Grade 8 History Strand A Modified Ontario Curriculum

Total Pages: 213 Pages + Google Slides + Google Forms
Answer Key: Included with rubric
Teaching Duration: N/A
File Type: Zip

In this Modified Grade 8 History Creating Canada, 1850–1890 Strand A Unit, teachers are equipped with 28 engaging lessons. These lessons will help teachers to immerse their modified Grade 8 students in the fascinating world of Canadian history. Each of the 28 lessons aligns with a critical concept in the Ontario Grade 8 History Curriculum, but has significantly reduced reading and writing expectations within the lesson. This resource is designed to help students understand how Canada's Confederation occurred, as well as what occurred during the settlement of Western Canada.

This modified history unit is for classroom teachers who are required to teach the Grade 8 History Ontario Curriculum, but have students working significantly below grade level in reading, writing, and comprehension. An MP3 audio file of each student reading has been provided. This resource was designed to meet the needs of ELL students and/or students on a modified IEP.

• Curriculum Alignment: Ontario Social Studies Curriculum 2026 Grade 8 Strand A.
• Save time and money – Buy the Grade 8 History Modified Strand A and B Bundle.

⭐ Please review the provided samples in the preview PDF and watch the overview video for this resource here. ⭐

Click Here To View The Preview

Unit Includes:

• 28 Modified Lessons: Keep your students actively participating and interested in Canadian history with thoughtfully designed lessons.
• MP3 Audio Files: Enhance student learning and accessibility by providing audio recordings of student readings.
• Editable Teacher Slideshow (Google Slides™): A ready-to-use and customizable visual presentation to guide instruction.
• Self-Marking Google Forms: Streamline your assessment process by automating your grading and gaining rapid insights into your students' progress.
• Detailed Lesson Plans: Utilize these well-structured lesson plans, which outline activities and resources for each day's lesson.
• Answer Keys: Save time on grading with readily available answer keys for assessments and activities.
• Differentiated Tasks: Tailored tasks and activities designed to meet students' individual learning needs.
• Student Choice: Empower your students by offering options and opportunities for them to make decisions about their learning.
• Graphic Organizers: Visual tools and aids that will help your students organize information, making complex concepts easier to understand and remember.
• Assessment Rubrics: Easily assess your students' progress and understanding using ready-made rubrics.
• Quiz: Check comprehension with a quiz to reinforce key concepts.
• Unit Test: Gauge your students' overall comprehension and retention with a comprehensive unit test.
• Sub Plans: Ready-to-use lessons to ensure continuity when you're away.
• Print and Digital Formats: Enjoy the flexibility of accessing materials in both traditional and digital formats, making it easy to adapt to various teaching environments.

Strand A Lesson Overview & Modifications

Confederation Unit

• 1 - Why Study History? (Cut & Match)
• 2 - Important Events Sorting Activity (Cut & Match)
• 3 - The Changing Map of Canada (Analysis)
• 4 - Expansion of the Dominion (Cut & Match)
• 5 - Historical Figures Assignment (Poster Creation)
• 6 - Politics in the Province of Canada (Interactive Notes)
• 7 - Advantages and Disadvantages of Confederation (Cut & Match)
• 8 - Advertising Confederation Assignment (Slideshow Creation)
• 9 – Confederation (Fill-in-the-Blanks)
• 10 - Primary Source – Image Analysis (Photo Analysis)
• 11 - The British North America Act of 1867 (Cut & Match)
• 12 - Unit Quiz (Matching & Multiple Choice)
• 13 – Canadian History Sub Plans (Cut & Match, True or False, Matching, Journal Prompts)

Western Canada Unit

• 1 - Historica Minutes (Videos)
• 2 - Primary Source Analysis (Image)
• 3 - Legal Documents (Interactive Notes)
• 4 - The Settlement of Western Canada: Soddie (Note-Taking)
• 5 - The Manitoba Act of 1870 (Fill in the Blanks)
• 6 - The Indian Act of 1876 (Interactive Notes)
• 7 – The Gold Rush (Image Analysis & Reading)
• 8 - Primary Source Analysis (Song Analysis)
• 9 - Building The CPR (Newspaper Assignment)
• 10 - The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 (True/False)
• 11 - Arctic Interests and Indigenous Case Law (Cut & Match)
• 12 - Numbered Treaties (Interactive Notes)
• 13 - Residential Schools (Graphic Organizer)
• 14 – Voting Rights (True or False Questions)
• 15 – Unit Test (Multiple Choice & True or False Questions)

Why Teachers Love It:

• Aligned: This resource matches the non-modified unit to ensure classroom consistency.
• Time-Saving: Pre-made lesson plans, assessments, and rubrics take the guesswork out of planning.
• Differentiated & Accessible: Supports diverse learners with student choice, scaffolded tasks, and audio files.
• Engaging & Interactive: This unit gets students thinking, talking, and making connections.
• Flexible Formats: Perfect for both in-person and digital learning environments.

Do you have students working at grade level? Check out this resource: Grade 8 History Strand A Unit, which complements this resource.

This Grade 8 History Strand A Modified resource is specifically tailored to accommodate the unique needs of classroom teachers faced with students performing significantly below grade level in reading, writing, and comprehension. This adaptable and accessible resource empowers teachers to provide engaging history lessons while ensuring every student can participate actively in their learning journey. It has been updated to reflect the 2026 Ontario Social Studies Curriculum changes.

Teacher Feedback:

1. “Teaching a split class with a high population of MLLs in the classroom, this resource has been extremely helpful in teaching curriculum content to my students.”
2. “This resource really helped my struggling students follow along better with class activities. I like how it is aligned to the other Grade 8 history package.”
3. “An easy to understand resource for my students with IEPs to use.”

Aligned with the Ontario Social Studies Curriculum 2026 Grade 8 Strand A, this resource ensures you have everything you need to deliver engaging and enriching history lessons to your modified middle school students.