Fall 2021 Issue

The quarterly newsletter from Study Canada K-12
US. Dept. of Education Title VI National Resource Center on Canada

In this Issue

The Canadian Mosaic : Part Two
NCSS Natasha Henry Webinar
Emancipation Da y
Resource Round-Up: Canadian Election Edition
Read The North
Diversions

If you are:

Back in the classroom after teaching virtually last year or
Back in the classroom after teaching in-person last year or
At home under a quarantine or exposure risk or
Just plain wondering how this year will go

we are right there with you. Kudos to you for taking time to keep informed, up to date and engaged in professional learning during possibly the hardest time for teachers in the history of public education. May all the parent e-mails be understanding, staff meetings be concise and may the next quarterly newsletter we send come out in a healthier, happier time. We hope to connect with you in some of our events below!

Photo from Penticton, BC by Anthony Lee on Unsplash

The Canadian Mosaic: Fall 2021

Thanks to the enthusiastic reception of our Mosaic webinars series in the Spring of 2021, we are thrilled to be launching Season Two of the Mosaic Series this Fall. Please join us at our FREE monthly webinars this Fall.

Just in time to add to your resources and curriculum for Indigenous Peoples Day (October 11th) and National Native American Heritage Month of November, join us for a webinar with esteemed Indigenous educator, Jo Chrona.

If Not Here,Then Where? Indigenous Education in Canada
September 28, 2021
4 PM Pacific / 7 PM Eastern

Learn:

Why Indigenous education is NOT part of a multicultural framework
Why it is important to use authentic Indigenous Resources to learn both about and from Indigenous peoples and where to find freely available authentic Indigenous resources.
How Indigenous education has positively impacted education for all learners in BC through the framework of First Peoples Principles of Learning and what those principles include.

A Canadian Federal election has been called for September 20, 2021, but how does the Canadian government work? Join Education and Learning and Public Learning Department at the Parliament of Canada for a session:

Understanding Canada's Parliament: Teacher Resources
October 26, 2021
4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern

This session will walk you through the Parliament of Canada’s teacher resources and the newly launched website “Understanding Parliament”. These online resources provide teachers with a wealth of information and activities designed to teach students about Canada’s parliamentary democracy. It will be presented by Jennie Fiddes, a Project Officer in the Education and Learning department at the Library of Parliament and Beth Christine, an educator from New Brunswick and a member of the Library’s Teachers’ Advisory Council. They will showcase many of the unique (and free!) materials available to teachers including videos, online games, virtual reality programs, and engaging classroom activities that will help bring Canada’s Parliament into your classrooms.

Register Here

Stay tuned for a November 30th session with EduCart from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, more details coming soon!

NCSS Webinar with Natasha Henry

In partnership with NCSS and the Eastern NRC on Canada, please join us for a special webinar with leading Black History expert, Natasha Henry on September 14th at 4 pm ET / 1 pm PT

Canada, Land of the Free?: Black Immigration to Canada.

This FREE webinar for NCSS members will provide context for the diverse Black experiences in Canada from historical experiences to the present day. Participants will receive resources, websites, and lesson plans to bring back to their classroom.

Current NCSS members register HERE

Emancipation Day

Natasha Henry has long celebrated and raised awareness about Emancipation Day, including publishing a book on the topic but August 1st, 2021 was the first time Canada officially recognized and celebrated Emancipation Day. Emancipation Day marks the date in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire. But for most enslaved people in British North America, the Act resulted only in partial liberation, freeing only children under the age of six, while others were to continue serving their former owners for four to six years as “apprentices”. The Act did however confirm Canada as a free territory for enslaved African Americans, and thousands of African Americans subsequently arrived on Canadian soil between 1834 and the early 1860s.
Join us to learn about this and so much more with Natasha Henry on September 14th.

Resource Round-Up:
Canadian Election

On September 20th, 2021 Canada will hold a National election.

The four main political parties in Canada are:
Liberal
Conservative
New Democratic Party and
Bloc Quebecois
but dozens more are registered. Click here for a full list of political parties in Canada.

For a student-level overview of the Canadian Government, Civix.ca has a quick and thorough video and many of Civix.ca's resources are available in French. Civix.ca has a great digital literacy program as well.

A map representing the 2019 election results.

The Parliament of Canada has resources on the roles in Canadian Government, and publications on all aspects of how Parliament works. Don't forget about our October 26 webinar Understanding Canada's Parliament to answer all your questions, register HERE.

CBC Kids has a series of videos to explain and explore Canadian Government, including Here's What You Need to Know About This Election and How Do Canadian Elections Work

Read the North

Some notable new releases from Canadian publishers and author/illustrators in Fall 2021.

Time is a Flower
Written and illustrated by Julie Morstad
Tundra Books for ages 3-6

Morstad, author/illustrator of the wonderful Today and how to, is back with Time is a Flower, a lyrical, imaginative look at time and how times moves differently depending on your circumstances. From the publisher: "In this magical meditation on the nature of time, Julie Morstad shines a joyful light on difficult-to-grasp concept for young readers and reminds older readers to see the wonders of our world, including children themselves, through the lens of time".

A Kid is a Kid is a Kid
By Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng
House of Anansi Press for ages 3-6

From the author of the excellent A Family is a Family is a Family, O’Leary brings us an inclusive and celebratory ode to back to school and playing together. On the playground children share the questions they’re tired of being asked again and again — as opposed to what they believe are the most important or interesting things about themselves. As you get to know your own students, this is a great back to school read.

The Bee
Written by Becky Han | Illustrated by Tindur Peturs
Inhabit Media for ages 6-8

Written by acclaimed Inuit songwriter Becky Han, when the narrator of this fun and silly book is startled by the buzzing of a bee, she sets off on an adventure that sees her running from community to community, trying to lose her buzzing companion. When she has run clear across Nunavut, she finally realizes that perhaps this little bee isn’t such a fearsome foe after all!

My City Speaks
By Darren Lebeuf Illustrated by Ashley Barron
Kids Can Press for ages 3-7

A young girl, who is visually impaired, spends the day travelling the city with her sighted father. The girl describes her surroundings through all her other senses besides sight, delightfully illustrated with paper collage. A perfect jumping-off book for talking about senses with students.

Diversions

The Winnipeg Art Galley recently opened a new art centre called Qaumajuq, dedicated to the art of the Inuit people. One of the features of the art centre is the Visible Vault, a three-story glass vault filled with thousands of Inuit carvings. Can't make it to Winnipeg yet? You can explore the exhibit virtually via region or carving type.

Please share with fellow educators you think may be interested and subscribe here

K-12 Study Canada is part of the Title VI federally-funded National Resource Center with the Center for Canadian-American Studies at Western Washington University and aims to enhance and strengthen a better understanding of the Canada and the Canada-U.S. relationship through teaching and education.