Canada: Resources for the Massachusetts State Frameworks

Canada: Resources for the Massachusetts State Frameworks
An Internet Hotlist on Canada

created by Britt Sorensen
Louis F. Angelo School

Introduction | Canadian Geography, Climate, and Resources (4.17; 4.18) | Canadian People and Culture (4.19; 4.22) | Canadian History (4.20) | First Nations of Canada (4.21)

Introduction
The Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks identify six learning standards on Canada for grade four students. The sites on this list have been specifically chosen for their usefulness in teaching these standards, as listed below.

Learning Standards for Grade Four: Canada

4.17 On a map of North America, locate Canada, its provinces, and major cities.

4.18 Describe the climate, major physical characteristics, and major natural resources of Canada and explain their relationship to settlement, trade, and the Canadian economy.

4.19 Describe the major ethnic and religious groups of modern Canada.

4.20 Identify when Canada became an independent nation and explain how independence was achieved.

4.21 Identify the location of at least two Native American tribes in Canada (e.g., Kwakiutl and Micmac) and the Inuit nation and describe their major social features.

4.22 Identify the major language groups in Canada, their geographic location, and the relations among them.

The Internet Resources

Canadian Geography, Climate, and Resources (4.17; 4.18)

Atlas of Canada: Facts About Canada - The Atlas of Canada site is an overall useful resource which is easy to navigate and includes interactive maps. On this page you will find clearly organized categories of Canada's landforms and their sizes, making it easy to connect the information to graphing, measurement, and other math concepts.
Canada's Symbolic Animals - A valuable resource page that students can use independently. This site has an extensive database of symbolic Canadian animals with photos and descriptions, including places that bear the name of the animal. Skip most of the activities, but do the Symbolic Animals of Canada province matching game. The site is easy for students to navigate and read independently.
Canada's Treasure Trek (www.tvokids.com) - An engaging interactive game that teaches about Canada's territories and provinces. Students can play the game at three different levels of difficulty. The game is easy for students to play on their own without adult assistance.
Environment Canada: Canadian Weather and Climate - An easy to use resource for studying Canadian weather and climate provided by the Canadian government. The site features an interactive map, historical weather section, and teacher resources.
Facts on Canada - Here you'll find information on each individual province, plus a detailed explanation of Canada's Coat of Arms. This site would be a good resource for students doing research projects on the provinces.
Natural Resources Canada NRCat's Scratching Post - The Natural Resources of Canada's kids page has information on natural resources and mining in Canada. Click on the Nature and Environment link then go to 'Minerals and Metals: A World to Discover' for information and free posters. The Parents and Teachers section also has good resources.
Office of the Prime Minister Family Centre Interactive Zone - This page has just four activities, but they are fun and useful for identifying Canadian provinces, flags, and symbols. They can be played online or downloaded and printed.

Canadian People and Culture (4.19; 4.22)

Canadian Geographic Kids - Canadian Geographic Kids provides a wide range of resources which touch on all of the learning standards. It is a perfect place to begin for any study of Canada and is easy to navigate for adults and kids. Online games, lessons, links, it's all here. If you bookmark only one page about Canada, this is it.
Canadian Geographic Kids Atlas Online - This interactive animated program touches on all of the frameworks and gives kids information about modern Canadian culture and economy in the Culture Club and Marketplace areas. It would be a great introduction to Canada because it gives general facts about a wide range of topics.
Language Map of Canada - An easy to read map from Encyclopedia Brittanica that shows the distribution of French, English, and other language speakers in Canada.
The Atlas of Canada - Click on the 'People and Society' link for maps with information on language and religion in Canada.

Canadian History (4.20)

Canadian Geographic: Historical Maps of Canada - Canadian Geographic presents this excellent interactive timeline covering Canadian history from 1700-1999. The maps show how Canadian territories and provinces have grown over time, and each section of the timeline includes detailed information, photographs, and fun facts. There is also a link to an online quiz students can take to test their knowledge.
Confederation for Kids! - Confederation for Kids is part of the Canadian Government's Library and Archives site. It provides kid-friendly versions of Canada's beginnings as an independent nation, including images, a glossary, and additional links for research.
Great Unsolved Canadian Mysteries - This site has many levels of activities to learn about Canada's history using primary and secondary sources. The activities are challenging, making a great resource for students who are able to read and interpret information at a higher level. While the whole site is excellent, you can copy and paste the following links for two of the most useful activities: 'Where is Vinland?' at http://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/vinland/home/indexen.html and 'Norse Profiling Webquest 30' at http://www.mysteryquests.ca/quests/30/indexen.html .
Musee McCord Museum ClioClic - This site may be used in a number of ways to explore different areas of Canadian history. There are online games, primary source activities, printouts, etc. The resources found here could be used to address multiple learning standards as they cover so many different aspects of Canadian history. Begin with the games link at the top, or browse through the thematic resources and web activities linked on the left.
Scholastic Canada: Dear Canada Series - Scholastic Canada has a 'Dear Canada' series similar to the popular 'Dear America' series. While this page is based on the books, it is a good resource on its own. Click on the interactive timeline for a general survey of some of Canada's history.
Virtual Museum Canada - Virtual Museum Canada features an outstanding Fun and Games page with links to engaging online technology for students. Not all of the links here are on the topic of Canada, but many are still worth exploring. Check out 'A Sunken Ship's Tale: The Game', 'Acadia: Lifestyles in the Days of Our Ancestors', and 'Safe Harbor, Treacherous Seas' for three of the most relevant to this topic.

First Nations of Canada (4.21)

A Journey into Time Immemorial - A beautifully designed interactive program which allows students to explore a First Nations village by clicking on different objects. The site includes primary source recordings and photographs, vocabulary lists and educator resources.(Note: Students should be advised to navigate slowly as the program is very realistic and could cause dizziness if they move through it too quickly.)
Canada's First Nations - This University of Calgary site organizes Canada's First Nations by region, culture, and language. The maps and information are concise and easy to use, making this site useful for research projects on the different aboriginal tribes of Canada.
Native Languages of the Americas: Canadian First Nations by Province - Native Languages of the Americas is a non-profit page with extensive information on the languages and culture of Native Americans. This link will take you directly to the section on Canadian First Nations. Just click on each province to see a listing of the tribes that lived in that area.
Nova Scotia Museum Virtual Exhibits - The Nova Scotia Museum has a range of resources, and this link will take you directly to the virtual exhibits page. You can also copy and paste the following links to go directly to the museum's Mi'kmaq Portraits Collection at http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mikmaq/ and download the information sheets at http://museum.gov.ns.ca/arch/infos/info.htm where you'll also find information on Acadian settlements.
Resources for Aboriginal Studies - This site has extensive databases of First Nation photographs and archival materials. For a quick view, click on photographs, then browse. The selected photographs links listed here make great primary sources to teach about the history of Canada's native population.

Content by Britt Sorensen, brittbsorensen@bpsma.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listcanadabr.html
Last revised Fri Jan 9 18:53:12 US/Pacific 2009