Social Studies 5: Canada: Shaping an Identity

What images come to mind when you think of Canada? Red-coated Mounties? The maple leaf? Weird animals like beavers and black-headed geese? But what about Canadian food?

The Constitution of Canada is not a single document, but several documents that make up the highest levels of Canadian law.

Scroll down through the timeline; you will find information about the development of Canada's National Parks from 1885 - 2015.

Every country has a set of patriotic icons that citizens use to celebrate the uniqueness of their homeland, and Canada is no exception.

“What does it mean to be Canadian?”. Are Canadians defined by the sports they play? The foods they eat? The answer is all of the above! Learn more about the culture of Canada here!

Can you match all of the flags to the province? Drag the flag from the left to the correct province.

Students will learn about the symbols of Canada including the beaver, the maple tree, and the Canadian flag.

The Indigenous people of Canada a small but influential community that remind Canadians of their country’s ancient past and their contemporary responsibilities to its first residents.

Read a detailed history of Indigenous suffrage in Canada.

This timeline provides key dates in the history of Indigenous suffrage. The timeline moves from 1885 to 2016.

A digital map of treaty areas and traditional lands of Indigenous peoples around the world.

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 video explores the complex issue of self-identification for Aboriginal people.

Controversial school names are being debated and replaced all over Canada. To understand why these schools’ names were changed, Isabelle MacNeil interviewed several people.

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.

Cartier, as an ally of Sir John A. Macdonald, was a key part to the Confederation talks.

Sir John A. Macdonald was a dominant force behind the British North America Act and the union of provinces which became Canada.

Sir Sandford Fleming participated in the construction of Canada's national railroad and created the universal system of time zones.

Learn about the Famous Five and the history of rights for women in Canada.

Wear headphones for the soundscape re-enactment of a "pink tea" discussion.

This lesson includes a Heritage Minute video about Emily Murphy and her quest to have women recognized as "persons" in Canada. There are also learning resources for teachers to access.

This video celebrates Nellie McClung's mock parliament as she fought for the right of all women to vote in Canada.

This is a 2:45 minute video about the "Persons" case and how five women from Alberta changed the rights of women in politics.

This video from the Government of Canada describes the most famous tea parties in Canada. Learn about the Famous Five, their tea parties, and their fight to have women recognized as "persons" under the law.

Resources and lessons to use with students to explore how Canada was formed and what is part of the Canadian identity. There is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass it by clicking the image and you will be able to access all the associated Google slides.

A free school program for grades 5-8 that celebrated the role of Canadian women in political leadership and promotes gender parity in governance.