An Award Winning Initiative for Engaging Students and Communities in Learning History

Posted by Gillian Aitken on January 2, 2018

 

We work with so many amazing educators who give their students exceptional learning experiences. For this blog, we sat down with history teacher and 2017 Governor General's Award for Excellence in Teaching History Award winner Rob Flosman to find out what he has learned about engaging students and communities in learning history through building a classroom museum, the Waterdown Museum of History.

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Topics: Innovative Classrooms, Museum Studies, Holocaust Education, Margot Stern Strom Innovation Grants, Canadian History, Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy, classroom lesson, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanities Course, CHG

Facing History Teachers Answer the Question: Why do you teach?

Posted by Facing History and Ourselves Canada on February 22, 2017

At Facing History, we are grateful to work with many talented teachers who are so dedicated to making a difference in the lives of their students. 
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Topics: Students, Teaching, Facing History and Ourselves, Teachers, Holocaust and Human Behavior, Holocaust Education, CHG, CHC

"Know Thy Selfie"- A Modern Take on Identity

Posted by Megan Doherty-Smith on February 17, 2017

“Kim Kardashian published a book of them, Russia banned them, and at the Oscars last year Ellen took the most liked one of all time: Selfies.  And love them or hate them, there’s no denying the impact their proliferation has had on modern society.”  When I came across this statement in a magazine (Elle: Selfie Culture and Female Identity), I for the first time, appreciated the value of a ‘Selfie.’ Indeed, a Selfie can shed light on attitudes, values, allegiances, cultures, and pursuits – and all of this in a tiny, square screen.

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Topics: Identity, CHG, CHC

Cultural Genocide in Canada: Challenging institutionalized racism and moving towards Reconciliation

Posted by Kristen Drury on February 14, 2017

One of the reasons why I love teaching is that I can open students’ eyes to injustices that exist today - injustices like the missing and murdered Indigenous women - and the ways in which they can promote change. The grade 12 Challenge and Change course provides the ideal opportunity to raise these issues, and Facing History’s approach, strategies, and readings give me the tools to authentically engage students.

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Topics: Upstander, CHG, HSB, HSP, CHC

Addressing Roots of Human Hatred: A Psychological Study on Conformity, Obedience and Behaviour

Posted by Mike Elias on January 16, 2017

Why do troubled times so often bring out hatred in humanity?  In both Canada and the United States over the past few years there has been much xenophobic rhetoric spread around in light of numerous global crises. During the 2015 Canadian and 2016 American elections we saw candidates in both countries “other” identifiable or vulnerable members of society using hateful language and often using them as scapegoats for social and economic problems, all while claiming to speak for the will of those they purport to be the “silent majority”. Furthermore, we saw large groups joining the “unsilent majority” through the use of social media to spread hate, join xenophobic movements and rallies, commit hate crimes and even acts of violence. Those who criticized this movement drew many parallels between the social climate and dialogue of today to that of Nazi Germany. As educators we felt it necessary to attempt to address this recurring phenomenon.

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Topics: Choosing to Participate, Holocaust and Human Behavior, Canada, American History, Canadian History, Bystander, current events, Upstander, big paper, CHG, HSP

An Alumni's Letter to the Facing History Advisory Board

Posted by Trent Dickson on January 10, 2017

A Facing History teacher knows the positive impact the Genocide and Crimes against Humanity course can have on a student, when taught using Facing History and Ourselves methodology, strategies and resources. If you are new to Facing History, or are interested in learning more, one of the most important advocates we have are the students themselves.  The following is a letter from Trent Dickson, Facing History alumni.

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Topics: Student Voices, Students, CHG

Learning to Teach about Reconciliation: A report from Facing History and Ourselves' 2016 Summer Institute

Posted by Jse-Che Lam on November 9, 2016

Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools is Facing History Canada’s latest resource. During August 2016, a number of teachers from across Ontario participated in a three-day summer institute in Ottawa to learn how to improve and enhance current teaching practices in relation to studies of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada and using Stolen Lives in their classrooms.

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Topics: Truth and Reconciliation, CHG, CHC, summer institute

Teaching About Residential Schools

Posted by Brenda Ohngemach on October 12, 2016

Introduction: My Residential School unit was largely based on the Residential School Lessons for the Genocide Elective set out by Cheryl Payne. I simply tweaked them a little bit to suit my classes. I taught this unit last year in April. The main areas of change were primarily how I prepared and debriefed the students to see the NFB movie We Were Children. The other change was including a summative assignment based on the questions found in Facing History and Ourselves’ book Stolen Lives. Creating this summative assignment was a great experience in professional collaboration as  all of the history teachers at my school collectively designed it.    

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Topics: Teaching Strategies, Teaching Resources, Residential Schools, CHG, CHC, trc

Why I Use Schindler's List

Posted by Jan Haskings-Winner on September 29, 2016

This summer I went to Europe with my nieces. We visited Zurich, Krakow, Prague and Berlin. My suitcase unfortunately did not make the journey with me. At each stop, I updated Swiss Air about my location. It took 8.5 days (of the 10 we were there) for my suitcase to meet up with me. I was annoyed, and eventually had to purchase clothing in each town, and do some hand-washing to have clean clothing!

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Topics: Film, Holocaust, Auschwitz, Upstander, CHG, CHC

"Creating a Culture of Caring Through Reconciliation as a Non-Indigenous Teacher": An Interview with Nathan Tidridge

Posted by Alysha Groff on September 13, 2016

As part of Facing History and Ourselves three day summer seminar "CHC2 Canadian History through a Facing History Lens",  Nathan Tidridge came to speak about "Creating a Culture of Caring Through Reconciliation as  Non-Indigenous Teacher."

Nathan Tidridge teaches at Waterdown District High School and was awarded the Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence (Teacher of the Year) and the Charles Baillie Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching by Queen's University. The author of four books exploring the Crown in Canada, Tidridge's latest work (The Queen at the Council Fire: The Treaty of Niagara, Reconciliation and the Dignified Crown in Canada) was launched by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Over the years Tidridge has spoken to numerous groups across the country, including recently the Manitoba Council of Elders,  and The Crown in the 21st Century conference held in Victoria. In 2015 he was proud to be appointed to both the Ontario Heritage Trust Board of Directors and the National Advisory Council of the Prince's Charities Canada. 
 
Learn more about Nathan Tidridge's work at www.canadiancrown.com, or on his teacher website www.tidridge.com
 

If you were unable to attend and would like to see the talk it was streamed and can be accessed on Periscope.

Following the event I had a chance to catch up with Nathan and talk to him a little bit about his experiences teaching difficult content in the highschool classroom. Whether or not you were able to attend this great talk, take a look at the following interview and consider the following:

1. How could you use the information in this interview to better your own teaching practice?

2. How might this interview help you contextualize the importance of addressing the TRC calls to action for your department and school?

3. How could the interview be used to help inspire and build confidence in educators to incorporate Indigenous Studies into their classrooms?

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Topics: Teaching, History, Canada, Indigenous, CHG, CHC

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This is where Canadian Facing History and Ourselves teachers and community members meet to share reflections, scholarship and teaching practices that will inspire, challenge and improve teaching and student learning. Our stories provide a window into diverse Facing History classrooms in Canada, and invite you into the discussion.

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