Social Studies

Look back on the crucial stages of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham: context, preparation, siege of Quebec City and encounter.

Learn about Batoche. Click on 1885 and choose a host to guide you through the 1885 Metis settlement in Batoche. Explore all areas of the town, play games and pick up some useful facts along the way.

We bring relevance and awareness to our nation’s diverse past, illuminating the people, places, and events that unite us as Canadians.

A national history of Canada which studies the major political events that have shaped the country, presented in a cohesive, chronological narrative.

The YouTube channel for "Canada: A People's History" features all the full episodes of the miniseries. Charting the country's past, this series chronicles the rise and fall of empires, the clash of great armies and epoch-making rebellions.

A CBC docu-drama series highlighting many of the extraordinary moments and people that helped forge a nation from early Indigenous history to the 20th century.

This still-growing digital archive contains more than 25 million pages representing over 200,000 publication titles, the majority of which were published prior to 1921. An excellent source of primary sources for social studies students.

Read a detailed history of Indigenous suffrage in Canada.

The Canadian Encyclopedia provides a timeline of the life of Métis leader Louis Riel. Scroll to the right or use your mouse's trackball to find events and related resources.

News stories that have been archived by the CBC

Paul Cowan's film the legal battle over abortion waged by Dr. Henry Morgentaler in Quebec and in federal courts between 1970 and 1976. This docudrama unravels the complexities of the case that began as a challenge to Canada's abortion laws and turned into a precedent-setting civil rights case.

Often referred to as the Father of Manitoba, Louis Riel, the leader of the Métis people of the Canadian Prairies, sought to preserve Métis rights and culture during a turbulent time in Canadian history.

The "Doctrine of Discovery" proclaimed in Papal Bulls of the 1400s was used to justify for colonization

Zacharias Kunuk directed this documentary of the High Arctic Relocation in 1953 where the government relocated communities with promises of resources to improve land claims on a international stage.

This resource explores the history of the relationships between Indigenous peoples and French settlers in North America prior to 1763.

This virtual exhibition looks at some facets of the history of Canada's Aboriginal peoples, underlining their fight for cultural survival and sharing many of their modern-day contributions.

A unique presentation of primary and secondary resources found in the collections of Canada's National History Society, HBCA - Archives of Manitoba, The Manitoba Museum, Parks Canada and several First Nations communities.

Historical and contemporary objects, images, and documents vividly express the cultural diversity as well as the creativity, resourcefulness, and endurance of this country's First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

A team of historians have been trying to solve some historical "cold cases" -- old crimes in which the guilty ones walked, and even more insidious crimes where a whole village may have been complicit.

A news interactive from CBC that explores the 1917 explosion in Halifax Harbour

This Heritage Minute tells the Iroquois story of Peacemaker. There is also a text version of the story.

Mohawk Chief John Norton and 80 Grand River warriors hold off American soldiers until reinforcements arrive.

A site that offers programs that you can use to explore, learn and reflect on our history, and what it means to be Canadian.

Our history—evolving from an asylum into a modern health facility with patients at the centre of care—is the history of mental health care in Canada.

A site that examines pre-contact Indigenous life in the landmass that would become Canada.

An excellent resource for learning much of the earliest history of the colony of Canada. There are plenty of classroom resources for teachers

A site that documents 16th century contact between the Inuit and white explorers.

As the custodian of our distant past and recent history, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is a key resource for all Canadians who wish to gain a better understanding of who they are, individually and collectively.

Learn how medical care changed from a commodity to a right in Canada

This site documents the history of Métis people in Western Canada generally and specifically in Alberta.

National Historical Sites allow us to learn more about Canadian history, including the diverse cultural communities who make up Canada, and the history and culture of Indigenous peoples.

A collection of digitized Alberta local history books that is housed at the University of Calgary

An article from the archived Alberta Online Encyclopedia.

A selection from the exhibit of 36 photographs taken by Norman Hallendy showing extraordinary places and objects (including inuksuit) in the Canadian Arctic revealed to him by Inuit elders. The images celebrate unganaqtuq nuna, the Inuit expression meaning "a deep and total attachment to the land."

The Provincial Archives of Alberta preserves and makes available private and government records of all media related to the province, and serves as the permanent archival repository of the Government of Alberta.

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features a set of primary documents designed for groups of students with a range of reading skills.

This article tells the story of Sitting Bull's decision to lead his people out of the United States.

In Canada close to 30,000 official place names are, or may be, of Indigenous origin. Learn about a small sample of those names here!

This collection of films from the National Film Board provide a portrait of the Inuit experience, past and present, in animated shorts and documentaries.

A teacher's resource page from the Canadian Museum of History that includes collection of digitized museum artifacts, archival documents, video clips, audio clips, and activity suggestions for your class.

A great collection of Canadian primary source material to use in your social studies classroom.

A museum site that share objects, photographs; and documents brought by immigrants into Canada.

Peel's Prairie Provinces is a resource dedicated to assisting scholars, students, and researchers of all types in their exploration of western Canadian history and the culture of the Canadian prairies

Primary Source works to advance global and cultural learning in schools.

Read excerpts from the wartime diaries and letters of some of the young Canadian men who served in the First World War.

Read some wartime stories from mothers, grandmothers, and friends; these are diaries of their experiences during the Second World War both at home and in wartime service, all with the goal of "service to their country".