• Hello Teachers of Canada
• K-12 Study Canada
• Teaching Canada
• Resource Notice - Canada
  • September Resource Notice
  • October Resource Notice

Hello Teachers of Canada!

ONLINE SERIES ON CANADIAN PRIME MINISTERS - Video and audio material on Canadian PMs is available online at their website.

CANADA'S FIRTST PEOPLE: THE CANADIAN ABORIGINAL HISTORY PORTAL - Canada's first Aboriginal and Native Studies textbook and resource centre is now online. You can view sample content and chapter heads at the website.

BUILDING A NATION - See the following link for a lesson and activity that have been developed for the Confederation for Kids website. Suitable for ages 11+, this comprehensive teaching strategy allows students to learn about Canada's past and present as they renegotiate Confederation.

THE ULTIMATE NANAIMO BAR RECIPE - Nanaimo bars are a popular treat in B.C. and at our annual STUDY CANADA Summer Institute. The Dorchester Hotel's recipe (Nanaimo, BC) claims to be the "ultimate". Visit the website to make this special treat before the school year ends for your family and students.

RUTH WRITER'S REVIEW OF ADULT FICTION - Stenson, Fred. The Trade (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2000). ISBN 1-55054-816-6
During the 1820’’s, the Hudson Bay Company joined the North West Company to form a giant fur trade monopoly in the lands of western Canada. Fred Stenson's novel explores this region through the lives of several key players. Although a fictional account, this story relates the many dilemmas faced by those who called the area of the Saskatchewan Rivers their home. One will also discover the culture of the Native Canadians in the region.

The fur traders were next to claim this region as their homeland. They struck deals with the Natives for the few furs left in the prairies and mountains. Many of these fur traders took Native wives and raised thriving families. One such trader was Ted Harriott, a clerk who fell in love with his own cousin. She was to be the wife of the Governor. Harriott and Cousin Margaret married only to suffer the cruelties of western life. Harriott was to raise their daughter with his second wife who suffered from consumption.

The early fur traders were followed by the missionaries——both Catholic and Protestant. These missionaries were at the mercy of the interpreters of the region. At times, the words of the faith translated to the Natives had different ideas than intended. Finally, the Canadian West became the subject of artists such as Paul Kane and writers who wanted to learn of the rich history of this unique landscape.

Stenson vividly captures the essence of the region while telling the story of those with power and those who believed they were in control. Any reader interested in the fur trade will find this to be an interesting and worthwhile book.

"Teaching Canada"

The Embassy of Canada would like to inform you about the latest issue of "Teaching Canada". The Canadian Government has approved funding for a second print run of 10,000 copies of Teaching Canada for the purpose of reaching a national audience of K-12 teachers. The publication takes a close look at Canada-U.S. relations and includes essays from the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. and the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Teaching Canada, the premier K-12 publication on Canada and Canada-U.S. relations, is published by Plattsburgh State University of New York with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Education and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs.

This is an excellent opportunity for teachers throughout the U.S. to bring Canadian content into their classrooms and highlight the importance of Canada-U.S. relations. With a new government in Canada and a dynamic international environment, now is an important time for students to understand America's relationship with one of its closest allies and its most important trading partner.

K-12 teachers can request free copies of Teaching Canada by contacting the Center for the Study of Canada:

Christopher J. Kirkey, Ph.D.
Director, Center for the Study of Canada
Plattsburgh State University of New York
133 Court St.
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: 518.564.2086
Fax: 518.564.2112

For additional information or questions about Canada, educators can also contact:

Dan Abele
Academic Relations
Canadian Embassy, Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 682-7717
Fax: (202) 682-7791

SEPTEMBER Resource Notice - CANADA

STUDY CANADA SUMMER INSTITUTE: The 2006 British Columbia Experience: From the 5 Themes of Geography to the 2010 Olympics - Registration is already open for teachers to earn either 40 clock hours or 3 university undergraduate quarter credits for this unique K-12 educator program beginning on June 24 in Vancouver B.C. (staying 2 nights at the Delta Suites Hotel) and traveling by chartered bus to Whistler on June 26 (staying 3 nights at the Crystal Lodge) and returning by bus to Vancouver/Vancouver International Airport on June 30, 2006. Workshop sessions will be held at Simon Fraser University's Harbour Centre Campus in Vancouver and on-site at the hotel in Whistler. Contact Tina Storer as early as possible regarding your interest in the program.

