Historica Canada Education Portal

Early graveyards offer the educator a unique opportunity to employ primary historical information to engage and excite students as they learn about their local history. Information gained from the stones relating to birth and death dates, surnames, and family relationships have a practical application in the study of history. Gravestones should also be viewed as a form of expression capable of providing insight into aspects of eighteenth and nineteenth century life. The visual...

This lesson is based on viewing the Stewart James biography from The Canadians series. This Ontario born trickster made a name for himself around the world as the greatest inventor of magical tricks and puzzles that ever lived. His name lives on in magical circles years after his death and is spoken of with the greatest possible respect.

In a variety of activities, students will study the life of Stewart James and his world of magic. Students will also look at the strange genius...

This lesson focuses on understanding what Margaret Mead meant by her famous quote: "Never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever does."

The aim of this lesson is to teach the students the following:

This lesson offers students an opportunity to explore Canada's regional treasures and heritage. They will compare their own life in their own community and province to life in another province. This activity could also serve to offer opportunties for art and geography lessons.

This project is designed as a vehicle that will be applicable to any grade level or expectation within the Social Studies Curricula.

Students will develop the following skills:
• Research
• Presentation
•...

This lesson is based on viewing the Wilf Carter biography from The Canadiansseries. It explores the long and successful career of Carter, who was one of the founders of Canadian country music. He was born in Nova Scotia, but he got his start yodeling for tourists in Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta.

Students will examine Wilf Carter's life and consider the connections between the lives of individuals and historic events. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss Western...

Students will use concept maps to explore the following topics, as well as any others they feel are important to the development of Canada up to the 20th Century.

Rebellions
Confederation
Canadian Pacific Railroad
Economy
US Relations
Government
Human growth and development

The concept maps will help students to review and prepare for the final exam. They will also provide the teacher with an accurate picture of what the students actually understand.

A Concept Map is a...

This lesson is based on viewing the Louis Cyr biography from The Canadians series. At the end of the nineteenth century, Louis Cyr - the strong man from Canada - was arguably the best-known Canadian in the world, but an unhealthy lifestyle resulted in his early death at age 49 from overeating.

In a variety of activities, students will consider the life and accomplishments of Louis Cyr within historical context and in relationship to other athletes. Cyr's story also provides an...

Students should:
- Know that democracy depends on the participation of the citizens
- Participate appropriately and effectively in groups
- Research for specific information
- Demonstrate an attitude of acceptance of diverse values
- Read, view and listen effectively to gather ideas and information
- Classify and present pertinent information in logical order.

Students should be able to :
- Present ideas clearly and at a rate that enables others to follow
- Explain personal viewpoint clearly
-...

Your group has been transported back though time to the period of the Fur Trade in Canada (prior to Confederation). Your goal will be to create and perform a dramatic presentation to share your perspective of the social and economic impact of the fur trade through the eyes of your assigned role-playing characters. Your dramatic presentation will be the only way your classmates will develop a true understanding of the impact of the fur trade on your group.

Note: this assignment is...

This lesson is based on viewing the Pauline Johnson biography from The Canadians series. Pauline Johnson astounded audiences all over the world with her performances of poetry, comedy, and plays. The daughter of an Indigenous-Canadian father and an American mother, Johnson did not embody the stereotype of a Mohawk woman in the early nineteenth century.

In the following activities, students will learn about Pauline Johnson by researching the connections between her life and...

Students will read a Canadian novel to determine whether it provides an accurate picture of a Canadian event, experience, or character. In order to complete the assignment, students are expected to note the political, social, and economic circumstances outlined in the novel. Using primary and secondary sources the students will then write a report outlining the value of the novel as a historical source.

Students will:

This lesson is based on viewing the Percy Williams biography from The Canadiansseries. It explores the athleticism of this Canadian sprinter, who won two gold medals at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Despite his accomplishments, Williams's life had a tragic ending.

With a variety of individual and group activities, students will study Williams's accomplishments and compare them with other athletes. Students will also consider the place of athletes in society and decide whether...

The purpose of this lesson plan is to encourage students to research and produce short television documentaries concerning local individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the community or to the country. The goal for the project is to have students establish a deeper and more immediate connection to their own heritage, and to history in general.

The principal aim of the project is to develop a deeper understanding of the complex heritage and history we share as...

This lesson is based on viewing the Joseph Scriven biography from The Canadians series. Discover the tragic and fascinating story of Scriven, who wrote What a Friend We have in Jesus, which remains one of the most popular Christian hymns.

Studying the life of Joseph Scriven provides students with a starting place to research the larger topics of religious conflict, religious charity, evangelicals, and immigration in the nineteenth century.

Joseph Scriven lived a...

This lesson is based on viewing the Tom Thomson biography from The Canadians series. Thomson is famous for his paintings of the Canadian landscape and his association with members of what became known as The Group of Seven painters.

In a series of brainstorming and writing activites, students will learn about Tom Thomson, The Group of Seven, and Canadian art.

From amateur artist to national icon, Tom Thomson sprang into Canada’s collective memory in only a few short...