Canada History Week 2021 Learning Tool

INTRODUCTION 2 This year, Canada History Week highlights stories of Indigenous leadership, languages, and cultures. This learning tool has been created to accompany the three short videos produced for Canada History Week 2021, featuring Squamish leader Chief Joe Capilano, Inuk author Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk, and Métis composer Pierre Falcon. The topics covered in this learning tool, the Canada History Week videos, and the accompanying digital magazine barely begin to scratch the surface, but we hope they can be used as a starting point for learning more about the diverse histories of Indigenous peoples in what is now known as Canada. Canada History Week encourages Canadians to reflect upon and engage with Canada’s past. In doing so, we aim to help Canadians better understand the need for Truth and Reconciliation in the present, and to encourage us all to work together for a better shared future. This learning tool was created in partnership between Historica Canada and the Canada History Fund and is designed to help students interact with this year’s Canada History Week theme. Canada History Week provides all Canadians with opportunities to learn more about the people and events that have shaped the country we know today. Historica Canada is the country’s largest organization dedicated to enhancing awareness of Canada’s history, culture, and citizenship. The organization offers programs that you can use to explore, learn, and reflect on our history and what it means to be Canadian. Find us online at HistoricaCanada.ca. MESSAGE TO TEACHERS Educators may use the lessons in sequence or as stand-alone activities. This guide is designed to complement current Canadian curricula and has been produced for use in middle and high school history and social science classrooms; the grade level varies by activity. This guide has been developed with activities that can be conducted in class, online, or in some combination of the two. Teachers may want to adapt certain elements of the activities to best suit classroom needs. Content warning: Many of the topics covered in this guide could trigger a strong emotional response, especially among youth who are affected by intergenerational trauma. Teachers should be sensitive to individuals and the group to ensure the classroom remains a safe environment for all learners. Set ground rules for respectful discussions and consult your school guidance counsellor for additional support, if needed. Inukshuk. Courtesy Dreamstime.com/Bernard Breton/749253.