• Learn core information about British Columbia and Canada and the Olympic tradition
• Environmental sustainability and cultural issues that challenge the region are featured
• Hands-on curriculum training and resource materials about environmental and global issues via ½-day workshops by the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and Facing the Future
• Experience Canada’s culture, history, and environment through activities such as a Tree Trek Ecotour and a visit to the First Nations Cultural Centre.
• Preview the 2010 Winter Olympic Games through site tours and presentations
• Guest speakers include faculty from Western Washington University, University of Washington, UBC, SFU and VANOC, as well as city government officials and tribal leaders
• Multiple resources for the classroom are provided throughout the week
• Cost (including tuition, housing and 5 breakfasts) is only $500 (WA teachers); $530 (out of state teachers). A special grant from the Government of Canada subsidizes participant costs.
• Hotel rooms have two double/queen beds and are shared by two participants of the same gender. It is possible for participants to request a private room ($400 supplement based on 50% of room cost) or to bring a companion ($500 supplement includes room shared with one participant, transportation to/from Whistler, and breakfast daily). Entry fees to special events are not included for companions. Supplemental fees are due by April 1, 2006.
• Travel scholarships are available (apply early for best support options)
• Visit website for further information or to register.

ABOUT @Canada: A Teacher's Guide - @Canada is an educational tool designed to be downloaded in PDF version to serve as a guideline for American teachers interested in developing students' analytical skills in comparative culture. It is divided into four sections: History, Culture, Government and International Roles, each containing relevant documents that can be useful for further studies and classes. All of the information used for this project has been found on the Internet. Most of the pages are official Canadian government websites, while some are Canadian university pages and encyclopedias. At the end of every document, there is a link to its original website where you can continue your research of related topics. The Guide includes: I) Table of Contents; II) History Section; III) Culture Section; IV) Government Section (including a guide to the House of Commons); V) International Canadian Section; VI) O Canada VII) Maps of Canada (including physical relief and a 835K political evolution PowerPoint presentation). Visit website.

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE - The Canadian Atlas Online, proudly presented by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, brings cartography to life with exciting graphics and animation. This state-of-the-art interactive atlas allows you to explore Canada in a way you’ve never experienced before, and helps the Society “to make Canada better known.” Visit the site.

NEW! CSC BOOKSTORE ONLINE - pdstore.com is a not-for-profit online bookstore for teachers, students and parents! It is part of Curriculum Services Canada (CSC) and is the only online bookstore to provide teacher-reviewed materials that meet the highest standards for classroom use. The CSC is an independent, not-for-profit, educational standards agency, and is the parent organization of three affiliates: Ontario Curriculum Centre (OCC), The Curriculum Foundation (TCF), and pdstore.com. The "pd" in pdstore.com stands for "professional development" and I can think of no better recommendation for using the publications listed than knowing the titles are used by Canadian teachers themselves.

• Visit website or call Toll Free 1-800-837-3048. You can also send your requests and comments to (Lila Patchett, pdstore.com, 439 University Avenue, 18th Floor, Toronto, ON CANADA M5G 1Y8 1-800-837-3048 Ext. 27 or 416-591-1576 Ext. 27)

EDUCATION - CANADA WEBSITE - This site, designed for teachers in Germany who intend to integrate Canada into their teaching syllabus, can be an interesting resource for anyone interested in introducing Canada in their classroom. For more information, go to website. Contact: Albert Rau.

THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE Collector's Edition 1 - DVD or VHS - The Canadian Experience, a new series of documentaries that chronicle the great characters and events that shaped Canada, is a great & affordable collection of videos to have in your school! Made by the core creative and technical talent from theaward-winning series Canada: A People’s History, the set can be purchased online. Edition 1 includes the following four titles:

• Freedom’s Land: Canada and the Underground Railroad - This is the story of how Canada and the Underground Railroad became the focal point of the anti-slavery movement in the tumultuous decade leading up to the American Civil War. 52 minutes - Color
• Talking Canadian, eh - Few of us are aware that the language we speak – the words we use and the way we say them – has less to do with conscious choice than it has to do with Canada's past.
• City of Ruins - The Halifax Harbour explosion was the greatest known man-made explosion until the advent of the atomic bomb in 1945. And yet, outside of Nova Scotia, the story of the Halifax Explosion is barely known.
• The Queen and the Skipper: The Story of Bluenose - Eighty years ago when men went to sea in wooden ships, she was the Queen of the North Atlantic.
  

