For students of this teaching team, history literally comes to their classroom as they work with staff, parents and regional historians in recreating the life of early pioneers of Delta and Tsawwassen and in the settlement of Ladner.

Using primary documents, students study the Ladner family’s travel routes from England to Canada, and how the village of Ladner was established. Students get hands-on experience performing pioneer chores such as constructing buildings and making butter. They also participate in archaeological studies on the surrounding beaches. Story-telling, re-creation of myths and the investigation of museum artifacts are used to learn about the lives of the First Nations people in the area. The unit culminates with a visit by one of the Ladner descendants.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony, Susan Anderson and Susan Earles can be reached at (604) 943-0108 (Beach Grove Elementary School) or at (604) 943-9069 (home).

This teaching threesome have created an acclaimed learning resource kit designed to help students in grades three to six research and understand their own community’s history.

The kit includes a 300-page teachers’ guide and gives suggestions for a wide range of activities that can be enjoyed in both the community and the classroom. Students conduct video interviews with local seniors, build scale models and participate in bi-regional mapping exercises.

The activities in the kit emphasize integrated learning: participants not only learn about local history but also study archaeology, music, fine arts, sports and recreation. The learning resource has been circulating through the district and used in many classrooms at a variety of grade levels for the past three years.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony, the finalists can be reached at (250) 359- 7292 (Brent Kennedy Elementary School) or at 250 352-5852 (Ms. Hoffman).

Red Deer, Alberta — David M. Smith (High School teacher)

Smith’s students assume the roles of the six major European powers during the July crisis of 1914, in his teaching unit The Slippery Slope to Total War. Mr. Smith insures that both popular and unpopular points of view are examined and encourages students to draw their own conclusions based on the evidence that they see.

Smith uses the review of primary documents to focus students’ attention on important historical events. His classes review primary World War I documents including The Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to Serbia and German war dispatches. On a more contemporary front, his students review the Massey Commission on-line, critically examining its purpose.

David Smith is currently a lead teacher in developing a Canadian parliamentary web site for students and has also developed a self-study web site on World War I. in Red Deer has developed and implemented many innovative illustrates his diverse teaching approach. In this unit,

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony, Smith can be reached at Lindsay Thurber High School (403 347-1171) or at home (403 309-3258).

Calgary, Alberta — Anne Gatha (Elementary School Teacher)

Time-traveling students capture the imagination of Ms. Gatha’s classes as they explore different historical periods in the popular novels she has wrtten.

Initiated to invite children into the world of historical figures in music, Anne Gatha’s works combine history, art and music. "Looking at the history of a period gives meaning to the music," explains Gatha.

As an example, in Gatha’s book Time Tunnel to Canada, focusing on Jean de Brebeuf, students explore the lives of 17th century First Nations’ people, missionaries, voyageurs and coureurs de bois. In addition to combining history, art and music, Gatha’s novels provide significant age-appropriate critical thinking and research opportunities.

Some of Gatha’s novels are in circulation in the school library and in the system wide borrowing program.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony Anne Gatha can be reached at 403-206-6591 (Calgary Catholic School District, Instructional Services Dept.) or at 403-247-9989 (home).

Gimli, Manitoba — Peter Bjornson (High School teacher)

In The Great Canadian Rock Tour Bjornson’s students must incorporate their knowledge of history, geography and music to plan the destinations of their own touring rock band. They also explore political and historical themes by analyzing rock music lyrics.

Other units developed by Bjornson include; Pageant Wagon, in which 80 students in four different classes created three-dimensional dioramas depicting local historic events, and Creating a Local Archive, which has students working in partnership with a community newspaper to document important events. During this activity, students become aware of the importance of community newspapers in the study of local history.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony Peter Bjornson can be reached at Gimli High School (204 642-8546) or at home (204 642-8088).

Tillsonburg, Ontario — Robin Barker-James (High School teacher)

Mr. Barker-James is well known locally for his efforts in staging weekend long trench warfare simulations for students on his farm property. Mr. Barker-James’ simulation this year, involving veterans from the local legion, concluded with a burial ceremony honouring three local soldiers who lost their lives in World War II. Although the most extensive of Mr. Barker-James exercises for his students, the war simulation is only one of a whole host of initiatives he has launched.

Other unique activities led by Barker-James include re-enactment of portions of the Nuremburg trials, organizing a Boer War press conference and temporarily transforming his classroom into the RMS Titanic, as students role played passengers at both ends of the social spectrum —Steerage and First Class.

