Accessibility Links
Grades 6-8
The following lesson plans are suitable for students in grades 6 to 8.
Robert Bourassa: An Illustrated Timeline
Students prepare and present an illustrated timeline of major events in the life and political career of Robert Bourassa.
Students research, prepare, and present a report about a military hero of Dieppe.
Students identify the countries visited and the tour highlights of the Man in Motion World Tour and locate them on a map.
Students create and perform a ballad which reflects the end of the PEI - N.B. ferry service and the construction of a "fixed link".
Students research and analyze three major transportation structures in Canada, the Trans-Canada Highway, Confederation Bridge, and the St. Lawrence Seaway, focusing particularly on the impact of Canada's geography on moving people and goods in Canada. Groups of students then choose one structure to analyze in detail and outline a plan for a one-day event, called Celebrating Canadian Connections, to recognize and celebrate that structure and the key figures involved in its existence. They prepare and deliver a multi-media presentation to describe their event.
What Does "Medicare" Mean to You?
Students will explore various health-care options for the country and share their opinion in a letter to the prime minister.
Students will explore the report and its recommendations and explain how each recommendation affects the various players involved in the pipeline project.
Using a variety of web-based resources, students will design and prepare an award that recognizes Rick Hansen's accomplishments and previous awards.
Telling the Story of the Avro Arrow
Students write narratives to tell the story of the Avro Arrow, and illustrate their work.
Students role-play historical figures and challenge their classmates to guess who they are portraying.
Students will identify and draw diagrams of the parts that make up a car and use this information to examine the development and importance of the auto parts industry in Canada.
Students will examine the facts about the Air India investigation and create a timeline of events.
Immigration and Discrimination
Students will produce a creative work in response to clips about Canada's reaction to Canadian citizens of Iraqi descent during the 1991 Gulf War.
Students create a timeline of the life and career of René Lévesque.
Students will examine how Canadians reacted to the Pope, and how they react to other public figures.
Students will write a journal entry in role as a seven-year-old child in an internment camp.
Students write a personal letter to Terry Fox, using information gathered from the site.
Students will create a timeline tracking the debate over marijuana prohibition in Canada.
Using the CBC Digital Archives website and other resources, students will research a Canadian natural disaster from the following list: the Saguenay flood, the Halifax Explosion, the Ice Storm of 1998, the Red River floods, the Ocean Ranger disaster, and Hurricane Hazel. Students will form small groups and research one Canadian disaster. Students will keep a research folder and will use their information to prepare a role-play based on being a witness to or a participant in the event. Students will then present their role-plays to the class.
Students create an advertisement to either promote a seal product or advocate against the seal hunt.
Students study Canada's role in making the world a safer place and create an illustration commemorating one of Canada's successes.
Students will write a critique of several of Oscar Peterson's performances .
Ontario Personalities and Politics
Students will write a campaign speech in the style of a recent or current politician from Ontario.
Students create campaign posters to help spread the Queen Consort's message to women.
Students will work in small groups to create a visual that reflects the uniqueness of Canadian foods.
Presidential and Prime Ministerial Impersonations: Who Am I?
Students impersonate an American president or Canadian prime minister while the class tries to guess their identities.
Students prepare questions and answers that war brides might ask of the Canadian Wives' Bureau in order to get the information they need to prepare for their journey to Canada.
Students discuss the approach of the Ontario government to continue the recreational fishing industry in the Grassy Narrows region and create an advertising campaign that they feel shares the necessary information with fishers in the region.
Students examine the recent history of the Grassy Narrows Ojibwa people and develop a cause and effect web that connects the decline of their culture and the pollution of their waters.
Students examine the origins of Louis St-Laurent's nickname "Uncle Louis" and consider why it helped him to become more popular. Students consider nicknames that would appeal to the electorate today.
The Hockey Sweater: The Impact of Maurice Richard
Students will read the story, and view the video, of Roch Carrier's The Hockey Sweater.
Students will gather information about Canadian filmmaker Norman Jewison and prepare a poster to share their findings with the class.
Students will investigate the concept of the global village and prepare an oral presentation of two examples of global connectedness.
Students examine Pearson's achievements and create a web showing which achievement was Pearson's greatest legacy and why.
Students will create a recruitment poster for Canadian astronauts.
Students will identify satellite tasks and explain how satellites help meet specific needs in Canada.
Students will write a set of rules for the game of lacrosse showing the changes that have occurred over time.
Students write a newspaper article explaining why Kim Campbell "confounded politicians and voters alike."
Students create a timeline of Jeanne Sauvé's early life and reflect upon the encouragement that she received to pursue non-traditional roles.
In this activity, students work in groups to present a timeline of Karen Kain's career highlights and challenges. They will find specific references in the CBC clips to personal qualities the dancer possessed, and students will consider whether they assisted her in achieving her goals.
Your Opinion on Canada's Funding of Amateur Sports
Students identify key points in both sides of the debate over funding of amateur sports in Canada and present their opinion in writing.
Students write a newspaper article explaining why Jean Chrétien was deemed "the one to watch" early in his political career.
Students will write diary entries in role as a Korean War soldier, from the time of enlistment to the trenches.
Students create a timeline illustrating the development of the internet system.
Students will record and present their understandings of the connections between language, the cod fishery, and culture.
Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power
Students will develop arguments for and against the construction of hydroelectric power plants.
Students will create a public or business sign before and after the passage of Bill 101.
Hippies and the Counterculture
Students create a multi-media presentation about the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
Students create and name a mascot that symbolizes and encourages forest fire prevention.
Students conduct research and share their findings about forest fire control.
Major Events Leading to Newfoundland Joining Confederation
Students will create a timeline to illustrate the major events that led to Newfoundland joining Confederation in 1949.
Students will create a radio spot that highlights the success of Canadian women in professional hockey.
Using a variety of web-based resources, students will produce a record of their average daily energy intake and output.
Changing the Future for Aboriginals
Students will create a collage that expresses their thoughts on self-determination for the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.
Students record what they eat, noting all ingredients on the labels for packaged foods for 1 day. They then speculate which foods contain GMOs or are themselves genetically modified.
A Century of Canadian Women in Sports
Students will analyze the progress made by women in professional sports from the beginning of the 20th century to the present.
In this introductory activity, students will interview older women for their view of the changing realities of women's issues, then briefly note the issues addressed by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women.
Students create a comic book to document the moral themes of Dr. Gerald Bull's life.
Students will hear historical arguments about "a woman's place" and prepare a written response to the arguments.
Students will conduct research about an endangered species in Canada and create a diorama to illustrate what they have learned.
Students examine and discuss Ed Broadbent's reasons for entering politics.
Students will create a poster or brochure outlining the impact of the grasshopper on farms during time of drought.
The Death Penalty: Pros and Cons
Students will research the death penalty and prepare a short presentation on their findings.
Students will create an illustrated timeline of key events in the history of Davis Inlet.
Students will track their own progress as they find a way to become more environmentally aware.
Using the CBC Radio Digital Archives website, other internet resources, and various other resources, small groups of students will research an athlete, team, or sport profiled in one or more of the CBC clips listed. From their research they will organize and present a nomination of the person, team, or sport to the Sports Canada Hall of Fame.
Students examine a map of Iqaluit and determine a reasonable way to identify locations.
Students will respond creatively to the content and method of radio programs aired to prepare the civilian population for the return of veterans from war.
Canada and Quebec: Similarities and Differences
Students explore the similarities and differences between Quebec and the rest of Canada, using the topic Constitutional Discord: Meech Lake to focus their inquiry and information-gathering exercise.
Students will discuss the meaning of the word "hero" and whether Dr. Norman Bethune deserves the title.
Using a variety of Web-based resources, students will produce a campaign leaflet promoting Brian Mulroney during the 1983 leadership race for the Progressive Conservatives.
Students will write a letter to the Federal Government requesting a commemorative plaque to acknowledge Brian Mulroney's contribution to Canada.
Canadian Young People and the Cold War
Students reflect on and discuss how the Cold War affected the lives of young people in Canada, both at home and at school.
Students work in small groups to create a silhouette and a word cloud to represent arctic adventurers and their character traits.
Canada's Economy and the Forest Industry
Students will prepare a presentation about the impact of the forest industry on regional economies in Canada.
Vietnamese Boat People: An International Crisis
Students will explore information about the crisis in Vietnam and create comparison charts to place the data in current context.
Using a variety of web-based resources, students will write a newspaper article that illustrates how the discovery of insulin by Banting and Best is an example of the true nature of scientific discovery and inquiry.
Students will create a class timeline of key stages in the history of identifying diabetes and the search for a cure, and then illustrate several of the key events.
Students will create visual displays explaining how nuclear power is used to produce electricity.
Canada and the United States: A Collage
Students will create a visual presentation that describes the influence of American culture on Canadian culture, the Canadian response to that influence, and the benefits and drawbacks of that influence to Canadian culture.
Students create a summary of the 1972 Canada-Soviet hockey series using colours to signify the emotional state of hockey fans.
The Business of Agriculture in Canada
Students will explore the impact of agriculture as a business in Canada using the wine industry as an example.
Students will write a diary entry modeled on the journals of Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Students write a formal letter identifying an appropriate gift to the Queen on the occasion of a royal visit.
Students write a fact sheet of the significant physical events of the worst tsunami on record, the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004.
Students will explore the elements of a constitution and develop a constitution for their class.
Students will create a poster-size visual sequence chart that records the major events in the early years of Canadian radio.
Students produce a timeline illustrating the significant events in the development of phone technology.
Students will build models to demonstrate their understanding of the process of nuclear transfer.
Students organize and conduct an election campaign, culminating in an in-class vote.
Students create a word web to identify how the traditions of the Calgary Stampede build community.
Prepare for a Backcountry Trip
Students will research equipment, safety practices, and rescue procedures to create a plan for a winter expedition.
Reacting to the Effects of Asbestos
Students will write an opinion paper about whether it was reasonable to close down entire towns based on asbestos fears.
Students will examine the life of an Alberta musician and write a poem or song inspired by that person.
Qualities of a Good Broadcaster
Students will identify skills necessary to be a successful broadcaster.
The Environment in Everyday Life
Students will prepare a visual display to explain the causes of acid rain and its effects on the environment.
Students will write a letter home in role as a student at a residential school.
Life at the Front: A WWII Soldier's View
In role of a soldier, students write journal entries about daily life on the front.