about the future is really creative. On her paragraph, she wrote "I think we will be living underwater because of what will happen to the glaciers when they melt". So much people thought that we will live somewhere else in 2109, but Mariam thought about something else, she even added some features when we're leaving underwater.
-Mariam M

Sarah wrote a really catchy quote on her post, which is "well Helena and I think that humans will involve into aliens". I never thought of that! When I thought about it, it all makes sense. Monkeys involves into humans, so humans must involves into aliens. Although, not a lot of people believe in aliens, but they are still doing some research.
-Sarah

I really like it when Janet's reminded us about the past. She wrote "about 500 years ago, many Europeans or other humans on this lovely planet doesn't even think Canada exists". It makes me think how many Canadians makes a difference on their own country, they even thinks that Canada really exists now!
-Janet

Assignment #3: History of the Future

Today I'm going to talk about the changes that might happen to Canada in 2109. For more information, you can go to Christopher Moore's blog or the direct link to the assignment.

Since Canada have lots of free spaces, there will be lots of people from around the world that moves to Canada, which increases the population. World will be more peaceful, especially with Obama as president. People will stop doing wars on another country, which means that Canada will not get involved in any wars anymore. And since Obama is the first black president, people will think that everyone is the same, no matter how they look or what colour they are. Canada will be more developed.

Canada's environment will be more clean, especially if we always put garbages on the garbage can and recycle. There will be environment-free cars all over the road instead of smokes created by cars and machines. Everything will be modern, probably robots are going to be invented to take care of you and your house. And more electronic items will be invented to help people do their jobs faster.

Though I'm a bit curious of what will happen to the earth in 2109. If people don't keep the earth clean, we would have to move to the moon. Earth will be polluted and full of garbage. The atmosphere of the earth could get thicker and thicker, but we wouldn't let that happen. And there will be more information about aliens and the other unusual creatures, and maybe life that exists on Mars. But, we couldn't really predict the future. We just have to see what's going to happen.

One of the modern solar car

Prediction of the future-How will it be?

Hello! Halo! Hola! Bonjour!

Hey bloggers! Welcome to my Canadian history blog. My name is Marsha, and I am a grade 7 student in Ottawa, Canada. Here I am going to be learning and writing about Canadian history. I am so happy that I get to learn history by blogging. It's not just because we don't have to sit down in the classroom and do boring stuff, it's because there are more information on the internet that our textbook doesn't have. And once again, it's fun!! I hope you enjoy your stay at this blog, and I am looking forward for your comments and suggestions.

Lastly, visit Miss Pollock, my teacher's blog. She's the one who suggest us to make blogs for history. :)