Lesson Plan: Remembering Number 9

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Ask students to discuss how they think a Canadian hero should be honoured at the time of his or her death, and afterwards. To begin, have students name some Canadian heroes and then consider those who have died and what happened at the time of their death. For those who are comfortable with the topic, consider a discussion of ways of honouring family members who have died.

Outline the Opportunity

Have students view the clips "A hero's funeral" and "Admired in life, revered in death" on the topic The Legendary #9: Maurice 'Rocket' Richard, on the CBC Digital Archives website, where they can review how Canadians reacted to the news of Richard's death and view parts of his memorial service.

With the information they have gathered, students will write an article for a Canadian encyclopedia or a historical website to honour the life of Maurice 'Rocket' Richard. Their article should focus on what Richard contributed to Canadian society and why he is known as a hero.

Revisit and Reflect

Select four or five students to read their articles to the class and discuss the differences between the tributes. Have students discuss what elements are important to include in a tribute, and justify why they included certain information. You may want to keep a class checklist of repeated information and unique information.

Extension

There are a number of books written about Rocket Richard. Students can read one of the books, then write and share a review of it.