Describes a lesson consisting of activities such as a mock town hall meeting, forming a lobby group, and attending a town hall meeting. Focuses on community-based issues and the role of citizens in bringing about change at the local level. (CMK)

Discusses the benefits of using oral history in social studies. Describes the process of oral history projects by discussing (1) how to introduce oral history to the students, (2) preparation for the project, (3) organizing and evaluating the research, and (4) publishing an oral history. Considers a variation on oral history. (CMK)

Provides information about Alexander Cameron Rutherford, a provincial politician. Includes a letter written by Rutherford in 1912 that provides insights into his responsibilities to the general public, information about Rutherford himself, the economic conditions of Alberta, Canada in 1912, and information about the individual to whom it was…

Gives a variety of resources for geography teachers that enable them to make geography challenging and interesting for their students. Includes the Canadian Council for Geographic Education, Canadian Communities Atlas Project, and other programs. Offers Web addresses and contact information for the organizations and other resources. (CMK)

Explores how the CD-ROM "Tiree, Famine and Clearance 1840-1900" facilitates the development of inquiry skills. Recreates the history of Tiree (Scotland) between 1840 and 1900, and describes the experiences of Tiree emigrants in Canada. Features a range of historical sources including photographs, archival film, and personal reminiscences. (CMK)

Proposes two approaches to using role-playing in the history classroom: (1) providing factual information to the students; and (2) allowing them to discover the experiences of historical actors. Expounds that the recommended role-playing simulations help students discover why Canadians were divided over the conscription issue in World War I. (CMK)

Recommends a social studies activity that combines geography and history within a current events framework to make the curriculum more interesting and challenging to the students. Explains that students investigate natural disasters from around the world and determine the effect humans have on these "natural" occurrences. (CMK)

Illustrates the pros and cons of e-mail in the social studies classroom; in particular, the problems concerning what e-mail service a school should subscribe to. Lists different precautions schools must take when finally deciding on the appropriate e-mail system. Provides names of organizations that have established databases of e-mail projects.…

Provides a crossword puzzle with an answer key corresponding to the book entitled "Significant Treasures/Tresors Parlants" that is filled with color and black-and-white prints of paintings and artifacts from 131 museums and art galleries as a sampling of the 2,200 such Canadian institutions. (CMK)

Explains that a portfolio is a collection of student work that reflects the course content and is assembled by the student in a folder or binder over a specified period of time. Discusses how to use portfolios, the benefits of using portfolios as assessment tools, and potential concerns teachers need to address. (CMK)

Contends that students in social studies classes can utilize Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) as a presentation and collaborative tool by developing websites. Presents two activities where students submitted webpages for country case studies and created a timeline for the French Revolution. Describes how to use HTML by discussing the various tags.…

Provides activities for grades 6 to 8 that will promote student awareness and understanding of the use of hydropower in Canada, the benefits and drawbacks to hydropower, and also the drawbacks of electricity transmission lines. Explains that the activities focus on the James Bay Hydro Project in Canada. (CMK)

Explains that the Internet is a good source of information and misinformation about the rights that Canadians do and do not enjoy. Provides websites that address human rights issues, such as government and non-governmental organizations, and information for locating newsgroups and listservs. (CMK)

Explains that sentencing circles are a form of traditional Canada Native justice in which the entire community is involved to combat offenders. Provides a unit plan on sentencing circles for social studies in order to teach students about the need for sentencing circles in Native communities. Provides sample lesson plans and an example worksheet.…

Utilizes a letter by J. Dewey Soper as an example of how archival documents can be used in the social studies classroom and explains that in the letter Soper reported on his exploration of Baffin Land (Canada) to the acting director of the Geological Survey. Addresses possible activities and discussion questions. (CMK)