Historica Canada Education Portal

Overview

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute, "Vikings." Five hundred years before Columbus set foot on the islands of the Caribbean, Norse settlers were living in what is now a part of Canada. Proof of this Viking settlement was discovered in 1961.

Aims

Students will hone their critical thinking skills by discussing how the Vikings and the First Nations are portrayed in the "Viking" Heritage Minute. Students will do further research about the Norse to increase their depth...

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute, "Marconi." On December 12, 1901, Guglielmo Marconi proved that wireless communication was possible when he sent a radio wave from England to Newfoundland.

Marconi's experiment led to the development of radio. Students will speculate about the impact that radio and other communications technologies have had on the modern world.

Since Marconi's experiment in communications, there have been huge advances in mass media. This...

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute, "Emily Murphy," which recounts how Murphy challenged the laws and secured the rights of women as persons throughout the Commonwealth.

Students will consider the contributions that individuals can make to society, and generate a list of people who should be recognized for their contributions. After learning that, historically, women were not recognized for their contributions, students will write biographies for women they...

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute, "Valour Road." By coincidence, 3 of the 69 Canadian men who were awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War had grown up on the same street in Winnipeg. This street was renamed Valour Road in their honour.

The "Valour Road" Heritage Minute is a good starting place for students to learn about the horrors of war and consider the great personal sacrifices that soldiers made.

By coming up with their own film treatments and...

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute, "Grey Owl," which explores the life and career of this controversial conservationist. Grey Owl, whose real name was Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, was born in England. He immigrated to Canada, adopted the name Grey Owl, and purported to be the son of a Scot and an Apache. He was a trapper and a park ranger whose writings on conservation were very influential.

Students will briefly describe the history and importance of Grey Owl...

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute: "Lucille Teasdale." Teasdale was one of Canada's first female surgeons. For thirty-five years she operated a medical clinic in Uganda, where she personally treated over 13,000 patients.

Students will focus on the life and work of Lucille Teasdale as they create a timeline of important Canadian women in the twentieth Century.

Students will build upon their understanding of Lucille Teasdale's life and work to produce a series of...