Historica Canada Education Portal

The focus of the project is for students to create a postcard from the past. The aim for students will involve three steps.
• First to interview a grandparent or great grandparent about a memory. This memory may express what life was like for them as a child or perhaps a wartime memory.
• Second will be to obtain a photograph of the grandparent or great grandparent that will be used on the postcard. This may be achieved using a photograph, scanned photograph or drawing.
• Third will be...

This lesson will familiarize students with the controversy that followed Canadian troops in the early years of the First World War as they prepared for war in the trenches. Specifically, students will learn of the disputes and arguments that occurred around the suitability of the Ross Rifle for service on the battlefields of the First World War. Problems with the Ross Rifle led to the eventual withdrawal of the rifle in July of 1916 on the orders of the British Commander, Sir Douglas...

The teacher will ask the students to research how different groups of Canadians were affected by Canada’s participation in the Second World War. Students will then create a journal that follows the life of a fictitious Canadian before, during and after the war. Although the students will be creating a piece of fiction, the journals they write must be historically accurate and make reference to historical events. The teacher will assign, or allow students to choose, their character...

An exploration of different points of view of Canadians during the First World War.

Students will be able to explain the causes of the First World War and how Canada became involved. Students will be able to analyse the effectiveness of propaganda posters and create one that represents a specific point of view.
Visually and in writing, students will be able to express a point of view from a specific group of Canadian people during the First World War.

Time Allowance:...

The students will be analyzing the organization of the Canadian Army. Students will be able to identify the basic command structure and composition of the Canadian Army for both the First and Second World Wars. They will perform a platoon maneuver according to specific objectives in this lesson they will attempt to re-enact the Vimy Glide that was used during the First World War.

Students should become more familiar and comfortable with understanding the different units and...

The impact of the First World War and the Second World War on artists and the art they produced cannot be denied. Along with everything else in Western society, the creators of art and the art they created post-war were much different than anything that had come before 1914. This lesson is about the depiction of war and its aftermath by artists affected by the conflicts. They may or may not have been participants.

To have students understand the nature of the art produced...

Students learn more of the First World War by way of a study of the Canadian, British, and American soldier poets that served in France and Belgium.

Students will search and read the poetry of their soldier poet. It is hoped that they will choose a poem or two that appeals to them and ones in which they can examine word choice, imagery, mood, and figurative language. The pair of students will research and write a biography of their soldier poet. The aim here is that the students...

This lesson introduces technology used in the First World War in an interactive and fun way. Students will learn what weapons were important in trench warfare.

Students will work collaboratively to identify and "acquire" weapons they think would have been most effective.

This lesson is normally presented after the students have been introduced to the causes of the First World War. However, the actual conditions of trench warfare have not been discussed - their choices...

This lesson will introduce the students to the role of the stretcher bearer in the First World War. Often it is the soldier in the trench who is remembered for his bravery and duty, risking his life for hiscountry. It is important to remember that in war, as in society, there are other roles, such as the stretcher bearers, who also have an important responsibility. These cannot be overlooked. Students will explore and discover the experiences of the stretcher bearer through poetry,...

Students create a newspaper, from a distinct perspective, that exemplifies an event of the First World War. This project can be modified to the Second World War. The full assignment is attached below.

Students will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of a specific aspect of the Great War. Students will gain competence is print presentation methods. Other goals can be added to this project to meet specific teacher's needs and curricular outcomes.

This project...

Aboriginal people sacrificed much during the two World Wars, both at home and in Europe, all the while they weren’t considered “people” in the eyes of Canadian law. Students will explore the issues facing Aboriginal people during the Great War and the Second World War and collaborate to create a PowerPoint or PhotoStory presentation for the school Remembrance Day Assembly.

It is expected that the student will:

- apply critical thinking (including questioning, comparing,...

This lesson is based on viewing the Ruth Lowe biography from The Canadians series. Following the untimely death of her husband, Ruth Lowe wrote the song, I'll Never Smile Again. It became one of the most popular songs during the Second World War.

These activities encourage students to consider the significance of Ruth Lowe, and to reflect on the role that music plays in society.

Through powerful tones and sensational lyrics, music often expresses emotions for which...

This lesson will guide students as they learn about a significant number of concepts and facts related to New France through the study of an historical figure.

This lesson is based on an interview format, with open-ended questions and detailed, full-sentence answers, a portrait of the person, a drawn geographical map, and a timeline (indicating important dates in the person's life and important dates in the corresponding history of the country).

All too often, research...

The lesson allows students to gain a better understanding of the trenches and the effects of chlorine gas on the soldiers through the use of poetry through an analysis of the poem "Dulce et Decorum est" by Wilfred Owen.

The aim of the lesson is to show how horrific war was for the soldiers that fought in the First World War. It also shows the horrors of the gas attack as witnessed by a soldier, Owen, who served in the war. The poem brings a different dimension to the study of...

This lesson will introduce students the following issues and questions:

1. Why was the war so brutal?
2. Why did Canadians want to fight?
3. Literature during the First World War
4. Was the war a needless or necessary sacrifice?

To make students think about the issues that face soldiers and officers during the war. Students will be encouraged to examine the content from a contemporary perspective instead of their own post-modern perspective.

The background is established...