Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

This topic has 10 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 9 months ago by Annie-Claud Gaignard Roy.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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April 6, 2010 at 3:37 pm
suzukimom
Participant
Ok, I could use some help here (especially from Sonya – but anyone)
I’m Canadian, so I want to work on Canadian History…. From a CMCanada board, I got a resource on reading through Canadian History…. it breaks the history down into various topics/times and has a list of books that could be of interest, and aprox reading levels. Well, I’m just overwhelmed.
How do I figure out what we want to do? I think I would like to come up with a family rotation…. but some of the topics only have stuff with older reading levels… and there are SO MANY topics!
Here is the list….
1. Native Indians
2. Inuit
3. Vikings
4. Early Exploration
5. New France
6. Fur Trade
7. 7 Years War (French & Indian War)
8. United Empire Loyalists
9. Life in teh 1700’s
10. War of 1812
11. Underground Railroad
12. Rebellion of 1837
13. Western Exploration
14. Opening of the West (RCMP/Railroad)
15. Settling of the West
16. 1866 – Fenian Uprising
17. Reil Rebellion
18. Arctic Exploration
19. BC Gold Rush
20. Klondike Gold Rush
21. Life in the 1800’s
22. WWI
23. The Depression
24. Pre WWII
25. WWII
26. Post WWII
27. Government
some of these categories only have books from say a Grade 4+ or 5+ reading level, nothing for younger…. So – how do I break this up? We did “A Pioneer Story” for year 1, as it is a nice gentle book about pioneer times… not really specific. Should I try to do Canadian History as a 5 year rotation… (do once) picking something to read together, and add suggestions for older years – and then figure out “High school stuff” (or do the rotation 2x, adding a lot for the High School years, ending at about grade 11)
Or should I do it individually tied to the Year the student is in? And how do I fit so much into the time we have to do it? Even a 6 year go through history, doing 3 different topics/times a term still would only cover about 18 topics…. or do I just pick and choose?
(btw – Canadian history, although we constantly did it in school, was taught SO dry, that I really don’t know it very well at all….)
April 6, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Linabean
Participant
I am also VERY interested in this topic. We are Canadians and I have been wondering and thinking about this very thing for most of the school year. My kids are dd 7, ds 5, and dd 3. Would love some suggestions on how to teach this effectivly.
April 6, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Kalle
Participant
Just brain storming here, but could you just have canadian history for two years. Canadian and American history parallel each other. So if your doing a 6 year cycle, just plug in canadian history where ever you would have done the american history segments. Then in a 12 year cycle your children would each have 4 years of Canadian history. I best get back to packing. We are moving once again.
April 6, 2010 at 9:00 pm
SweetMarie
Participant
My children are 9, 7 and 4…I amCanadian too!

I have “The Kids Book of Canadian History” and “The Kids Book of Canadian Exploration”. They seem to have great tid bits of information maps and pictures. We read a section draw or colour a picture and talk/narrate.
I also have “Canada My Country” and “Courage and Conquest”. In Courage and Conquest there is a great book resouce list for additional reading.
From your list I would lean towards going in order from 1 to 6. Each topic leads quite nicely into the other with some overlap. As do the other topics.
Depending how old your children are will depend on how much you do and how far into the list you go.
We have done 1-4 on your list; as well I’ve introduced some other world history that was going on during those times. My children like knowing those kinds of things. For instance what artist or composer was painting/composing during that time. What clothing they wore here in Canada v.s. parts of Europe.
History is so much fun! Although so much to learn. Take a section and plug away at them also don’t forget to have fun with it. You’ll be surprised just how much narration goes on….both official and informal (they way the play).

