Canada

Welcome! Bienvenue!

Despite the fact that Canada is the second largest country on earth, despite the fact that it is right next door, and despite the fact that Canada and the U.S. are connected in many ways, most Americans know very little about their northern neighbor. It is impossible to make any generalizations about Canada because it is so varied—physically, demographically, and culturally. Canada's motto is "From sea to sea," and this is appropriate. It is an immense land, bordered by three oceans, generously spread with lakes and crossed by rivers, covered by forests, plains and glaciers, and spanned by rugged mountains. Its people are likewise diverse. Canada's cultural fabric has been influenced by the many native groups who have lived there for thousands of years—from the Arctic north to the east and west coasts, and throughout the plains and forests in between—and who have developed complex and unique cultures. Settlers from Europe came to live in Canada as soon as Europeans became aware of North America, and found a land rich in natural resources upon which to build a country. Today, Canada is a land of opportunity for immigrants from around the world, and the country's culture reflects the new influences brought by these new citizens.

This curriculum is heavily focused on the province of Québec, because Mauvais Sort hails from Québec and its repertoire includes music that represents the French Canadian heritage that is so important to Canada in general and Québec especially. Their tour presents students with an opportunity to explore the French side of Canadian culture and to better understand Québec's unique culture and history. Among the lessons included in this curriculum there are a number that focus entirely or largely on the province of Québec, including lessons about the circus arts, folk songs, the French language, maple production, and native peoples. Even when the main focus of a lesson is Canada more generally, we have tried to include spotlights on Québec. Some lessons deal in part with Québec, and almost all parts of this curriculum can be extended or re-focused to put Québec (or other provinces) at the center.

The lesson on journalism, for example, is intended as a way for students to examine current events and culture in Canada. Teachers wishing to narrow its focus to Québec will have no trouble doing so, and French classes especially will find it readily adaptable in conjunction with the French language lesson. Our Canadian Zoo lesson is designed to expose students to the wide variety of plants, animals and habitats in Canada, but could also be narrowed to focus on Québec (which, because it extends from the U.S. border in the south nearly to the arctic circle in the north, contains many different ecosystems). The Great Lakes ecology lesson could, with a little effort, be made to focus on the St. Lawrence River, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and faces many of the same challenges as the lakes.

In a country as large and diverse as Canada, there is much to choose from. So much of Canada's history and culture could be explored in the classroom that it has been difficult to decide what to include in this curriculum. Indeed, virtually every subject area can find ways to include study of Canada, and we have tried to construct lessons or point out potential connections that will be useful in a range of classes. Ideas that were not fully developed into lessons, but would also enrich a study of Canada and the province of Québec, can be found in the student curator lesson in Section V. We hope that this curriculum will provide insight into this rich and varied country and its peoples, and offer students a greater awareness of Canada and the province of Québec.