On Mountaintop Rock

By Laurie Cassie and Sharon Moy, 2014 recipients of the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching

INTENDED GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT AREA

This is a year-long study rooted in John McLay’s novel On Mountaintop Rock. This unit is an integration of Canadian history, literature and science.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

HISTORY

Students will be able to:

• explain the impact of David Thompson’s surveying work with respect to the opening of Canada’s west
• explain the connection Thompson and his First Nations guides
• use primary sources to explore the connections between people, places, events and historical perspectives
• explain how different perspectives of the same event or person are possible and are affected by the place or time

LITERATURE

Students will be able to:

• identify and explain figurative language
• explain inferences, read between the lines, recognize foreshadowing, make logical predictions, make evaluative statements about characters’ choices
• write paragraphs using figurative language descriptive

SCIENCE

Students will be able to:

• draw labelled diagrams of different stages of glacial development
• draw labelled diagrams to demonstrate the impact of glacial movement
• draw labelled diagrams and explain process which forms hot springs
• use molding clay to demonstrate the various ways mountains are formed

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Set in Jasper in 1954, the novel On Mountaintop Rock by John McLay is rich with references to events in Canadian history in addition to being beautifully written. Throughout the year, the students were immersed in a study of how the author brought this time period and place to life and relived moments of Canadian history. Students travelled by VIA Rail train in June 2013 from Vancouver to Jasper where they presented their inquiry projects in a public learning fair on the main street in Jasper, Alberta.

RESOURCES

• Parks Canada’s Jasper Palisades Stewardship Center staff provided accommodation, food and programming.
• novel On Mountaintop Rock by John McLay
• John McLay, author. John grew up in Jasper and relayed many contact.
• Mapmaker’s Eye: David Thompson on the Columbia Plateau by Jack Nisbet
• Robert Allen, BCLS, CLS of the Surveyors Historical Society. Mr. Allen provided detailed surveying maps of David Thompson and DVD’s of Thompson’s life and exploration.
• Ralph Schwartz – guest speaker about being the personal driver to Marilyn Monroe for the summer of 1953 when filming in Jasper
• Don Currie – guest speaker about growing up in the 1950s
• Len Brown – guest speaker about Canadian train history. Len owns his own train in England and will explain to the students how trains handle changes in elevation
• Patti Neibel – jive dance teacher
• The Reverend Julio Martin of St. Mary and St. George Anglican Church in Jasper gave us a tour of the church
• Karen Byers, manager Jasper-Yellowhead Museum. Karen provided us with photos of the Jasper community in the 1950’s.
• Yvonne McNabb, Culture and Recreation Director, Municipality of Jasper
• Sandy Robinson, Jasper resident to share experiences with Marilyn Monroe in Jasper in 1953
• Harry Home, Jasper resident to share experiences with Marilyn Monroe in Jasper in 1953 and share his knowledge train routes through the Rockies