Grade 6 – Unit 8

Stories of Strength

Stories of Strength explores the histories that help us understand how Canada has developed over time, while recognizing that different communities experienced these events in different ways. Students will learn about the varied experiences of newcomer communities to Canada and how, despite many challenges, they contributed to what Canada is today.

Students will also learn about run-on sentences and practice refining them into compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. This unit can be used in consultation with your board’s Indigenous Education and Equity teams to support respectful, accurate, and inclusive practices. It integrates Strand A of both the Grade 6 Language and Social Studies curriculums through a thought-provoking prompt about what the word strength really means.

Fluency in Perspective

Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site: Excerpt from the Diary of Robert Whyte, an Irish Emigrant

This fluency passage in Unit 8 introduces students to the experiences of Irish immigrants arriving in Canada during the nineteenth century through a historical first-person account. Repeated reading activities help students strengthen oral reading fluency while developing vocabulary related to immigration, quarantine, disease, and historical perspectives. The passage supports knowledge building by encouraging students to examine the challenges faced by immigrants at Grosse Île and the role of primary sources in helping us better understand historical events and human experiences.

• Fluency Passage: Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site: Excerpt from the Diary of Robert Whyte, an Irish Emigrant
• Educator Resource: Fluency
  • Instructional Slide Deck – Fluency
  • Quick Fluency Routine

Sable Island and the Expulsion of the Acadians

This fluency passage in Unit 8 explores the Expulsion of the Acadians and the lasting impact of displacement on Acadian families and communities. Through repeated oral reading, students strengthen fluency while building vocabulary and comprehension related to migration, resilience, and historical events. The passage supports knowledge building by examining how Acadian culture endured despite separation, hardship, and forced relocation, while also exploring the connection between Sable Island’s wild horses and this important chapter in Canadian history.

• Fluency Passage: Sable Island and the Expulsion of the Acadians
• Educator Resource: Fluency
  • Instructional Slide Deck – Fluency
  • Quick Fluency Routine

Structured Writing Cycle

Stories of Strength

• Mentor Text – Stories of Strength
• Educator Resource – Structured Writing
  • Instructional Slide Deck – Structured Writing
  • Instructional Slide Deck – Vocabulary
  • Colour Coded and Student Exemplars
  • Student Writing Page with Prompt

General Resources

• Learning Through Literacy Grade 6 Overview