OH I also have a book called “Mystery in the Attic” by Valerie Walker and it is a short novel based on Canadian History focusing on the Centennial of Calgary and area (Alberta). I’ve just skimmed a bit of it, and it looks like a great read a loud for both L.A. and History.
Books like this help to create more interest in History for those children who don’t really have a natural interest.
Good Luck!
April 6, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
It does seem like you could teach those events instead of American history during modules 5 and 6. If the only resources available are for older children, you could skip those topics during the first rotation with young ones and add them in on the second rotation when the children are older.
I’m so glad there are other Canadian CM moms on this forum who can give you more suggestions!
April 7, 2010 at 2:46 am
suzukimom
Participant
Thanks for the ideas, and also knowing I’m not alone.
I guess I look at it this way……
I know lots about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, The Boston Tea Party, The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Pearl Harbour, The Oregon Trail, and many many other events in US History. Probably not in tons of detail, but a fair bit….. and NONE of them were learned in school, and I never lived in the US. If I, a Canadian, can learn so much from osmosis on US history just from our shared TV channels, and other general contact – how much do your kids learn about US history on their own – which can then be basically added to by the couple of years in the rotation.
But – I took Canadian history in school (not taught well, obviously) – and there is so much I don’t know. There are major events in Canadian history that I didn’t know existed until I was an adult and it happened to come up… and unfortunately I think that I am fairly typical on that. Our history just doesn’t seem to float around in our culture like the US history does in the US culture.
So many things…. like Cartier, Franklin, General Wolfe and the wars during his time, The War of 1812, Laura Secord, Louis Riel, Alexander Graham Bell, The Famous 5 and the Persons Act, WWI, Halifax Explosion, WWI, Banting and Best, Avro Arrow, FLQ Crisis, and just so much more…. and there are topics on the list I posted that I know NOTHING about still – I don’t know anything about the 7 years war. Or one of the rebellions listed…. etc.
Anyway, it just seems like so much for a 5 year rotation, little own doing it in 2….
April 8, 2010 at 11:33 pm
cedargirl
Participant
Teaching Canadian history, or Social Studies as it gets called up here, in a CM fashion is a tough one. Donna Ward is a good source for socials books. She has good books for younger children. I have chosen to use a reading list of books in the Come Sit By Me Vol 1 & 2. They are books by canadian authors that take you on a coast to coast literary journey of Canada. If you are accountable to meeting provincial learning outcomes then use those as your guide to get out library books out. Let your children create posters, lapbooks, diaramas of events they have read on. If you can just work on topics at your own merry pace then start by using a timeline and move through it at interest’s pace. Maybe a Canadian History Scrapbook would be a project your children would enjoy. Let them create 12×12 layouts of persons and events to ultimately make a huge timeline on their own.
Social Studies is really a struggle for me as I am not a history buff. This year for my Grade4 we have to do Aboriginal Culture, Exploration & Contact, and map work. Easy enough to get an atlas and start making our own maps in our sketchbooks. I have decided to use a curriculum called From Time Immemorial to learn about the rest. It is written by 2 women who obviously are passionate about this area of study and it lends itself to creating our own projects from the teachers guide. I am sure it is not CM typical resource material but I will do my best to put my CM teaching into it. We will use the books suggested for reading and hands on projects. We will hold our own little potlatch. We will meet with native artists and see what we can learn.
Once you figure out what you want to learn in the next coming year, then plan for that. Ask arround on specific topics and i am sure people will share their favorite reads! Best wishes on your game plan. -tania
April 8, 2010 at 11:38 pm
HeidiS
Participant
Or you could call up your friend and get her to help you out since there is SO much to do;) LOL, I loved finding you on here T. Hope it all goes well, and really, call me. M. is away tonight and I am doing CNd history planning myself. The ladies on here are a wealth of knowledge, they will help tons too:)
heidi
April 8, 2010 at 11:42 pm
HeidiS
Participant
Sorry S.mom, that last post was supposed to go straight to Tania and I hit the wrong button:) I know it can be a huge task! I am using a guide called Modern History through Canadian Eyes that is written by Heather Penner and is very CM in style. I love it. Tons of suggestions, lots of good resources to choose from, and activities that span the ages. I am going to use my SCM planning guide along with the book so I can more easily incorporate all the other areas I am working on. My 2 kids at home are on very different topics so that makes it a challenge, but it is intriguing as well. Good luck!
Heidi
April 8, 2010 at 11:42 pm
cedargirl
Participant
HAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! TOOOOO funny! I will give you a ring after supper! ((((hugs)))) -tania
August 26, 2016 at 11:36 am
Annie-Claud Gaignard Roy
Participant
Bumping this old thread to see if anyone has anything new to say about the study of Canadian history. I only plan on touching the subjects of Native Indians, Vikings and Early Exploration this year, but I’d like to plan ahead as much as possible since I won’t be able to follow the study guide as is next year… I looked at the sample pages of “Modern History Through Canadian Eyes: A Canadian History Guide for All Ages”. It seems to be exactly what I am looking for, but I am not sure it is still available.