Besieged: The American Invasion of 1775. A Simulation Game

Besieged plunges students into the siege of Fort St-Jean by the American army in 1775! In this simulation game, participants are divided into two groups: the British defenders and the American invaders. The two armies are divided into three sub-groups to give each student different objectives throughout the game. In Besieged, students draw maps, choose strategies and rack their brains to win as many points as possible for their teams!

This activity was designed in collaboration with the Musée du Fort Saint-Jean and can be done in the classroom or at the museum. Contact their team to organize your visit with your class!

Activity content

The presentation document enables the animator or teacher to guide the activity from start to finish. The presentation sets the scene, establishes the rules and leads the different rounds for each team. To this end, we recommend projecting the presentation document in front of the participants!

The game sheet is given to each team so that its members can follow the game. The sheet is used to write down answers and keep score as the presentation progresses.

Activity objectives

The aim of these educational activities is to give Cycle 2 students a better understanding of the historical significance of Fort St-Jean in the history of Quebec and Canada, and more specifically, in the events surrounding the Quebec Act of 1774. Students will be able to understand the 1775 American invasion of the province of Quebec and how it changed the history of Quebec and Canada.

Through this activity, students will practice the intellectual operations required by the Secondary 3 program of the Quebec Ministry of Education, by analyzing primary and secondary historical documents. More specifically, this activity is part of the “American Invasion” component of the Quebec Education Program. Finally, students will also develop their knowledge of Quebec and Canadian history through the skills promoted by the Quebec Education Program:

  • Characterize a period in the history of Quebec and Canada
  • Interpreting a social reality

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