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.

Here are a couple engaging videos that clearly illustrate how reaching the 7 billionth person on the earth will have an impact on our students. Also showing who the typical earthling looks, and lives. A great video for grade 8 geography...

Here is the other video which works well with it... The World's Most Typical Person http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/10/28/141792664/find-your-spot-among-worlds-7-billion-and-meet-the-most-typical-person

This article describes upcoming plans to increase funding and encourage historical focus in schools. With many upcoming anniversaries including Canada's 150th, the bicentennial of the war of 1812 and 200th birthday of Sir John A MacDonald, it is becoming even more important for Canadians to embrace if not understand their heritage.

Sorry, I somehow missed the location to paste the link...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/history-goes-to-head-of-the-heritage-class/article2198082/?from=sec431

In this article Bronwyn Eyre (reporter) is critical of Canadian university programs illustrating that U of T students are not required to take a single upper level history course based upon the history of countries including Canada, Britain and the United States. She believes that Canadian history is a dying subject and mourns the downfall of what was once thought to be legitimate history and literature courses. Eyre claims that "Elementary and high schools simply have to do more to lay essential educational groundwork" - any thoughts from our teachers to be???

Getting youth interested in a political process that many feel detached from can be a tall order. "Students often have pre-formed opinions of what voting is," Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS) teacher Conrad Walpot said. "They see voting, per se, as something they are not really able, willing or ready to do right now at age 14,15 or 16."

This article describes how to interest students in research writing and reporting as well as the steps to get them planning and working to a cohesive conclusion. Although not limited to history or geography, this article is from the Canadian Social Studies Journal and offers good information for Social Studies or any curriculum subject. I particularly found the last portion interesting - 17 ways to present research. Currently in our PDS our students are looking at determining their learning styles - auditory, visual or kinesthetic - and by offering multiple ways for students to present their assignment we are offering a form of differentiated learning.

In this article John Fielding, discusses how many of Canadian students learn history - through memorization and lecture - and how instead we need to engage students in history lessons through role play, field trips and storytelling. For many it is easy to identify how history should NOT be taught, but to make history memorable we need to make it come alive for the students. John also offers a list of strategies in teaching history which are not valuable, strategies which may be successful, and finally interesting and imaginative learning strategies, all with reasons why they are, or are not, effective.

This journal article describes the benefits of utilizing children's literature in teaching history and geography. With the TECs in the process of learning about how to plan a unit which incorporates a topic in multiple subject areas, I feel that this article will give us additional ideas of how to teach historical events in new and creative ways. Whether using picture books or children's novels, literature brings history to life and can give students a better understanding of real-life situations in which the characters can give better insights of their thoughts and decision making process.

This journal article provides several examples of creative activities to engage students in learning about their community and government. Although this can be viewed as a rather dry topic, utilizing the ideas given in the article new TECs can pique the interests of students and give them a sense of belonging to the community in which they live.

This journal article argues that First Nations history needs to be incorporated into Canadian History and Geography curricula rather than just being an additional chapter in the text (often the smallest of the chapters). Although these curricula are well intentioned, much more needs to be done to include the oral and written history of our First Nations peoples. The author believes that by including a diverse history of all Canadians we will guarantee a 'more harmonious' future for all Canadians.

In this journal article, Carol Arnold, a junior high school teacher shares her insights on an inquiry project she requires of her students. They investigate current natural disasters and related issues such as global warming and link them to the causal relationship between humans and their environment. This effectively allows the students to answer the questions of 'why study history' or 'why study geography' through their own research project.

In this article Jennifer Tupper argues for a new approach to teaching history; a rediscovery or re(hi)storation which not only examines the male dominated view of history, but also the influences others to critically approach historical documentation for bias and partiality. I found her text formatting and insertion of italicized documentation to be particularly relevant and persuasive. It demonstrated how we as History teachers can allow spaces for 'breaking news' that might otherwise be overlooked, so that we are not perpetuating this narrow perspective.