Historica Canada Education Portal

3D Pyramid: 5 Steps to Analyze Primary Sources

THE 5WS: Question the source. Who created it? When and where was it created? What is the source about? Why was the source created?
CONTEXT: Situate the source in space and time, placing it in the wider picture of history. What else was happening at the time?
EXPLORING: Examine the details of the source. What is it about? What words, images or symbols are used? What was its purpose?
REACHING CONCLUSIONS: Use context, evidence and observations to...

The Canadian Encyclopedia is a free, bilingual resource of over 20,000 fact-checked articles and learning tools about Canada's history and culture. The Canadian Encyclopedia has hundreds of resources for teachers including timelines, quizzes and education guides covering provincial and territorial curriculum topics for social sciences & history, Indigenous studies, geography & sciences, civics and more. Visit thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.

To mark the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and help educators and students think critically about primary sources, Historica Canada has created the Think Like a Historian series of videos and worksheets.

These worksheets accompany the video Think Like a Historian: Vimy in Newspapers, which explores two newspaper accounts from Le Canada and The Globe in the days following the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

To complete these worksheets, students may...

To mark the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and help educators and students think critically about primary sources, Historica Canada has created the Think Like a Historian series of videos and worksheets.

These worksheets accompany the video Think Like a Historian: Vimy in Letters (Francis Bathe), which explores a letter written by Francis Bathe to his sister May following his experiences at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

To complete these...

To mark the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and help educators and students think critically about primary sources, Historica Canada has created the Think Like a Historian series of videos and worksheets.

These worksheets accompany the video Think Like a Historian: Vimy in Pictures. This video explores the image commonly known as The Taking of Vimy Ridge.

To complete these worksheets, students may want to watch the videos more than once....

To mark the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and help educators and students think critically about primary sources, Historica Canada has created the Think Like a Historian series of videos and worksheets. The following activities provide an introduction to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and working with primary sources.

To complete these worksheets, students may want to watch the videos more than once. Turning on the subtitles can help second...

What? Who? When? Where? Why?

The Vimy 100 History Lens Tool Kit is designed to help educators and
students deepen their knowledge and think critically about the Battle of
Vimy Ridge on the anniversary of its centennial. Students and teachers are
asked to reflect on the importance of Vimy Ridge to Canada’s historical
narrative, and what it means to Canada today. This learning tool includes
activities to prepare students for their trip to Vimy, to engage students
while in France, and to reflect on their visit to Vimy after...

The Junior Art learning tool provides interactive classroom activities that aid in the research and creative process, as well as encourage critical thinking. The guide outlines five projects that explore cultural significance and personal awareness.

The annual Aboriginal Arts & Stories deadline is March 31. Please note that the contest accepts submissions year-round; post-deadline, submissions will be considered for the following year’s contest. The contest is open to Canadians of...

The Junior Writing learning tool provides interactive classroom activities that aid in the research and creative process, as well as encourage critical thinking. The guide outlines four projects that explore cultural significance and personal awareness.

The annual Aboriginal Arts & Stories deadline is March 31. Please note that the contest accepts submissions year-round; post-deadline, submissions will be considered for the following
year’s contest. The contest is open to Canadians of...

The Senior Art learning tool provides interactive classroom activities that aid in the research and creative process, as well as encourage critical thinking. The guide outlines four projects that explore cultural significance and personal awareness.

Tapping into the creative energy of Indigenous youth is of the utmost importance in the maintenance and nurturing of Indigenous arts, and to provide youth a means to reinterpret customs with fresh trends and insights. Aboriginal Arts & Stories...

The Senior Writing learning tool provides interactive classroom activities that aid in the research and creative process, as well as encourage critical thinking. The guide outlines four projects that explore cultural significance and personal awareness.

The guide includes four questions that are intended to help you write your submission to Aboriginal Arts & Stories. Each question has its own topic, ways to engage with the topic, writing activities and online resources. The topics covered...

The Memory Project, an initiative of Historica Canada, gives veterans and current Canadian Forces members the opportunity to share their stories of military service through its online archive and volunteer speakers bureau.

Drawing on the work of the Historical Thinking Project (historicalthinking.ca), this learning tool encourages students to make connections between important Canadian military innovations throughout history and the impact of these innovations on society. Students will...

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.