Canadian history has a habit of being presented in a way that tends to be boring and dry. But, underneath the facts and dates, there are actually some amazing or shocking stories in our past – both good and bad.
Most available programs are text and living book / historical fiction focused, which is a great way to learn, but as a huge fan of hands-on learning, I created a series of hands-on history lessons to take those books to the next level of fun. I did these lessons within a 31-day challenge, so there are 31 activities, spanning from the First Nations to today. There are board games, crafts, models, recipes, matching games, movement, deep thinking, and more.
Here are the topics covered:
- First Nations
- Vikings
- Early Explorers
- Fur Trade
- New France
- Seven Years War
- War of 1812
- Rebellion of 1837
- Underground Railroad
- Confederation
- When the Provinces/Territories Joined Canada
- The Canadian Railroad
- Louis Riel / The Metis
- Klondike Gold Rush
- Residential Schools
- Boer War
- World War I
- Halifax Explosion
- Women’s Rights
- The Bluenose
- Inventors
- The Great Depression
- World War II
- Japanese Internment Camps
- St. Lawrence Seaway
- The Canadian Flag
- Official Languages
- Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Canadian Money
- Great Canadians
- The Prime Ministers of Canada
After the challenge was over and I’d shared all the activities, I was asked to compile them into a single file that included the instructions and all printables together. So here it is! I’ve even added some links to more resources on the topics and an additional printable for the money lesson to make it all easy and ready to use.
These activities are perfect to use in partnership with your more traditional history program (such as Donna Ward’s Courage & Conquest.) I tested them all at home with my own kids, ranging in age from 3 years to 12 years old. With the exception of a few of the activities, you can include everyone in the fun.
The goal of this series was to make Canadian history fun, relevant, and interactive – instead of just something you hear about in a book or see in a video.
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