Teachers’ Zone

© RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY

Thanks to donors like you, the Canadian Museum of History has recently launched a new online resource called the Teachers’ Zone — making it easier to bring Canadian history to classrooms across the country. Generously supported by The Rossy Foundation, the Wilson Foundation and individual donors, the Teachers’ Zone features a wide range of educational resources, tailored to curricula across Canada.

 The Teachers’ Zone currently offers three packages: Women of New France, Think Like a Historian and Stories of Confederation. Each package includes a selection of digitized objects, archival documents, video and audio clips, and suggestions for activities. New packages and objects will be added as resources allow.

The 30+ objects can be browsed individually, and each features questions and “Look-Think-Do” activities to spark creative thinking. A tiny ivory maskette, sometimes called “The First Face,” asks students to guess at its maker and materials. A portrait of Canadian statesman Thomas D’Arcy McGee comes with a suggestion to write and deliver a rousing speech. Some objects even include recipes, such as a wooden maple sugar mould that is accompanied by an invitation to try making maple sugar candies at home (with adult supervision).

The Teachers’ Zone website has been designed for easy navigation and accommodates a wide range of grades and literary levels. Although aimed primarily for use by teachers, the activities and historical information can also be browsed by parents and students learning at home.

The Teachers’ Zone focuses on primary sources, making it one of the only resources of its kind in Canada. In addition to showcasing objects and archival information from the Canadian Museum of History, the website also features objects, images and audiovisual material from other Canadian institutions. This makes it possible for outside institutions to partner with the Museum, while creating and sharing packages of their own.

“As a learning institution, supporting education is one of the most important things we do,” says Chantal Amyot, Acting Director General of the Canadian Museum of History. “As students explore Canada’s history through resources like these, they not only learn more about the people and events that have shaped this country, but also see how our stories define us as both individuals and communities.”

Although the current pandemic has made visiting museums out of the question for schools these days, the Museum of History is proud to be able to bring the classroom to students and educators everywhere, thanks to the support of donors like you.