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Marking the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, this account displays the struggles that pitted Canadian, Indian, and British forces against American expansion. Although Americans had fought against the British, Canadian colonists, and native nations, for two and a half years, in the United States and Britain very little about the war lives on today. However, this event was a war worth remembering for Canadians as it gave colonies a sense of identity and paved the route to Confederation. Therefore, studying history reveals the active role of individuals and groups in shaping our cultures and nations, illuminating ideals and disagreements between powerful continents. Although the war was largely a U.S. failure, some benefits did arise after this event. It convinced the Americans that they needed a full professional army to build up their strength and power. They also gained a sense of unity, complete with a new national symbol of "Uncle Sam." In addition, Laura Second, a name most familiar in candy stores but in actuality was the Canadian who walked a far stretch to bare news of the impending American attack. Therefore, the film displays how many glories had come out of this war that has been imprinted in our culture and history. Seemingly, for some, it is interesting to examine how failures became quickly forgotten and truths about what actually occurred are ignored. When studying history it is important to be cognisant of these complexities in order to gain greater perspective when dissecting world events. Please see: www.thestar.com article entitled, "The War of 1812" by Kenneth Kidd on the Saturday October 8, 2011 issue.

The Montreal Gazette Newspaper published an article on November 11, entitled, "The Need for Remembrance Day Endures." This article recognizes the importance of veterans and their memories they bring from experiencing historical events in history. Ultimately, individuals who fought in World War I, World War 2, and the Korean War, lay the foundation of Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country. The fascinating stories of veterans' lives serve as the purest form of experience as it provides invaluable insight to historical events. While there is an array of documentation of veterans' experiences, it is more meaningful and engaging to have them orally share their stores. Although many will no longer be able to share their experiences with us, it becomes essential for parents and educators to continue honouring the individuals who sacrificed their lives for our country. A poppy can serve as a simple testament of respect as well as the desire for peace. As we continue to fight the war on terrorism, the desire for power and resources raise the possibilities for greater global violence and turmoil. By paying tribute to our war veterans, it becomes essential to teach students the importance of reflection by promoting peace and community within the classroom environment.

If you link to this site you will find many letters written during the War. The link provides you with many lesson plans on the war and use the letters to help show the students the real side of being a soldier. I think students will find this very interesting and it provides us as first year teachers a great resource to first hand accounts of the great war.

This article describes three authors from Laurier who have written a book entitled "Canadian Battlefields 1915-1918" which is a guide to and describes the battlefields of northern Europe. In addition to the book, the article describes the use of Google Earth images in better understanding the situation that soldiers were facing during the First World War. It is the author's opinion that by utilizing the technological images, "readers better understand what the Canadians were up against during their battles in the French countryside." I believe that this would not only be an interesting book regarding teaching of historical events, but also an interesting way to incorporate technology into history and to modernize history for students.

Do you keep hearing about how important creativity in the classroom is but have no idea how to teach such a skill? There seems to be an understanding that creativity is something that one is born with and not something that is taught. This article offers reasons why it is important to teach creativity in your classroom and offers examples on how you can accomplish this seemingly incredible task. Creativity is not a bestowed gift; if can be experienced and learned by students in a classroom setting. The article emphasizes that there is a desperate need for creative thinkers in the world; we are in the midst of a creativity crisis. A sustainable future depends on having creative thinkers think up innovative solutions to complex problems. Creativity is a set of skills that must be taught to the future generations. The article provides examples of teaching creativity in the classroom. For example, As part of their social studies report, high school students developed a strong sense of empathy when they worked with the art teacher to create masks representing the emotions embodied by people from significant historical events: Polish Jews during the Second World War; a mother and her children leaving Ireland during the Irish Potato Famine in 1847; and parents receiving news that their son or daughter has been killed in action in Afghanistan. Students' creativity cannot be constantly held back by the tight constraints of producing a specific product to exhibit their understanding in a specific way. Creativity should be further explored in our education system if it is a skill that future generations will need to deal with our future complex concerns; not pulled away from simply because it is a concept that many people have not quite figured out how to explain and teach in a school setting.