Explore Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, The Seven Years War, The Plains of Abraham and the Quebec Act. Settlers from France contributed enormously to the development of North America, beginning with explorers such as Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain, and continuing for several long and eventful centuries. From the beginning, the French of the New World comprised a minority — first to the Aboriginal peoples, and then the English. Our resource examines the lives and history of the people of New France — their history, economy, society, and relations with the Aboriginal people and the British. This Canada lesson provides a teacher and student section with a variety of reading passages, activities, crossword, word search, and answer key to create a well-rounded lesson plan.