Hutterite Immigration Learning Sequence

 

One of the units Manitoba students study in grade 2 Social Studies, is Canadian Communities.  It is here that students learn about the first Canadians and people who immigrated to Canada.  One of the outcomes from this unit states that “students will recognize that many people came to Canada from other parts of the world to establish communities.”  For me this is the ideal opportunity to give my students their first introduction to Hutterite immigration! 

 Following are activities I’ve used to teach this outcome:

Introduction

I have several picture books on immigration which I’ve listed at the end of this post.  My favourite one however, is When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest.  I use this as a spin-off to discuss the concept of immigration and Hutterites coming to America.

Mapping

To trace back from where their local colony originated, I use the Hutterite Members App or a Hutterite phone book.  The Members App has a “Colony Tree” feature where we traced Elm River’s origin all the way back to Alvinz, Transylvania.  I created cards where I recorded each colony’s name, country, flag and years of existence.  Some of these communities are extinct, while others continue to thrive. 

On a world map mounted on a bulletin board, the students used string to connect the cards, which are stapled above the map, to the places on the map.  Next, they complete the BLM: Hutterite Immigration, recording the country names and drew and coloured the flags.

Suitcase Project

Discussion: What would Hutterites have brought along when they came to America.  What would they not be able to bring along?  Brainstorm what students would pack in their own suitcases if they had to move to a different country.  Send home a copy of the letter explaining the project to their parents.  At home, they make a display of their chosen items and email the photo to their teacher to print.  Create a suitcase out of construction paper.  Fill in BLM: Traveling to a New Land  by listing the items they would take along.  Draw the items or glue the photo inside the “suitcase.”  Attach a name tag with students’ full name and address. Students can decorate their suitcase with travel related stickers. 

Hutterite Soup Beans

One item that someone, perhaps a gardener, had the foresight of bringing to America are Hutterite Soup Beans.  These can be purchased / ordered from the Heirloom section of seed stores / catalogs.   To tie in science, (parts of plants, needs of plants, etc.) plant them with the students and have them take care of them. 
If possible, make bean soup.  An article about beans can be found at Manitoba Co-operator website: An Heirloom Harvest Spurs memories by Linda Maendel.  To read it click here.

Story Telling

Invite Dora Maendel from Fairholme to come (or on ITV) tell the Maendel Story and/or Sonn Ankela Story

Music Connection

A song is currently being composed by Butch Wipf and Dora Maendel about Hutterite immigration.  Once it’s completed, a recording of it will be added here.

 

Books

• A Light Kindled by Tracy M Leininger (a pilgrim story of home)
• Anna’s Goats by Janice Kulyk Keefer (a story of hope and memories)
• Spoken memories by Aliki (immigration memories)
• Thank You Canada by Andrea Lynn Beck (celebrating our country’s strengths)
• Hutterites in Canada by Frances Purslow (history of Hutterite communities in Canada)
• The Whispering Cloth by Pegi Deitz Shea (a refugee story)
• Gleam and Glow by Eve Bunting (finding hope)
• When Jessie came across the sea by Amy Hest (immigration memories)