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Activity 2.2 Collecting the Facts
The purpose of this activity is to research the Irish Potato Famine and the mass arrival of Irish immigrants to Canada at Grosse Ile Quebec, and discuss students’ findings. 

1. 	Instruct students to begin by searching the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) website, A Nation’s Chronicle: The Canada Gazette, using keywords related to the Irish Potato Famine (key words may be brainstormed together as a class). They may continue their search by finding other information on the websites listed in Activity Resources (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canada-gazette/035001-3030.1-e.html). Using the results of their search, they will answer the questions in Handout 2.2. (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canada-gazette/035001-3040.20-e.html)  

2. 	In groups, review the discussion questions listed in Handout 2.2 (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canada-gazette/035001-3040.20-e.html).  Ask students if their answers have changed since they first discussed the same questions in Activity 1.5 in Lesson 1. Have the groups make notes for each question, keeping the issues they encountered in the Irish Potato Famine in mind. Review the answers as a class.

3. Additional Class Discussion Questions (These can also be used as essay questions.)

•	What were the actual solutions to the challenges of the Irish Potato Famine? What were some other possible solutions? 
•	If you were the Prime Minister, how would you have handled the situation differently?
•	How were the Irish Potato Famine and the SARS crisis similar? How were they different?
•	What are the pros and cons of using the 1840s Canada Gazette for information? 

4- To assess this activity, use Rubric 2.1 (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canada-gazette/035001-3040.23-e.html)