It was a quest that began over three decades ago when the author began teaching at the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OSCVI) in 1984. The school had a long, storied history dating back to 1856 when it first opened its doors to students from Owen Sound and the surrounding area. As a teacher of a survey course in Canadian history…

Food is perfectly positioned to link students' lives to the deep and broad historical forces around them. Like everybody else, students procure and consume food on a daily basis, use it to mark special occasions, share it with friends, enjoy or dispute it with families, all perhaps without ever considering its potential for historical analysis.…

The authors led a workshop during a professional conference gathering French-speaking teachers of Quebec in the fall of 2018 with the aim of describing the learning approaches adopted in social studies teaching within the secondary school context. Their intent in the course of the workshop was to examine how elements associated with learning…

Genealogy and family history projects can be an excellent way to foster students' sense of identity and connectedness to their heritage and relatives. Such activities can help students develop pride and knowledge in their identities and personal histories. Because knowledge of family histories is often valued within Indigenous communities, and…

With financial and methodological support from Simon Fraser University's (SFU) Institute for the Study of Teaching and Learning in the Disciplines, the authors created and implemented modules involving foreign-language instruction--in literary Chinese, Dari, and Latin--in three upper-division history courses. Luke Clossey taught the courses, and…

In this article, the authors explore the nature of film that is both "about" and now more often made "for/by" indigenous peoples and its potential as a medium for introducing and engaging students in the study of indigenous history and perspectives in secondary classrooms. As a framework for analysis, the authors examine to…

For The past two years, Siena College and Loyola International College for Diversity and Sustainability (LCDS), formerly Loyola International College, have jointly taught a comparative Canadian/ U.S. history class. Concordia University, an English language university, has more than 46,000 students and offers 433 undergraduate and graduate…

In recent years, historical events, issues, and characters have been portrayed in an increasing number of non-fiction graphic texts. Similar to comics and graphic novels, graphic texts are defined as fully developed, non-fiction narratives told through panels of sequential art. Such non-fiction graphic texts are being used to teach history in…

Students gain a better understanding of war and economics when the variables come alive through stories, artifacts, and paintings. In this article, the author describes a short story about the fur trade which can generate lots of student questions about the fur economics, the Eastern Woodland Indians, trade artifacts, and war. The author also…

As executive director of a small community museum, the author is always seeking new and innovative ways to link the museum and its collection with the local community. The museum is located in Southern Ontario, on the shore of Lake Ontario, and comprises three restored homes dating from the period 1835-1849. Located in close proximity to the…

The pedagogic value of using archival holdings for the teaching of history has long been appreciated. Using primary sources in the teaching of history transcends the rote learning of facts and figures. It encourages critical thinking skills, introducing students to issues of context, selection and bias, to the nature of collective memory and to…

Laura Ingersoll Secord was, admittedly, a well-known historical figure--at least in Canada over a century before the development of the World Wide Web. In 1860, she first achieved widespread notoriety in her adopted homeland of Canada (she was born in Massachusetts) when a deed she performed for the British army during the War of 1812 was publicly…

An emphasis on cultural history, through the integration of novels, poetry, drama, and other literary genres with traditional history, may form the best introduction to history for many secondary and college-level students. Specific examples of how literature can be incorporated into history courses are provided. (RM)

Explores the French colonization in North America. Presents background information on New France, focusing on the French in Canada. Covers topics, such as how the French became interested in North American expansion, the French in Louisiana, colonial economics, and the reasons for the collapse of New France. Includes a bibliography. (CMK)

Good manners and false protests of ignorance about American history cloak underlying anti-American sentiments among students. Behind the facade, a jumbled set of emotions inform their discomforted imaginations. They are offended by the patronizing and condescending attitudes of Americans when the latter comment on, or intrude into, the outer…