Source: Canadian Museum of Civilization
Focus: Grades 4, 5-8 and 9-12
Summary: The Canadian Museum of Civilization presents an extraordinary resource documenting the histories and cultures of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.
Explore a selection of materials drawn from the Museum’s artifacts and archival collections. Historical and contemporary objects, images and documents vividly express the cultural diversity as well as creativity, resourcefulness and endurance of this country’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.
Learning Activities by grade:
K-4: Students learn about the history and cultures of aboriginal peoples by identifying plant and animal materials used to make everyday objects, completing the Match the Object to the Material Activity Sheet, and engaging in a classroom discussion about materials people use to make objects.
2-4: Students learn about the history and cultures of aboriginal peoples and learn to interpret their artifacts by studying objects from the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s database. Students will complete an Amazing Object activity sheet, and make a presentation in a format of their choice.
5-8: Students learn to interpret museum artifacts, and learn about the history and culture of aboriginal peoples in Canada, by studying objects from the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s database, completing a Discovering Objects Activity Sheet, and making a presentation of artifacts.
Students learn to interpret artifacts, and learn about the history and cultures of aboriginal peoples, by selecting images of objects from the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s database, by creating a display that features similar objects from different cultures, and by making a presentation in a format of their choice.
9-12: Students learn to interpret objects that were made by aboriginal peoples in Canada, and learn about the history and cultures of Canada’s aboriginal peoples, by researching and selecting images of objects from the Canadian Museum of database, completing the Virtual Museum Challenge worksheet, and making a presentation of artifacts selected for an imaginary exhibition.
Students learn about the history and cultures of Canada’s aboriginal peoples, and learn how to write concise, meaningful label text, by selecting objects from the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s database, writing several labels in different ways, sharing their labels with their classmates, and making a presentation in a format of their choice.
Students learn about the history and cultures of Canada’s aboriginal peoples by searching the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s Gateway to Aboriginal Heritage web module, completing the Gateway to Aboriginal Heritage Database Quiz, and discussing their findings. This activity introduces students to a useful source of information.
