On-site school visits
Programs by learning experience
Our programs offer you and your students a wide range of learning experiences in a variety of environments. Each of these programming formats — described below — emphasizes core competencies such as teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and accommodates visual, kinesthetic and auditory learning styles.
The Canadian Museum of History is a destination of choice for students and adults travelling in groups. We offer a wide range of services, experiences and educational resources tailored for groups of 15 or more.
On-site school programs
These hands-on sessions are held in one of the Museum’s ateliers, where students investigate a “big idea” using primary and secondary sources (archival images, replica artifacts and living history collections).
Survivor Truths: Residential Schools, Art, and Reconciliation
NEW OFFER
The legacy of residential schools affects every Canadian. For over 100 years, an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were placed in residential schools in a joint initiative between the federal government and Christian churches. The school system aimed to sever ties to community, language, culture and land to assimilate Indigenous nations into a Christian Canada. Many students at these schools were subjected to abuse. The intergenerational effects of this history are ongoing, as Survivors and Indigenous communities work to heal and renew ties to land, language and culture.
Students in this program will participate in a series of guided activities focusing on the powerful role of land in this history and in reconciliation efforts. This program was developed in partnership with Indigenous artist, master carver, filmmaker, and intergenerational Survivor Carey Newman (Hayalthkin’geme) and a group of Survivors from the Alberni Indian Residential School on Vancouver Island. It uses art created by these Survivors when they were students at the school in the 1950s and early 1960s as inspiration for reflections on Indigenous relationships to land, residential school history, colonialism, and one’s own place in Canada’s road to reconciliation.
Photo: Survivors of Alberni Indian Residential School, left to right, Chuck August, Gina Laing, and Dennis Thomas of Port Alberni hold up their paintings at the Canadian Museum of History.
Photo by Dave Chan.
Music Works!
Take your students on a musical odyssey to far-off places! Children play the roles of musicians and storytellers from Indonesia and Nigeria, learning some useful techniques and musical beats while preparing for their performances. Music Works! promotes intercultural understanding as children explore the role of music in communities around the world.
Guided tours
Students are taken on an engaging 45-minute guided tour throughout the Museum.
Activity sheets
Students explore the Museum using printed tools.
Activity
Museum Quest-ory – Canadian History Hall
Fill out our newest Museum Quest-ory handout as you visit Gallery 1 in the Canadian History Hall.
Activity
Stamp find
Look for missing words or names on postage stamps to complete a crossword puzzle.
Activity
Outdoor Museum Quest
Go on an outdoor family adventure with the Museum quest handout as your guide.
Activity
Architectural tour
Take a walk around the Museum grounds and discover the fascinating symbolism of its architecture.