History in this Hudson Bay community is interwoven with artistic and entrepreneurial activity

John Jamieson has been working to connect the students with their Inuit culture and incorporate entrepreneurial and artistic skills into an innovative program. The 750 Belcher Island Inuit in Hudson Bay still possess aboriginal knowledge that has been passed down for generations, such as basket making, skin preparation, tool manufacturing and legends.

Over 160 Inuit artifacts dating back 3000 years are duplicated in the school with permission of the Archaeological Survey of Canada as well as many unique artifacts such as fishskin dolls, model kayaks, and hunting tools. The students have sold these products in many galleries in Canada.

But John has moved these related activities into a new and exciting phase. A framing shop, complete with chop saw, underpinner and mat cutters has allowed the students to package their products into fine object boxes. This has resulted in a new Inuit art form. Relief soapstone carvings with cultural themes are solicited from local carvers. This artwork reinforces and re-informs the community about their past. But most importantly, it brings the students into the real world of entrepreneurship and it has spawned more interest in producing different cultural items. Learning prehistory in this school also involves setting up a business plan, learning colour theory and assembling frames.

Working through the non-profit group, Najuqsivik, John has managed to establish a FM 105.1 radio station and a dedicated TV station, SCTV (Sanikiluaq Community TV). The recently installed TV station allows numerous community activities to be aired, and allows every house in the community to see the activities of the students learning their culture and allows elders to demonstrate cultural activities such as teaching bone games.

Prehistory when nicely presented and marketed will only strengthen Inuit knowledge, and just as importantly support economic development.

Ken Marland's grade 2 students are often outside of the classroom, out in the community exploring its resources. Throughout his career, he has attempted to create experiences for students of all grades that pass along his own love of history.

Ken has published two teacher resources. "The Bison: A Journal of Discovery", was developed for a grade 4 class at an inner-city school. Students study the plains bison and its relationship to the Native people and the first Europeans on the prairies. The unit culminates in a dramatic retelling of the history with students performing for the community. "Signal Hill: A community study of St. John's Newfoundland" was developed upon Ken's return from a conference in St. John's. The unit, designed to explore the maritime community, begins with the purchase and dissection of squid, and continues with lessons on creating fog, collecting stamps, sending signals and constructing three dimensional models of lighthouses and the city of St. John's.

Ken's creative teaching methodology is apparent in his miniature stamp album, "My Mini Stamp Album of Saskatoon", designed to assist children in learning about their local history. Each page features subject-specific stamps (flora, fauna, political figures, symbols) with a brief description of its significance. Ken designed it to "encourage children to explore Canada's heritage by collecting and examining postage stamps."

Ken has involved his students in Web site development. The Buena Vista Grassroots Web site explains Canada’s role in liberating the Netherlands during WWII. Student work is displayed.

Ken has published a monograph, titled "The Affective Dimension of Concept Development", in which he describes how to teach Social Studies from a problem-solving perspective. Written at the request of the head of Social Studies instruction, College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan, the monograph was intended to help teachers present Social Studies in a stimulating manner. Ken is also involved in leading professional development courses throughout the year.

Nick Brune is a highly accomplished writer. He has published over 50 newspaper articles, written and evaluated Ministry of Education History Correspondence courses, co-written many history textbooks and videos, written several teaching packages for the Dominion Institute, and co-edited Rapport, the Ontario History and Social Science Journal. In addition, he has given many workshops in Toronto, Winnipeg, Montreal, and elsewhere that have been highly regarded.

Nick has been the education writer for the award-winning CBC-TV educational video project called News in Review. This program accesses over two million students across Canada and during his years it covered over two hundred stories, set within a historical context. Nick is also the co-author of the popular OAC history textbook Canada: A North American Nation. As well, he was the senior author of the highly regarded Civics text, Canadian by Conviction: Asserting Our Citizenship. Currently, he is the lead author for the new Grade XII Canadian history text Defining Canada: History, Culture, and Identity.

Nick’s instructional unit on "Historiography: Uses and Abuses of History; Versions of Truth and Reality; Facts and History; Historical Perspective; Bias" has students look at four time periods with a critical eye. Students view videos on the subject material (Columbus; Riel; The Valour and the Horror; JFK), conduct further research and then creatively present their viewpoint on the "truth and history" of the subject to the class. The presentations are discussed and students write a two-page position paper at the conclusion of the lesson.

In order to enhance and enrich his students’ study, comprehension, and appreciation of history, he integrates a number of valuable field trips. Destinations include Ottawa; Fort George; Mackenzie House; Warplane Heritage Museum; Queens Park Provincial Legislature; Holocaust Education Centre; McMichael Collection, Kleinburg; Albright-Knox, Buffalo; Lecture series at universities; historical theatre and local walking tours.

His submission contains many outstanding letters of support from former students. The influence of his teaching is far-reaching. Angela Chapados, a former student wrote in a support letter "The tools of inquiry and intellectual maturation that he offered me in my high school years have led me today to the near completion of my Honour Undergraduate degree." Perhaps Sarah DesRoches best sums up Nick Brune’s remarkable combination of passion, integrity, and caring when she writes, "Ultimately, Mr. Brune not only acts as a teacher, but as a model and inspiration. Not only does he inspire a passion for learning and the seeking of knowledge, but his attitudes and characteristics serve as model towards which his students can aspire. He is passionate about his work….In the company of Mr. Brune, the space between the classroom walls not only comes to life, but the door bursts open and the possibilities are endless."

Josette Bouchard-Müller brings diverse experience into her classroom. She was raised and educated in France and Germany. Within Canada, she has taught in two distinct environments – The Toronto French School and the Mistassini Cree Reserve in Quebec where she lived for three years.

