Historica Canada

"the largest independent organization devoted to enhancing awareness of Canadian history and citizenship. Our programs, all of which are offered bilingually, reach more than eight million Canadians annually. While our headquarters is in Toronto, we also operate the Ottawa-based Encounters With Canada youth program, and our staff regularly travel coast to coast to coast to meet participants and promote engagement in our activities."

Programs

• The Canadian Encyclopedia
• " the most authoritative and comprehensive reference of all things Canadian (from Pierre Trudeau and Louis Riel to the Great Depression and the NHL) for students, readers and scholars across Canada and throughout the world. The content of The Canadian Encyclopedia is updated daily, and is available in both official languages. It is home to more than 19,000 articles, 6,000 interactive maps, graphs, photographs and animations."
• Passages Canada
• "a national storytelling initiative that gives volunteer speakers the opportunity to share their personal accounts of cultural identity and heritage online in our multimedia Story Archive or in person with schools and community groups. Since 2002, over 900 speakers have created dialogue on Canada's rich diversity with over 250,000 youth and adults, as we continue to build understanding and respect for Canada’s shared history and values."
• Aboriginal Arts and Stories
• "...began in 2005 as a national writing competition for Aboriginal youth. In 2010, Historica Canada introduced an expanded challenge that would now include a visual arts component. Aboriginal youth, between the ages of 11-29, are invited to submit a piece of creative writing (past entries have included short stories, plays, screenplays and collections of poetry), or a piece of two-dimensional artwork that captures a defining moment in Aboriginal history or culture. "
• MyParksPass Canada
• "grants all grade 8/ secondary 2 students in Canada free entry, for one year, to over 200 National Parks, National Historic Sites and National Marine Conservation areas administered by Parks Canada. The program introduces young Canadians to our natural heritage, in the hopes that they will continue to appreciate the beauty and history of the Canadian landscape....he My Parks Pass website contains a number of learning tools for teachers that connect the Parks and Historic Sites to curriculum across Canada as well as past Canada’s Coolest School Trip contest submissions and winners."
• War of 1812
• "To bring this essential era in pre-Confederation history alive for students, Historica Canada has created a  suite of four free education guides, War of 1812 Education Guide, Borders and Boundaries, Aboriginal Peoples, War of 1812: Inquiry Guide, and two Heritage Minute learning tools, Richard Pierpoint, and the Battle of Queenston Heights. During the bicentennial, the program also was the host of two national, bilingual competitions: Make Your own Heritage Minute and the War of 1812 Writing and Arts Challenge."

Video

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• Heritage Minutes
• Inukshuk
• Grey Owl
• Louis Riel
• Peacemaker
• Queenston Heights
• Sitting Bull
• Tommy Prince
• Radio Minutes
• Grey Owl
• Louis Reil
• Peacemaker
• School Days
• Sitting Bull
• Tommy Prince

Education

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• The Teaching Circle: Aboriginal Perspectives for Canadian Classrooms
• Grades K-8
• "What does the term Aboriginal peoples mean? In this resource, the term refers to First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Aboriginal “peoples” is a collective name for the original peoples of Canada and their descendants, and it refers to all the Aboriginal peoples in Canada collectively. The words Native and Indian will also be used in the resource since these terms were imposed on Canadian Aboriginal peoples historically and continue to be used in some contexts (e.g. Indian Act). The term Indigenous is used as a synonym for Aboriginal.
  Why study Aboriginal perspectives? Aboriginal peoples are Canada’s first people. To ignore this part of our country’s cultural makeup is like building a house without first pouring the foundations.
  How do we pique students’ interest in learning about Aboriginal cultures? How do we begin to break down the stereotypes of Aboriginal societies? How can students realize and appreciate a more accurate picture of Aboriginal peoples – past and present?"
• The Fur Trade Café
• "Your group has been transported back though time to the period of the Fur Trade in Canada (prior to Confederation). Your goal will be to create and perform a dramatic presentation to share your perspective of the social and economic impact of the fur trade through the eyes of ___________________. Your dramatic presentation will be the only way your classmates will develop a true understanding of the impact of the fur trade on your group. Note: this assignment is ideal as a cross-curricular project for Social Studies, Language Arts, Computers, Foods, and Drama."