Welcome to the For Teachers section of the Halifax Explosion web site. On this section of the site you will find educational materials for all grade levels, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12. These materials were created to complement many of the topics posted on the web site. All educational materials are available free of charge.

The Activities

On December 6, 1917, the wartime port of Halifax was shattered by the most powerful man-made explosion before the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945. For some historians, the cause of the tragedy is still unclear. In these activities, students will have an opportunity to identify the key events of the Halifax Explosion, to write a letter in role as a survivor of the explosion to a member of a younger generation, to create a three-minute video news broadcast from the scene of the explosion, to express the meaning of heroism through the medium of their choice, and to investigate and write a report about the leading cause of the Halifax Explosion.

Activity 1: Disasters
All grade levels

Activity 2: A Letter from a Grandparent
Grades 6-8

Activity 3: Reporting Live from Halifax
Grades 9-10

Activity 4: Heroism Under Fire
Grades 11-12

Web Quest: The Halifax Explosion: Who Was Responsible?
Grades 11-12

CBC Archives Project: Canadian Disasters
Grades 6-8