About this Guide

FOREWORD

History teachers are the stewards of our past and the trustees of our future. As a parent and a citizen, I am deeply grateful for the nobility of your profession and the depth of your commitment to fostering the best in your students. I hope that this new teacher's guide will prove of genuine assistance to you.

As you well know, Canada is rich with historic sites and stories. Thanks to modern technology, it is now possible to put Canada's kids more actively in touch with Canada's heritage. This new guide is intended to help you use video, the Internet, and hands-on experience to give your students a sense of the wonders of Canada's national historic sites. While you may not be able to bring your students to visit all of the 850 national historic sites, you can now bring those historic places into your classrooms.

History connects us with our past, with our future and with each other. Encouraging young Canadians' interest in their heritage helps to build their self-awareness, their sense of community, and their sense of identity as citizens and human beings. In motivating students to make connections with their heritage, you are, in fact, playing a fundamental role in building Canada. Our Roots, Our Future: Experiencing Canada's National Historic Sites in the Classroom is one more tool to help you fulfil that important undertaking.

Thank you so much for working so hard to inspire Canada's students with the wonders of Canada's history.

Alan Latourelle
Chief Executive Officer
Parks Canada