1. Why do we study history?

2. http://vimeo.com/8143500 As you watch the video, think of the following: – What historical events are shown? – Which countries are shown? – Which important people are shown? – According to the video, why should we study history?

3. Throughout the course you should continually think about why you are here in SS 11. Yes, you may be here because your parents make you come, but think about the fact the you are among the few people in the world who are lucky enough to have grade 11 education provided to you. “Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.” Why are you studying history?

4. What do you know about Canadian history? Could you pass for a Canadian? (easy) Could you pass for a Canadian? History Quiz! (hard) History Quiz!

5. What is Canadian Identity? “The culture of a nation comprises many aspects. It is shaped and moulded by the background of its people, their languages and beliefs. It includes the many ways that people express themselves in words, movement, music and images. It reveals itself in the ways people choose to spend their time, the music they listen to, the books they read and the films they watch, the sports they encourage, and the historical sites and natural environments they protect. These factors shape how a nation sees itself, and how it establishes its identity.” (Statistics Canada, 1995, p. 11)

6. I am Canadian? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg As you watch the video, ask yourself if this is an accurate representation of a Canadian. Why or why not?

7. Quotable Canadians "Canada is like an intelligent 35 year old woman". America, on the other hand, is a "belligerent adolescent boy" and Australia is "Jack Nicholson". -British novelist Douglas Adams "Canadians are generally indistinguishable from the Americans, and the surest way of telling the two apart is to make the observation to a Canadian.“-American journalist Richard Starnes A Canadian is "an American with healthcare and no guns", in reference to the countries' contrasting levels of gun crime and military spending. -The Economist in 1993: “Canada is the only country in the world that knows how to live without an identity“ -Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian scholar Pierre Berton, a Canadian journalist and novelist, once alluded to Canada's voyageur roots with this famous saying: "A Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe without tipping it."

8. The Canadian Flag A symbol of Canada? France long had a red cross on its banners while England used a white cross. Time and again in history, red and white are found as the colours of France or of England. Well before the coming of the first European settlers, Canada's aboriginal peoples had discovered the food properties of maple sap, which they gathered every spring. According to many historians, the maple leaf began to serve as a Canadian symbol as early as 1700. Historica Minute - Flag

9. What is Canadian Identity? Assignment: With a partner, create a draft design for a new Canadian flag that reflects Canada’s identity today. – What colours, symbols, words, etc. would you display to identify Canada today? – You will not have a lot of time to complete the flag, so brainstorm your ideas and quickly sketch your version of the Canadian Flag

10. Canadian Identity and SS 11 Throughout the course I would like you to continually think about what it means to be Canadian. How do Canadians see themselves and how does the world see them. By the end of the course, you should be able to create your own “I am Canadian” video that includes many of the significant items discussed this year.