Material in the resource is divided into five sections. There is one section devoted to each of the island’s four counties. The fifth section deals with the island as a whole and the Mi’kmaq, Cape Breton Island’s first inhabitants. Each of these sections includes one page of photos which illustrate themes discussed in that section’s lessons. The resource also includes a CD which contains other photos and sounds to supplement the lessons.

Also included are many articles by students from various parts of Cape Breton Island for further reading.

Objectives

This resource aims to introduce learners to a new way of looking at Cape Breton Island and many of the social studies themes it demonstrates. Specifically, We are an Island provides learners with opportunities to:

• Become familiar with the social studies themes and concepts developed in the resource.
• Apply these concepts in their own communities and in other settings.
• Gain information from a variety of print materials such as maps, atlases and graphs.
• Choose appropriate information to answer given questions.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills.
• Consider taking active roles in their communities.
• Understand the forces that have influenced the development of Cape Breton Island to the present.

Social Studies Themes

The following themes are developed throughout the resource in text, comprehension questions and/or higher level cognitive skills such as application, comparison, evaluation and interpretation:

• Location - Location relative to other places, absolute location described in terms of latitude and longitude, and the strategic significance of individual locations.