RUTH WRITER'S REVIEW OF ADULT FICTION - Three Hills Home by Alfred Silver. (Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 2001). [ISBN 1-55109-401-0]

• On September 5, 1755, the world of the Acadians living in the Canadian Maritimes was turned upside down. The men of small French Acadian communities such as Piziquid and Grand Pre were ordered to assemble at the same time, on the same day at various locations along the Bay of Fundy. At that time, they learned of the plan of mass deportation of the Acadians. Their wives and children would join them prior to boarding the ships, which would take them to their new homes. Without written orders from the British government, approximately half of the Acadians reluctantly dispersed among the British colonies to the South. Others escaped into the wilderness areas of eastern Canada. This story is of one of the most tragic of all the forced migrations of history, the Acadian Expulsion of two and a half centuries ago.
• Three Hills Home is the fictional story of one of these families, that of Eulalie La Tour’s. Eulalie was living with another family after her parents died. Her adoptive family soon lost their mother and she became the mother figure to six children. She was living on a small farm, an Acadian world dominated by British soldiers in the summer of 1755. Andre Melanson, a local suitor, was a frequent visitor that summer. Readers of Three Hills Home learn of the history, culture and lives of the Acadians living in the idyllic area of the Bassin des Mines [Minas Basin]. There were minor conflicts but no one expected such upheavals in the months to come. Indeed, an itinerant tinker arrived at the farmstead that summer. Rather than a traveler selling his services, Cully was recording families for the British military. Upon his departure, he broke his leg and regained his health in the small farm home. Cully’s path would intersect with that of Eulalie’s and Andre’s in the years to come.
• Unlike Longfellow’s Evangeline, Eulalie and her family did not board the first ships in the harbor during The Grand Derangement. They fled to the interior forests and made their way north and west from Nova Scotia to the area of Miramichi and Petitcoudia in New Brunswick, joined by deserter Cully. Andre’s family was not so lucky. Placed on ships, they sent to the far corners of the Atlantic. Readers become aware of the conditions for those who were part of the Acadian Expulsion.
• The stories of the Expulsion usually focus on those families first expelled. Silver’s focus is on those who stayed. He writes much about their ability to survive the harsh conditions that first winter without basic supplies. Many of those who fled to the forests along the rivers of eastern New Brunswick did not survive. Silver writes of the guerilla warfare and the battles around Fort Beausejour. Later fate would force the survivors of that wilderness experience such as Eulalie and Cully to join others in the area of New Orleans. Again, conditions were less than ideal. Eventually Eulalie and others returned to their homelands after the Europeans ended their battles.
• Three Hills Home is the story of survival and triumph. It is a love story spanning a continent. It is a novel explaining the Acadian Expulsion, which occurred two and a half centuries ago. I highly recommend this novel written by one who lives in the region and knows of the legends and stories of The Grand Derangement. Read it as part of the anniversary of this Diaspora.

October 2005 Resource Notice -- Canada

CANADA GALA in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST – ‘Celebrate the Relationship’ with a grand evening of fabulous dining, dancing, entertainment, live-auction, door prizes & favors on Friday, October 7, 2005 at the Seattle Westin Hotel (6pm - 1am) Picture hundreds of Canadians and Americans sharing a gourmet feast and dancing to the sounds of Shelley and the Curves. Thousands of dollars in door-prizes, table favors and Canadian treats are given out. Make new acquaintances and see old friends or university colleagues sharing a reunion. USD $90 per person; $800 for a table of 10. $80 2005 CAS members. Contact Kevin Cook, Canada Gala Chair, Canadian Consulate General, Seattle (206) 770-4065

GREAT NEWS FOR THE GREAT LAKES - To ensure the future of the Great Lakes Basin, eight American states, Québec, and Ontario are on their way to adopting a sustainable development plan for the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. For news on the topic, see website.

THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE Collector's Edition 2 - DVD or VHS - This is the second series of 4 documentaries that define who Canadians are as a people and a country (see Sept. notice). Visit www.cbcshop.ca to purchase the set online. The 4 films are:

• Sisters in the Wilderness - The story of pioneer writers Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Traill is one of ambition, passion, staggering hardship and remarkable success. It is the ultimate “Survivor” story.
• Year of the Hunter: The Story of Nanook - The story of Robert Flaherty and the tale behind making the first non-fiction film.
• Expo 67: Back to the Future - Some parties change people’s lives. Expo 67 changed Canada. It was Canada’s 100th birthday and everything seemed possible.
• The 13th Mission - One Lancaster bomber, the women who built it, and the men who flew it—this is the story of a fateful mission over France one week after D-Day in June 1944

CANADIAN NEWS VIA GOOGLE ALERT! - Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic. Try it out here but I recommend you ask for specific topics of interest or you'll be inundated with news! As easy to cancel as it is to sign up.

SCSI’s 2006 BRITISH COLUMBIA EXPERIENCE: from the 5 Themes of Geography to the 2010 Olympics - A number of teachers across the US and past STUDY CANADA participants have contacted me about registering for next year's workshop. I hope these answers to their questions help others decide to join us, too! All general information is at the website.

