Education
When we think about “defining moments,” we are thinking of moments that have—or ought to have—a wide resonance across the land we now call Canada. Educators already think and teach about these in their classrooms every day. What are moments of significance in our shared histories? What are moments of significance that are perhaps overlooked, or that include generally overlooked or silenced stories, communities, and individuals within them? What makes something significant in the first place, and how do our perceptions of what is significant shift based on our own lived experiences?
Our work is grounded in such moments and the question surrounding them, and our goal is to support educators—especially teaching Grades 6-12 (Sec 1-5 in Québec)—in creating rich learning experiences where students develop the depth & breadth of their thinking and hone their voice & agency.
On this page, you will find a complete list of all our educator resources, including lesson plans, teaching tools, blogs, and more. To explore resources by topic, you can also visit our project landing pages.
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In a highly digital and information-rich world, we know it’s essential for students to develop the global competencies of 21st century learners as identified by CMEC (The Council of Ministers of Education Canada). Defining Moments Canada has designed multiple entry points for teachers to engage their students in learning tasks that encourage proficiency in:
- Primary research,
- Digital storytelling,
- Critical thinking (utilizing the Historical Thinking Concepts),
- Differentiated inquiry, and
- Interdisciplinary perspectives.
These skills are at the heart of our resources, which have been prepared by educators and scholars from across the country with experience teaching and leading in a variety of settings. Some resources are grouped as a series–unit plans, complementary lessons, supporting blogs—and some are stand-alone. Each resource is developed with emergent, inquiry-based essential questions and learning goals that are grounded in the topic and skills, not in specific provincial curriculum. We trust educators to draw the best connections to curriculum and to adopt for the age & stage of their students as is best for their context.
Working with our education partners, Defining Moments Canada is proud to present these resources that prioritize students as drivers of their own learning—with educators learning alongside them—emphasizing collaboration, communication and creativity.
