About this Guide

TEACHING HISTORY WITH THE INTERNET

On behalf of all Canadians, Parks Canada protects and presents nationally significant examples of Canada's cultural and natural heritage. These heritage places include 150 of the more than 850 national historic sites, 41 national parks, and 2 national marine conservation areas. Parks Canada also works with other levels of government and with private organizations in programs related to federal heritage buildings, heritage railways stations, Prime Minister's gravesites, Canadian heritage rivers, and international heritage conservation.

Click here to view a larger version of this image. (This image is larger than 450 pixels) Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site of Canada © Parks Canada / F. Cattroll

The Parks Canada Web site www.pc.gc.ca is a comprehensive resource filled with information about the places, people, and events that mark our history as a country. A visit to this site will inform you and your students about the Parks Canada mandate; the national historic sites; information on places, people, and events that have been designated as nationally significant; and how to plan a field trip to a national historic site. Information about Parks Canada's role in preserving and celebrating Canada's history can be found in the "Welcome to Parks Canada" section of the Web site. The Learning Links section of this module provides an overview of Parks Canada's educational Internet resources. Visit this site on an ongoing basis as it is updated regularly.

Using the Internet to access information via the Parks Canada Web site, your students can:

• make connections among peoples and cultures across time and geography
• explore local history and how it fits within the regional, national, and international context
• explore cause-and-effect relationships
• analyze the effects of technological change
• make connections between environment and lifestyle to understand how the land and geography influence what people think and do
• develop a sense of stewardship of our cultural and natural environment

Your students can access specific national historic sites by clicking on the appropriate section of the Web site. There they will find text and visual information organized in a format common to most of the sites.

• Cultural Treasures — an overview of the historical importance of the site as well as links to “Commemorating Canada’s History” and “This Week in History Archives”
• Learning Experiences — descriptions of on-site programs offered to students and other visitors
• Visitor Information — hours of operation, available services, how to contact staff, fees
• Related Links — links to other Web sites related to the national historic site
• Related Locations — links to other national historic sites in the same geographical area.

Staff at most national historic sites can help you plan a visit and also provide educational materials related to the site.

In addition to clicking on specific sections of the Parks Canada Web site, your students can conduct comprehensive Web site searches. You may need to help them define appropriate keywords for their searches.

Students are encouraged to use a variety of other Web sites for their research, along with more traditional resources. Ensure that they are familiar with your school or District's "Acceptable Internet Use Guidelines" before they begin any of the activities.You may also wish to have them visit www.library.dal.ca/how/method.htm where they will find a very useful page on "Criteria for Evaluating Web sites," compiled by Dalhousie University. Some general history Web sites that students may wish to access include:

• About Canada www.canada.gc.ca/canadiana/cdaind_e.html#his
• Canada: A People’s History CBC Web site http://history.cbc.ca/
• Canadahistory.com www.canadahistory.com
• Canadian Encyclopaedia www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com
• Canadian Heritage Gallery www.canadianheritage.org
• Canadian Heritage Information Network Virtual Museum
  www.virtualmuseum.ca
• Canadian History Portal www.canadianhistory.ca
• Canada’s Digital Collections http://collections.ic.gc.ca/
• Department of Canadian Heritage www.pch.gc.ca
• Discovery Channel On-line www.discovery.com
• Historica www.histori.ca
• Images Canada http://www.imagescanada.ca
• Library and Archives of Canada www.archives.ca
• Museum of Civilization www.civilization.ca

The following resources associated with Parks Canada will also be useful in your history program.

• Explore Canada (CD) For learners with beginning to intermediate fluency or literacy in English or French. Provides segments related to most of the topics addressed in Our Roots, Our Future: Experiencing Canada’s National Historic Sites in the Classroom. Available for purchase from NAS Educational Software Inc., 91 Heatherton Way, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 3E7, 1-800-837-5343 (phone), 905-764-0695 (fax), www.nas.ca (Web site), nasinfo@nas.ca (e-mail).
• Historylands (videos) Documents 52 national historic sites and provides a window into some of the most important events and sites in Canada’s history. Available for purchase from McNabb & Connolly, 60 Briarwood Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 3N6, phone: toll free 1-866-722-1522 or 905-278-0566, fax: toll free: 1-866-722-1822 or 905-278-2801, e-mail mcnabbconnolly@homeroom.ca