Portail de l'éducation de Historica Canada

In this guide, borders are defined in geographic, political, national, linguistic and cultural terms. Sometimes they are clearly defined and other times they are abstract, though still significant to the populations affected by them. During the War of 1812, borders were often unclear as no proper survey had been done to define the boundaries. Border decisions were made by government leaders and frequently led to decades of disagreements. When borders changed, they often affected the people...

The 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 presents an opportunity for Canadians to turn their attention to this significant time in the country’s history. The War of 1812 had a major impact on the future of British North America and, in particular, on the continent’s Aboriginal peoples, many of whom played an important role in protecting the Canadas (Upper and Lower Canada; now Ontario, Québec and Labrador) from American invasion.

https://www.picnotes.org

This learning tool explores the Battle of Normandy, better known as D-Day.

It includes:
- An ABC guide to D-Day
- D-Day diary excerpts from Commander Desmond Piers
- Canadian Veteran's Poem
- Just-A-Minute interactive game

This learning tool explores the Battle of the Atlantic from multiple points of view.

Included are:
- An ABCs guide to the Battle of the Atlantic with research prompts.
- First-hand accounts of the battle from a Navy Officer from Bristich Columbia, a Navy Bride from Ontario, and a German U-Boat officer.
- A game called Just-A-Minute.

Resources:

Andrew Irwin's story - The Memory Project

Iolanda "Vy" Connolly's story - The Memory Project

Werner Max Hirschmann's story - The Memory Project

This learning tool explores the Second World War using multiple points of view.

Included are:

- An ABCs guide to the Second World War with research prompts

- A lyrical analysis activity

- Voices of War, a collection of war-time perspectives (Includes a long and short testimony of Squadron Leader George Stewart, DFC)

- A game titled Just-A-Minute

This learning tool explores Canada's role in the First World War.

Included are:
- A guide to using the learning tool
- An ABC of Canada in the First World War I with research prompts
- Two games titled A Family Affair and Just-A-Minute

Students will interview relatives for their childhood memories of the Second World War. The relatives should have been near the ages of the students during the War. After the interview, students will provide a first person written account in postcard format with a prepared charcoal drawing or an archival photograph to represent the memoire. The students will learn interview techniques, creating a postcard, an art medium, and importantly family lore.

To learn interview...

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 activity will help students become more aware of the terms Shell Shock, Battle Exhaustion, and PTSD.

The stress that comes from soldiers fighting under the conditions they faced was extremely difficult to deal with. This lesson outlines the development of the concept of battle exhaustion, from the initial understanding of shell shock during the Great War to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in our current Canadian missions.

To develop the students' understanding of the...

The Heritage Minutes illustrate the possibilities of story-telling. This critical thinking exercise will help guide you through the deconstruction of four Heritage Minutes: Peacemaker, Vikings, John Cabot, and Jacques Cartier. The activities can be easily adapted to any of the Heritage Minutes you want to use in your classroom.

An invaluable skill for any student is the ability to critically examine available historical evidence and develop an awareness of its possibilities, as...

This lesson is based on viewing the John McCrae Heritage Minute, which shows Canadian Army surgeon John McCrae writing the famous poem, "In Flanders Fields."

Students will discuss the meaning, imagery, language and message of the poem, "In Flanders Fields."

Students will study the poem, "In Flanders Fields" and discuss its language, imagery, and message. They will compare this poem with other poems about the First World War, and discuss whether they contain realistic...

This lesson is based on viewing the Heritage Minute, "Winnie," which recounts the true story of the Canadian soldier's bear that became the inspiration for writer A.A. Milne.

Students will discuss the cultural importance of meaningful symbols by looking at how animals are personified and anthropomorphized in literature and popular culture.

Secondary students can often learn a great deal about common literary themes and devices through exploring childrens' stories. These...

Start this activity by introducing your students to Canadian writer John McCrae with the Heritage Minute about his poem "In Flanders Field" and to the Unknown Soldier by reading "Waiting in Line" from Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul (text below).

"Waiting in Line"