The latest collection of multi-media learning resources on the Royal BC Museum’s Learning Portal is a Pathway featuring Heritage Fairs. Created by by Royal BC Museum staff, each Pathway explores a different theme. Inside the Heritage Fair Pathway are options to explore through reading how to do oral history or read photographs, watching student photos and […]
Professional development
Support for Teaching Indigenous Curriculum
The 2016 school year saw the launch of B.C.’s new mandatory curriculum and its strong First Peoples component for Kindergarten to Grade 9, with Grade 10 to 12 optional. Yet a new study suggests that while teachers may want to teach Indigenous culture and issues in their classrooms, they feel nervous about saying the wrong […]
10 (+1) Reasons Why Heritage Fairs are Good for You!
Cynthia Wallace, the Provincial Heritage Fairs coordinator for New Brunswick, has written the following cheeky, thoughtful post. As she says, “In honour of project-based learning and disciplinary inquiry, I am taking on my motherly persona today to dish out some words of advice as to why Heritage Fairs are good for you.” You do not have […]
History and Heritage: What’s the difference?
We call them Heritage Fairs and in francophone Canada they are called Fêtes du patrimoine – best translated as heritage parties. Many of our students choose subjects that celebrate Canada in all its diversity and quirkiness. At the last Provincial there were projects on Muggins: the Red Cross dog and natural horsemanship, yet alongside these […]
150? Canada’s Sticky, Messy History
The next suggestions for smoky summer reading are from Margaret Conrad’s blog post in Acadiensis. As the title suggests we are a diverse people and not all of us are celebrating 150 years as a nation. “Indigenous peoples have served notice that they find little to celebrate in 150 years of Ottawa’s rule,” writes Conrad, […]
Canada’s History and Beavers Galore
The weather has been way too hot for the usual dose of summer reading. So take these next two posts as summer-but-maybe-fall suggestions. The first read is the new issue of Canada’s History formerly The Beaver. You can read here Christopher Moore’s description of the many worthwhile articles especially his commentary on David O’Keefe’s vigorous […]
The History Blog for May is Active History
Active History is a rich source to learn about the work of historians and connections between the past and current events.
Thinking Historically about Canada 150
This is an update on the Historical Thinking Summer Institute in Ottawa at the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History, July 17-22, 2017.
Place-Based Learning and the Challenges of History Education
Our Historic Places videos are examples of place-based learning that can respond to the challenges of history education.
Vimy Live and Virtual
Two more accounts on the topic of Vimy: the first is from Heritage Fairs Alumnus Julie who describes her visit to the battle site and the second is an article on the new Vimy app created by students at a high school in Smith Falls, Ontario.
History Blog for April: Christopher Moore’s History News
The History Blog for the Month of April is Christopher Moore’s History News: History (mostly Canadian), a little politics (ditto), and the Tour de France in July.
Still More Resources to Teach the Battle of Vimy Ridge
Historica Canada has a new teaching resource entitled “Think like a Historian: the Battle of Vimy Ridge” in English and “Pensez comme un histoirian” in French. Designed for middle and high school students, they should be a useful support for teachers to explore the curricular concept of evidence with its videos and lesson plans for studying photographs, letters, and newspaper articles of the time. They do not, however, support teaching the controversy around the interpretation and mythologizing of Vimy.
The Many Stories of Vimy Ridge
The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9-12 April, has yielded a rich collection of stories and controversy that can both engage students and give them opportunities to “do history” as they tackle the competing narratives.
Imagining Futures
The Heritage Fairs program will play an important part in Heritage BC’s annual conference in Victoria, May 4-6. The conference title asks participants to imagine futures. So it is fitting that it should feature the BCHFS that has amongst its core principles encouraging “young people to see history around them” and “forging connections between youth […]
BC Book Prize Nominees Announced
It is Spring Break and time to read one of the great non-fiction books on the BC Book Prizes shortlist (see it here). The seven prizes are presented annually at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala in the spring, as well as a presentation to the winner of The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary […]
Conference Registration for the BC Historical Federation is Open
From May 25 to 28 the annual conference of the BC Historical Federation, Chilliwack: Land, Water, People, takes place in the Fraser Valley city.
Celebrated educator Gwen Point, chancellor of the University of the Fraser Valley, gives the keynote. Workshops include former Heritage Fairs coordinator, Jane Watt.
Blog of the Month of March: The Otter – La Loutre
For March the history blog of the month is The Otter – La Loutre. Any website that mixes articles on the history of the guinea pig with one on pipeline history is hard not to like. The Otter fills a real gap for social studies teachers. There is so little readily available that gives nature […]
Thinking Historically about Canada 150: Summer Institute
From July 17 to 22, the Historical Thinking Summer Institute will take place at the Canadian War Museum and Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa. Teachers, museum educators and historians are invited to explore the theme of “Thinking Historically about Canada 150” with dynamic presenters.
Unwritten Histories: February Blog of the Month
The winner of the history blog of the month for February is Unwritten Histories. Blog creator and historian Andrea Eidinger writes regular posts both entertaining and insightful on a variety of topics in Canadian history, some quirky, some quintessential. The main audience is adults interested in history, notably social studies teachers. However, the website’s weekly […]
Lieutenant Governor of BC, The Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC