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A Guide to Women in Canadian History

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Be sure to let us know if we've missed some useful classroom resources for teaching and learning about women in Canadian history. We've recently fixed broken links and added some new resources.
Learning Resources for Teaching Canadian Women's History

Canadian Heroines Quiz
Twenty-five multiple choice questions about notable women in Canadian history. A challenging quiz, suitable for up to first year university level.

Famous Firsts Quiz
Ten multiple choice questions about notable women in Canadian history.

Which Canadian heroine are you?
Facebook Quiz: bit.ly/q8mw5k
Which Canadian heroine are you?
A fun quiz for girls and young women. Just 8 questions. The QuizBank app is required.

book100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces
A useful book for history teachers. Includes biographies of one hundred notable women in Canadian history, along with quotes, more than one hundred historical photographs, and a bibliography. Written by Canadian historian Merna Forster.

Recommendation by teacher Katy Whitfield, Ontario Women's History Network: "...provides wonderful portraits of Canadian women from 16th century up to the end of the 20th century.... a book that should be required reading for all Canadian history."

book100 More Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces
In this second installment of the popular Canadian Heroines series, historian Merna Forster brings together 100 more incredible stories of great characters and wonderful images. The book includes biographies of famous and forgotten women in fields such as science, sport, politics, war and peace, and arts and entertaiment, including the original Degrassi kids, Captain Kool, hockey star Hilda Ranscombe, and the woman dubbed "the atomic mosquito."

100 More Canadian Heroines is full of amazing facts and trivia about extraordinary women, including Canada's first female lawyer, architect, chief, sea captain, prima ballerina, Japanese immigrant, Chinese Canadian doctor, etc.

Recommendation by MP Michelle Rempel: ""These are powerful stories of strong women who helped to build our country, many who truly are unsung heroines. An inspirational read."

Historica
Bilingual site focusing on Canadian history and heritage. (No particular emphasis on women’s history.)

History Resources (Secondary Cycle 1)
From LearnQuebec.ca. (No particular emphasis on women’s history.)

Women in SportsPosters from Green Dragon Press
A wide selection of posters about women in Canadian history are available for purchase:
Native Women in the Arts
Canadian Women in History
Celebrating Immigrant Women
HERSTORY of Work
Creating a World of Equality
Women and Education
Women and the Arts
Women in Science and Technology
Canadian Women in Sports
Canadian Women and the Law
Canadian Women Writers
Rosemary Brown
Women of Canada-Our Century: Making History, Building Futures
Women of Canada: Invent, Discover, Explore
International Women's Day Poster
Women Writers in Canada: Speaking out for Social Justice

Posters from Status of Women Canada:
International Women's Day Poster
Women's History Month in Canada Poster

The Purposes of Teaching Canadian History
Text of a presentation by Professor Peter Seixas from Canadian Social Studies, Volume 36, Number 2, Winter 2002. (No particular emphasis on women’s history.)

K-12 Lessons

American Masters - For Teachers - Under Joni Mitchell's Influence
A teaching module re Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, from PBS.

Analyzing Margaret Laurence's Work
An activity about author Margaret Laurence, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for grades 11-12, English Language Arts.

Barbara Frum, Newsmaker
A teaching module for all grades, re Canadian journalist Barbara Frum. From CBC Archives. Recommended for Media Studies.

Canada's History Society Lesson Plans
From Canada's History Society website, lessons focusing on women include:
Female Fur Traders
Harriet Tubman: Recognizing the Human Agency
Words: Understanding Women's Rights
The lesson plans are available in PDF format.

Analyzing Margaret Laurence's Work
An activity about author Margaret Laurence, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for grades 11-12, English Language Arts.

Canadian Women: Their Extraordinary Contributions
A project from the CBC Archives, for grades 11-12. Suitable for History, English Language Arts, Social Studies.

Fair Game: Pioneering Canadian Women in Sports
A unit from the CBC Archives, with activities for various grade levels and subjects.

Famous 5 Heritage Edukit
An edukit from the Famous 5 Foundation about the five Alberta women involved in the Persons Case, which enabled Canadian women to be appointed to the senate. The Teachers Corner includes lessons for elementary as well as junior/secondary. The Student Zone includes history, readings & quotes, Famous Five profiles, puzzles, glossary, photo gallery, and audio & video resources.

Female Action Heroes
A lesson for grades 6 to 8, from Media Awareness Network

Gathering Information About Margaret Laurence
A unit about author Margaret Laurence, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for all grades, English Language Arts.

Getting to Know Karen Kain
A unit about ballerina Karen Kain, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for all grades, English Language Arts.

Great Canadian Women: Crossword
A fun activity from Library and Archives Canada.

Karen Kain: Her Accomplishments and Awards
A module about ballerine Karen Kain, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for grades 9-10, English Language Arts and Media Studies.

The Legacy of Margaret Laurence
A module about author Margaret Laurence, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for grades 9-10, English Language Arts.

Margaret Laurence: A View on Censorship
A module about author Margaret Laurence, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for grades 11-12, English Language Arts.

Margaret Laurence: Writing Tips From Her Work
A module about author Margaret Laurence, from the CBC Archives. Suitable for grades 11-12, English Language Arts.

National Day of Remembrance and Action Against Violence Against Women less on place
Status of Women Less on Plans, from BC Teachers' Federation website.

Nobody Likes an Alarm Clock: Canadian Women 1910-1930
Unit from British Columbia Teachers' Federation. Six lessons plus bibliography.Must be ordered. A co-operatively planned unit for Social Studies 11 developed by Judith Coffin, Teacher-Librarian, Elgin Park Secondary School; Tom Morton, Social Studies Teacher, John Oliver Secondary School; Marcy Toms, Social Studies Teacher, John Oliver Secondary School; Ramona Sousa, Social Studies Department Head, North Surrey Secondary School.

On Every Front: Canadian Women in the Second World War
A collection of radio and television clips, plus links to related educational activities for various grade levels, from the CBC Archives.

The Prime Minister in Canadian Life and Politics
Profile of Kim Campbell
A site for children developed by the National Archives of Canada and The National Library of Canada. Includes information on Canada's first female Prime Minister: Kim Campbell.

Starting With Barbara Frum
A learning activity about broadcaster Barbarba Frum, for grades 9-10. From the CBC Archives, recommended for English Language Arts, Media Studies and Political Science.

A Teacher's Guide to Chinese Canadian Women, 1923-1967
From the Multicultural History Society of Ontario, with content for grades 5-8 (Social Studies, Language Arts) and 6-9 (History, Women's Studies, Canadian Studies, Law, Civics, Language Arts).

Torture and the Truth: Angélique and the Burning of Montreal
www.canadianmysteries.ca
A comprehensive bilingual website about a black slave called Marie Josèphe Angélique, who was hung for allegedly setting a fire in Montreal in 1734. Developed by a partnership that includes historians across Canada, the site enables students to develop critical thinking skills while investigating this story as they analyze transcriptions of historical documents. The site includes more than 100,000 words in English as well as French, and features images, maps and animations. Educators can register to access a teachers’ guide that includes lessons for intermediate and junior secondary level as well as for university and college level. The guide was developed by Professor Ruth Sandwell, OISE, University of Toronto.

Webquests were developed for the project in partnership with The Critical Thinking Consortium. These quests for younger students are available on a related website: MysteryQuests.ca:

Mystery Quest 2 – Survival in Nouvelle-France: Keeping Warm (ages 11 to 14)
Mystery Quest 6 – Slavery in Nouvelle-France: Profitable or Detrimental? (ages 14 to 16)

The Underground Railway
Educational site from National Geographic, including classroom ideas for different grades (ranging from K-12). Includes short profile of Mary Ann Shadd, who spent many years in Canada.

Unfolding Power: Documents in 20th Century Canadian Women's History
A print resource prepared by Pat Stanton, Rose Fine-Meyer, and Stephanie Kim Gibson. This book is a collection of primary materials (essays, letters, photos, diaries, ads) relating to women in the 20th century, and includes activities for Canadian history programs. To purchase the learning resource or obtain more information:
Green Dragon Press
2267 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Suit 1009
Toronto, Ontario M8V 3X2
Phone (416) 251-6366
Fax (416) 251-6365

A Woman's Place: Programming for the Modern Homemaker
Educational module from the CBC Archives, with activities for grades 9-12. History, Media Studies, Social Studies, and Visual Arts.

Women and Sport: Footprints Study Guide
A learning module for grade 4-8 or 9-12, focusing on eight Canadian women in sport: Bobbie Rosenfeld, Barbara Ann Scott, Carling Bassett, Marlene Stewart-Streit, Marilyn Bell, Kathleen Heddle, Marnie McBean and Silken Laumann.Created to accompany the Historica Footprints. From the Historica website.

Women of Aspenland: Images of Central Alberta
Lesson plans from the Heriage Community Foundation, including materials for grades 4 and 9.

Women: Changing Canada
Educational module from Oxford University Press for use in Social Studies/Sciences. This print resource is a title in the Canadian Challenges series and includes student activities about women in Canadian history. To purchase the learning resource or obtain more information:
Mike Santaguida, Marketing Coordinator, Education Division
Phone (416) 441-2941
Fax (416) 441-2951
email mike.santaguida@oup.com

Women's History 9: A History of Western Women A 61-page document from Edmonton School District No.7. The course has been developed through a partnership with the Nellie Mcclung alternative program, and University of Alberta (Department of History and Classics). Designed for about 75 hours of instruction, covering the period from 1500 to the present. Includes course outline, timeline of Western Women's History, Specific Outcomes for each of 24 units, general resources, classroom activities, etc.

Women: History by the Minute
From Historica, links to the Historica Minutes which focus on women in Canadian history. Subjects include Agnes Macphail, Emily Murphy, Jennie Trout, Laura Secord, Midwife, Nellie McClung, and Rural Teacher. Several have online learning materials prepared for The Canadians TV Series - eg. Emily Murphy.

Women in History: Breaking Through Barriers
Lesson plans from Parks Canada:
Lesson 1 - A Woman's Place
Lesson 2 - Women at Work
Lesson 3 - A Time for Change: The Suffrage Movement in Canada
Lesson 4 - If Walls Could Talk
Lesson 5 - Unforgettable Women
Lesson 6 - Why Does History Matter?

College/University Level Courses

Canadian Women: 1600-1920, HIST 204-01.
Course outline from Susan Johnston, Camosun College.

Franco-American Women’s Experiences
Syllabus for a course from Professor Rhea Côté Robbins, University of Maine.

Girls and Women in Urban Canada, 1880-1940s, (HIST 365)
Course syllabus from Athabasca University for History 365.

History of Women in Canada from the Beginning of Time to Confederation and the End of the Great War. History 2335.
Lakehood University (Orillia Campus), by Dr. Jonathan Anuik.

History of Women in Canadian Society, HI 3710
Course by Joanne Stiles, Grande Prairie Regional College.

Mistresses, Mystics, Mothers and Maids: Women in Canada, 1600-1920, WMST 205
Course by Sally Mennill, University of British Columbia

Social History of Women in Canada, History 2182b/Women's Studies 2139b
Syllabus for a course offered by Katherine McKenna at the University of Western Ontario.

Women, Gender, Difference, GNDS 120
Queen's University course, by Dr. Susan Wilcox.

Women in Canada, 1600-1920, WMST 205
University of British Columbia course by Sally Mennill.

Women in Canada: 1920 to the Present - HIST 211
Course outline from College of the Rockies.

Women in Canada and the US to 1920, 3W03/Women St 3G03
Course outline from McMaster University, for a course by Dr. Aya Fujiwara.

Women in North American History, History 216E.
Syllabus for a survey course offered by Monda Halpern at the University of Western Ontario. Introduces students to Canadian and American women's history.

The Status of Women in Canada, CAN 230
Course from Seneca College.

Torture and the Truth: Angélique and the Burning of Montreal
www.canadianmysteries.ca
A comprehensive bilingual website about a black slave called Marie Josèphe Angélique, who was hung for allegedly setting a fire in Montreal in 1734. Developed by a partnership that includes historians across Canada, the site enables students to develop critical thinking skills while investigating this story as they analyze transcriptions of historical documents. The site includes more than 100,000 words in English as well as French, and features images, maps and animations. Educators can register to access a teachers’ guide that includes lessons for university and college level. The guide was developed by Professor Ruth Sandwell, OISE, University of Toronto.

  Famous Women in Canada Study Guide

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