Historica Canada Education Portal

The Cenotaph Project is an engaging activity that gives students an opportunity to get to know the individual men and women who served, and potentially died, in wartime. Begun by Ontario teacher Blake Seward, teachers and students nationwide have undertaken this project. The document below serves as a step-by-step guide.

This lesson is based on viewing the Madame La Bolduc biography from The Canadians series. It explores the personality and career of Mary Travers Bolduc, who was one of Québec's greatest singing sensations. She was one of the first recording artists to give the Québecois a sense of pride in their language.

With a variety of writing and role-playing activities, students will consider the accomplishments of La Bolduc. Students will reflect on her career within its historical...

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...

When Canada entered the First World War in 1914, men of all ages enlisted by the thousands. However, this zeal waned as reports of casualty rates arrived home. Recruitment posters were an integral part of encouraging men and women to enlist at all points between 1914 and 1918. They appealed to the many motivations for enlistment and used various propaganda techniques to achieve their goal. In this activity, students will examine reasons for enlistment, recruitment posters, and...

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...

An introduction to working with primary evidence including photos, graphs, and text from the time period. Most of the presentation is visual, with a minimum of text. Students work in small groups with each group assigned a different topic.

Depending on time available, the topics could be rotated if the content was important. But if it is used for teaching historical method only, then one activity should be adequate.

This particular lesson is the introduction, including a "practice...

This lesson is based on viewing the Mona Parsons biography from The Canadians series. Although her story isn’t well known, Mona Parsons led a fascinating life. This Nova Scotia-born woman became part of a resistance unit in Nazi occupied Holland. She was imprisoned for her actions, but she managed to escape and make her way to safety by posing as a German.

Students will learn about:

- The life of Mona Parsons
- Nazi occupation of Holland during WWII
- Women in the war years
- The...

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:...

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 is based on viewing the Emily Murphy biography from The Canadians series. Murphy was a mother, magistrate, author, reformer, and legislator. She is best remembered as one of the "Famous Five" who successfully took the "Persons Case," which advocated the recognition of women as persons in the eyes of the law, before the Supreme Court of Canada, and the British Privy Council.

Studying the life of Emily Murphy will provide students an opportunity to learn about the...

This lesson explores intolerance in historic and contemporary Canada through primary and secondary source analysis. It aims to foster citizenship and education through the production of a fictional Public Service Announcement and/or journal entry.

- Inquire into examples of intolerance in Canadian societies and to anticipate future examples of intolerance
- Develop skills in document analysis and critical thinking
- Foster citizenship and an understanding of the rights and...

This lesson is based on viewing the Katherine Ryan biography from The Canadians series (external resource). Katherine Ryan, more commonly known as "Klondike Kate," has become a legend of the Yukon Gold Rush. Her decision to join the Gold Rush went against the expectations of women in her time.

A study of Katherine Ryan's life provides students with the opportunity to learn about the Klondike Gold Rush as well as the suffrage movement, women's roles in society, and women's roles...

In April 2001 and again in February 2007 a storm of controversy erupted in the press of the province British Columbia. This lesson reflects on that controversy and encourages students to engage with the information in different ways.

"By studying historic artifacts of all people, the important and the unimportant alike citizens have a stronger foundation for understanding how and why the past tells us a great deal about the present and the future. All history is selective and...

This lesson is based on viewing the Kit Blake Coleman biography from The Canadiansseries. Coleman’s twenty-five year career helped carve a new niche for women in journalism.

The life and career of Kit Coleman will provide students with a starting point to learn about a variety of themes and topics. In several research and writing activities, students will learn about the historic events that Coleman reported on, the history of women and work, and the field of journalism.