Barker-James was instrumental in the creation of D-Day 2000, in which roughly 60 students Canadian students, teachers and veterans participated in D-Day ceremonies and parades in France, as well as visiting Canadian battlefields and World War I historic sites.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony Barker-James can be reached at (519) 842-4207 (Glendale High School) or at (519) 688-0066 (home). Students are available for interview, but must be contacted through Mr. Barker-James.

Lakefield, Ontario — Paul Follett (High School teacher)

Paul Follett has initiated and developed a model United Nations course. Selected students travel to the Hague, Netherlands to participate in a week of debate and international exchange with students from more than 92 countries in the world’s largest model UN. Lakefield is one of only two schools in Canada involved in this project.

In preparation for their week in the model UN, Lakefield students create and debate resolutions, speak on international issues, discuss the morning’s current events and listen to guest speakers.

Closer to home, Follett has helped his students better understand the issues of concern to northern Canadians through coordinating an unforgettable student exchange with a school in Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony Paul Follett can be reached at (705) 652-3333 (Lakefield Secondary School) or at (705) 652-7654 (home).

O’Dwyer has created a Speaker’s Forum which allows students to question speakers with viewpoints on particular issues. Junior and senior students work together to study the issues, creating both leadership and learning opportunities. The students write and ask their own questions in front of several hundred students at the Speaker’s Forum.

Over the years, the Forum has tackled a wide range of topics including the Holocaust, Canada and the Superpowers, Veterans and War, and Native Issues. Panel members have included Auschwitz survivors, ambassadors, members of Veteran’s Outreach, representatives of the Afghanistan War Veterans Association and authors.

O’Dwyer has also developed anti-racism and Holocaust education units for all grade levels in the school.

Contact Info : After returning home following the Award ceremony Gary O’Dwyer can be reached at (905) 372-4339 (St. Mary’s Secondary School) or at (905) 372-8247 (home).

Marc Keirstead has developed and expanded an exchange program between his students and those of Takeoseiryo Senior School in Japan. Students at the two schools learn about each other first through on-line discussions on a wide range of subjects including World War II issues and Canadian elections. One of the highlights of this project was a visit by the Japanese students and teachers to Canada and a return visit to Japan. The students of both schools continue to communicate and will be involved in joint projects in the coming school year.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony Marc Keirstead can be reached at (905) 895-3340 (Sacred Heart Catholic High School) or at (905) 727-3658 (home).

Mario Mimeault is known as a first-rate classroom performer who uses his superb story-telling abilities to captivate his students, no matter what the topic.

Although he is passionate about understanding past events, Mimeault avidly embraces the use of new technology in delivering his courses: his students develop a computer database of Canadian historical figures and create computer-based PowerPoint presentations on a theme in Canadian history.

This year Mimeault’s students will be organizing and presenting a Symposium on Local History and Culture in the Gaspésie region. The week-long event, to be held in April 2001, will be open to all students and parents at the school as well as the general public.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony M. Mimeault can be reached at (418) 269-3301 (Polyvalente Antoine-Roy or at (418) 368-3146 (home).

and Linda Mowbray (Elementary School teachers)

This teaching team has transformed the teaching of Canadian History at Lutes Mountain’s Magnetic Hill Elementary School through the creation of five exciting interdisciplinary study units: Early Explorers of Canada; North American Native People; Pioneers; Canada: Building a Nation; Changes; and, Kids Caring About Canada.

The units emphasize student participation and use more than one discipline to teach history. For example, in the early Canadian units, students learn about Native peoples and New Brunswick’s early settlers through re-enacting scenes of significant historical moments. They also participate in hands-on activities such as knitting, quilting, cooking and costume making. During the annual Heritage Fair, students assume Native or pioneer identities from the past.

In Kids Caring About Canada art comes into play as students imitate the work of Canadian artists such as the Group of Seven to get a sense of the geography and style that inspired the artists.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony the finalists can be reached at (506) 856-3428 (Magnetic Hill School).

Rothesay, NB — Anne Marie Duguay, Sandra Mitchell (Middle School teachers)

Anne Marie Duguay and Sandra Mitchell have created a multi-media study unit of St. John entitled Reaching Into Our Past (1837 to the present). The unit is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that uses language arts, technology, social studies, art and French to enable students to explore the culture, geography and lifestyles of the 1800s. Historical novels are also integrated into the unit.

Throughout the year-long study unit students are expected to produce several projects that demonstrate critical thinking and the synthesis and understanding of written works. Examples include the creation of a Loyalist cafe, web pages, stories, T-shirt designs, poems and biographies.

Contact Info: After returning home following the Award ceremony Anne Marie Duguay and Sandra Mitchell can be reached at (506) 849-5515 (Harry Miller Middle School) or at (506) 847- 5119 (home).