Not Just Numbers

2025 Game Instructions

Over three rounds, you will use a variety of historical documents to explore the life of one of our Case Studies. Each Case Study is a historical Canadian who left behind materials that you can use to look into the past.

This activity can be done as a class, or as a homework assignment.

Round 1 (5 Minutes): You receive three clues about your Case Study and speculate about what they tell you

Round 2 (10 Minutes): You receive a census entry related to your Case Study and draw what information you can

Round 3 (15 Minutes): You receive a variety of other historical documents that will provide important details about your Case Study

Conclusion (15 Minutes): Read the concluding document to your Case Study, and discuss the activity as a class. 

Some of these documents use words for people that are now considered slurs, such as “negro” or “oriental”. It’s important to understand the historical context in which such words were used, but not to use them yourself. Their appearance is not intended to encourage their use outside of educational settings.

Select a Case Study below 

The 2025 expansion of the Not Just Numbers Game was funded by the Government of Canada