• Start date: Sunday, June 25 (Register in lobby of Vancouver Delta Suites Hotel, 3-5pm. If flying in, arrive YVR before 3pm.)
• End date: Friday, June 30 (Depart from Whistler's Crystal Lodge at 11:15am. If flying out, plan a 3pm or later YVR departure.)
• The workshop begins and ends in Vancouver, BC. Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the closest airport. Some may prefer the option of flying in/out of Seattle (SEA) or Bellingham (BLI) and taking the train to/from Vancouver. Participants need to make their own travel arrangements to/from the Delta Suites Vancouver but I'm happy to advise!
• Both hotels offer special rates 3 days before the workshop at The Vancouver Delta Suites or 3 days after the workshop at the Crystal Lodge in Whistler; however, you'll need to arrange your own transportation back to Vancouver for the latter option.
• Re. financial support: Please first request support from your school district for professional development. At registrants’ requests, I will contact regional Canadian Consulates' Academic Affairs Officers for $300 in travel assistance per teacher. Our Center is able to provide limited $100 rebated travel assistance to out-of-state teachers, if consular support is unavailable. Student/beginning teachers who apply for a Canada in the Classroom Award through our Center may receive $100-$300. Do not let cost prohibit you from joining us! We will do all we can!
• The only meals included with the cost of tuition are the breakfasts on June 26-30. There are lots of restaurants and cafes near both hotels in Vancouver and Whistler. Exploring them is half the fun! We hope to find sponsorship for a welcome receptions on Sunday evening in Vancouver and Tuesday evening in Whistler.
• Companions are welcome (additional cost is $500, due by April 1, not at registration).
• Hotel accommodation is spacious (2 D/2Q) and participants will be assigned one roommate (unless a request is made). Private rooms are available for $400 (50% room surcharge).
• Full payment of the $500 (in-state) or $530 (out-of-state) course fee is required for registration. Registration is expected to close by April 1, 2006.
• No refunds available for cancellations after May 1, 2006 due to hotel contracts.
• The workshop is repeatable for credit or clock hours.
• Visit this site to download the registration form (scroll down the page for the hyperlink).

RUTH WRITER’S REVIEW OF ADULT FICTION - Susan Vreeland. The Forest Lover. (NY: Penguin Books, 2004). [ISBN 0-14-303430-8]

• Susan Vreeland has written a beautiful novel about Canadian artist, Emily Carr. While reading this novel, one learns of many vital parts of Canadian culture and history. One focus of The Forest Lover is the life of Emily Carr. Although she struggled through most of her artistic career, she became the most famous artist of the Pacific Northwest and certainly the most famous female artist of Canada. While most of the novel is set in British Columbia, one section also details Carr’s experiences while studying in Paris.
• There are other pieces of Canadian culture gleaned from this historical novel. Readers will learn of the customs of the Natives of the British Columbia coast. Since Carr spent much of her time depicting the totems of the region prior to their final decaying or “borrowing” for cultural purposes, one discovers the lifestyles of the Natives in the region. Vreeland writes descriptive passages about the family structures and cultural practices of Pacific Northwest Natives. Of special interest is the description of the outlawed potlatches. These are described both through the point of view of the government and the Natives.
• Any student of art or art history will find this a fascinating book. A great deal of attention is on the transformation of Carr’s early work in watercolors into some of the great oil paintings of Canadian history. Vreeland’s guided tour of Carr’s beloved forests, leap out of the pages with vivid imagery similar to the artistic canvases of Carr.
• The many individuals who cross Emily's path are also fascinating. Of particular interest are the lives of Harold Cook and Sophie Frank. Harold becomes a part of Emily’s world after he moves to an institution in Victoria due to a “breakdown.” Harold has difficulty dealing with his missionary parents' attitude and his interaction with the Native children of the coastal region. Again readers learn from two perspectives—both missionary and Native. Sophia Frank, a basket maker, teaches Emily about the Native artistic world and the trials of women along the coast. Sophie Frank struggles to keep her large family alive and later struggles to cope with the fact her inability to do so.
• I highly recommend this novel about art, geography, nature, culture, Natives, and the most amazing woman, Emily Carr. She was truly a woman who developed her talents during a time when women were not allowed to follow their own paths.

CANADIAN RECIPE OF THE MONTH - I thought I'd offer an east coast dish to warm your appetites! The 5th ingredient is the perfect touch!

Note: Information regarding Canada is obtain from:
Tina Storer, Education and Curriculum Specialist
Center for Canadian-American Studies
Western Washington University
Canada House - 516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98225-9110
Phone: (360) 650-7370
Fax: (360) 650-3995