While at the Toronto French School Josette developed curriculum that was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education. "Le Canada et le monde du XVII^ème siècle à 1914" was designed to situate Canada in a global context and established a stronger history presence in grades 9 and 10. "Colonisation du Sud de l’Ontario XIX^ème siècle: Sandford Farm" a study/field trip unit has students examine primary source documents to understand settlement in Southern Ontario. She adapted the school format to incorporate bilingual courses, allowing students to study primary documents in their first language, adding to their research experience.

Josette undertook two school-wide projects. "1789-Celebrations for the bicentennial of the French Revolution - Our Canadian Revolutions" used the bicentennial celebration of the French Revolution to study similar movements in Canada. The project included research projects and plays. "2000, Where do we stand on Human Rights in Canada?" involved research papers on our accomplishments as a nation. The day involved exhibits and guest speakers (Jack Granatstein).

Josette took her students out of school to meet such personalities as Nelson Mandela and Paul Martin. As well, Josette organizes field trips to Ottawa, Montreal and Sainte-Marie-among-the-Hurons, a reconstruction of a 17^th century Jesuit mission.

While at the Mistassini Cree reserve Josette discovered that the textbooks were not well suited to the students. In response, she wrote a multidisciplinary social science textbook and a collection of elders memories called "Récits d’Un Chasseur Cri", (Tales of a Cree hunter) based on their history, traditions and lives.

Upon her return to the Toronto French School, she implemented teaching units about the Crees and mounted an exhibit of paintings, artefacts and photographs collected from her experience. "Les chasseurs cris de Mistassini" (The Cree hunters of Mistassini) uses geographic, historic, political, economic and literary sources to research, among other things, the links between past and present and the background of First Nations political movements and civic responsibility.

Josette’s teaching style solicits thoughtful, thorough research from her students. In her own words, "It is the duty of the history teacher to make the student understand the difference between commemoration and trying to understand the past."

Barbara Brockmann sees Canadian History as a critical cornerstone that helps her multicultural, inner-city students find a 'place' in their class, families, neighbourhood and country.

Barbara incorporates teaching strategies such as graphic organizers (key visuals), time markers, reflective practices, simulations, current events connections, choral reading and vocalization. She also integrates Canadian History with Language Arts and Drama.

"Ebony Road: An African Canadian Journey", is a play about four students travelling through time in order to witness significant events of the African Canadian story. The play is an ensemble piece that uses drama, dance, music and drumming to tell the tale. It has been produced several times in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, with a combined cast, choir and crew of up to 200 students.

"Collecting Oral History" is a research and writing unit that integrates oracy, literacy, and research skills. This project has students interview family members on various aspects of personal and family history. Students are encouraged to collect a broad range of stories including amusing anecdotes, significant milestones, social history, immigration and experiences of world events like war, civil unrest, or environmental or economic disasters. Using the stages of the writing process, students do additional research about the context of the time and place of some of the stories, and also develop the literary quality of their work. Their findings are published in a hard cover book format along with illustrations like photos, drawings, or copies of original documents.

"Equity Gameboards" are student created games that highlight the history of Canada's diverse ethnocultural communities and individuals. Students develop their background knowledge through research, presentations, discussion and reflective essays. They then evaluate this information on the basis of whether the events moved Canada 'ahead' or 'behind' in areas such as gender, race, or class equality. Both the knowledge and the evaluation are translated into gameboard 'values' (e.g. "Japanese Canadians on the west coast were interned and their property was confiscated during WW2. Lose 2 turns." Another example: "In 1793 Governor John Graves Simcoe tried to get slavery abolished. While the law did not abolish slavery, it limited it, and no new slaves could be brought into Upper Canada. Roll the dice again".) The gameboard becomes a valuable but fun learning tool for others.

"Letters from the Attic: Memories of World War 1" is a simulation activity. Students develop a persona appropriate to the early 1910's. As they research and learn about the events as they unfold, they write a series of three letters. These letters reflect their knowledge and growing understanding about the events and the war experience itself, from the perspective of the persona undergoing it. These letters are 'aged' and presented as a packet found in the attic. They can also be performed.

Barbara feels that her career highlights have occurred when she sees her students making historical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual connections between themselves and their home in Canada.

Carol White brings Canadian history to life for her grade eight students through extensive use of field trips, simulations, multi-media and innovative teaching methods. Integrating technology into the curriculum and local community history into the ministry guidelines are integral parts of her approach to making Canadian History relevant and interesting.

Carol uses history as a vehicle to teach students the skills they will need for the future. Teamwork, problem solving and decision-making are fostered in activities such as the immigration simulation "Utopia- Why Not!" Students study the basic concepts about culture in Canada and other parts of the world and then apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to create their own perfect world. A simulation called "Terra" is part of this experience. Students: 1) experience firsthand the changes faced by immigrants; 2) research and learn of the challenges faced by Canadian immigrants using both primary and secondary sources and 3) compare the immigrant experiences in early Canada with those in Terra in order to draw conclusions about the distinct lives of all newcomers.

Her students use community resources extensively for both primary and secondary research and they communicate their findings in class presentations, illustrated projects, drama, visual arts, sewing, model building, creative writing and computer and video productions. A website produced by her students featuring the community of Kingston has won both provincial and national recognition.

Carol is very active in Historica’s Heritage Fairs Program, where she is currently co-chair of the Kingston Regional Heritage Fair. Students enjoy the opportunity to explore and share the stories of the past, both their own and their country's with their peers and community members. Carol has been involved in this initiative from the beginning and was co-chair of the national Heritage Fair when it was held in Kingston.

Carol has written curriculum at the school, board and Ministry levels. She has written or co-written teacher’s guides for almost every history unit in the Ontario curriculum for grades seven and eight and is the co-author of a grade eight textbook.