Historica Canada Education Portal

Expose your students to the question of historical evidence and what makes an item or artifact a primary source or secondary source. This lesson will use small pieces of scholarship in the form of an academic paper to provide students with some foundation from which to analyze their positions on the use and determination of primary historical resources. The larger question to be considered is where Carr’s works fit in Canadian history.

Have your students explore history and the Benchmarks of Historical Thinking concept Historical Significance. Students will discover noteworthy events that happened on their birth dates in history. Students will be asked to produce a project, with a format that fully complements and highlights the topic chosen. Research, interpretive, and presentation skills will be highlighted while working with history relevant to each student.

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

• Plan and conduct...

Students will research important sporting events in Canadian history and assess their historical significance. The real value of this lesson comes from having students assess the historical value of each sporting event, team, or athlete based on Historical Significance.

To have the students assess sporting events, teams and athletes on the basis of the historical significance.

Sports are an integral part of our culture and are becoming more so each year. Canada has a rich...

The public has long been fascinated with cemeteries. This program will make use of this fascination to engage the students while they learn. Cemeteries can be primary sources of information for much more than just social studies. This program will make use of the information available in local cemeteries to meet aspects of the mathematics curriculum. 

Students will collect primary data found on the headstones and organize the data. Students will make use of a variety of...

An exploration of the events that have shaped Canada and Canadians.

In this three-part lesson, students will understand the concept of "defining moments" by identifying these moments in their own lives. Then, they will use this understanding to identify key moments in the history and development of Canada.

Time Allowance: 2 - 3 hours

Procedures:
Performance One: Defining Moments

1. (Knowledge/Understanding)

The teacher explains that as each of the students in the...

In this lesson, students will begin by examining the concepts of cause and consequence of a well-known local or provincial issue. They will investigate the causes leading up to Governor James Douglas’ decision to finance the building of the Cariboo Road and explore the intended and unintended political and economic consequences resulting from the decision. Finally, imagining themselves in the role of Douglas, students will prepare a written or oral brief arguing the ramifications to...

Based on the concept of Literature Circles, the lesson will introduce students to History Circles, where small groups investigate a historical topic by each completing an individual task, sharing their work with their group, and planning as a group how to present their topic to the class or wider audience.

To introduce students to different aspects of the study of history, and allow them to approach a topic from a wide variety of learning styles.

In the introductory lesson, students...

Students will explore traditional West Coast Aboriginal peoples’ methods of utilizing the cedar tree.

1. Importance of the cedar tree 
2. Origins of the cedar 
3. Gathering and processing of cedar 
4. Making a rose.

Procedures:

Introduction:

Trigger Activity: Display items made with cedar (hat, regalia, baskets, rope and roses). Ask the students if they know what the articles are made of. What do they know about the cedar tree? Why do they think Aboriginal people...

This lesson is based on viewing The Great Farini biography fromThe Canadians series. William Leonard Hunt, also known as "The Great Farini," was an entertainer and inventor during the Victorian era. He is famous for crossing the Niagara Falls on a high wire.

With a variety of activities students will learn about Farini's life and explore the social and cultural values of the late nineteenth century. Students will reflect and draw conclusions about the similarities and differences...

Students will assume the role of editor for a commemorative publication; they will be encouraged to use history in practical applications.

- Plan and conduct library and community research using primary and secondary print and non-print sources, including reliable electronic sources.
- Generate and critique different interpretations of primary and secondary sources.
- Assess and defend a variety of positions on controversial issues.
- Apply critical...

In this lesson, students will correlate historical information of the evolution of the Canadian National Railway from its conception to today. Within their research, the students will identify factors that have had an impact on the CN’s development, both positively and negatively. Students will explore and determine whether these factors that have effected change over time can be classified as having contributed to progress or decline in the development of the Canadian National’s...

This lesson is based on viewing the Simon Gunanoot biography from The Canadians series. Gunanoot was the subject of one of the most famous manhunts in Canadian history. Accused of murder, he spent thirteen years on the run before turning himself in.

Students will examine what life was like for Gunanoot and his family during their thirteen years in hiding, and they will learn about the political unrest and historical context in which these events occured.

Simon Gunanoot was...

This activity is based on exploring the role of Camp X during the Second World War. Camp X was a secret spy training school located on the Whitby-Oshawa border in Ontario. The camp trained hundreds of allied secret agents for working behind enemy lines.

Based on Howard Gardner's theories on multiple intelligences, this activity gives students a choice on how they wish to present the information they have researched, and also to showcase their particular intelligence.

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Though our nation came together in 1867 due to numerous factors, both internal and external, many have argued that Canada floated along without a truly recognizable identity until the First World War. It was during this period in history and through blood and sacrifice at home and overseas that Canada forged itself into the nation we identify with today. The knowledge of our contributions throughout the course of the First World War is essential to the understanding of our national ‘...

Canada participated in many battles during the Second World War. Some are well known and detailed in the majority of our history textbooks—Dieppe, Juno, Ortona are well documented as battles of some importance for various reasons. Other battles are lesser known and studied. One such battle was code named Operation Windsor and its objective was to gain control of the area of Carpiquet. This battle is not well known by Canadians. It was a challenging fight. Many consider it a failure....