History Browser

Parks Canada has provided a virtual doorway to explore Canada's national historic military sites. Online tours enable the user to travel to the sites of famous battles or view a famous building. Both virtual and text tours are available.

"Women hold up half the sky" is a saying that values the contributions of women to our world. This activity introduces some of Canada's remarkable female "agents of change" and the organizations with which they worked.

Students are given a variety of sources to help them gain a better understanding of the First World War, and its significant effects on Canadian society and culture. The battlefields and monuments of Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel, both located in France, were officially declared National Historic Sites of Canada on April 9, 1997.

What was life like in Port-Royal, Acadia, and what was the significance of the success of this small colony? This learning activity offers the opportunity to explore the trials and successes of this small group of French colonists from the perspective of one of its members.

Students will learn about the important role HMCS Haida -- the last of the Tribal class destroyers --played during World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War. Students will examine the process for nominating a person of national historic significance in order to ensure important aspects of Canadian history are not forgotten by future generations.

This lesson invites students to think critically about the way in which we memorialize war. Starting with the concept of a war memorial, students analyze a series of war memorials drawn from diverse historical contexts, and interpret some of the fundamental messages encoded within monuments. Students also conduct independent research into Canadian war memorials and their messages, ultimately crafting their own war memorial based on their choice of a significant Canadian person, place or event related to World War I, II, or the Korean War.

The Canadian War Museum has developed a number of ways to work in cooperation with educators teaching Canadian military history to grades four through twelve. Museum and gallery tours, as well as classroom visits, are outlined as possibilities. Contact information is also provided.

This classroom activity allows students to explore the roles played by Canada’s prime ministers The Right Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier and The Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King with regards to the conscription crises of World War I and World War II.

Louis Riel has been interpreted differently by different groups and individuals at different times in our history. Poems, books, plays, and songs have been created to explain Louis Riel. The diverse images of this man have always reflected the politics of the times and they continue to do so. This educational activity prompts the question, "Who was the ‘real' Louis Riel?"

Students are encouraged to understand Canadian soldiers' contribution to the Korean War and the importance of recognizing this by preparing a brief to the federal government.