This teaching guide that uses documentary film to raise critical awareness among secondary school students about the largely unknown story of Canada’s First National Internment Operations. Featuring a critical inquiry approach and historical thinking concepts, this collection of six flexible lessons and related learning materials complements the documentary film series The Camps, created by Ryan Boyko.
Author: James Miles Co-published by The Critical Thinking Consortium and Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund
About The Camps Video Series Documentary film offers a unique and powerful lens into our understanding of historical events. The Camps video series explores Canada’s First National Internment Operations from 1914 to 1920. In a series of 33 short videos, filmmaker Ryan Boyko of Armistice Films brings history to life by weaving personal stories, rich historical detail, and dramatic cinematography. Connecting past events to the present, each two- to five-minute video tells the story of the hardships, struggles, and resilience of those who suffered through this largely unknown injustice in Canadian history.
About The Camps Video Series Educational Materials The objective of the video series and accompanying educational materials is to raise critical awareness among students of all ages about the largely untold story of Canada’s First National Internment Operations during the First World War. While it is impossible to teach in any course or curriculum all stories and events in Canada’s history, the omission until very recently of the internment of thousands of Ukrainian Canadians, and other Canadians predominantly of Eastern European descent, between 1914 and 1920 has left a gap in our understanding of Canada’s history. It was not until 2006 that the Canadian government officially recognized this legally sanctioned historical injustice. Part of the pledge to redress this wrong is to educate Canadian youth about First World War internment. These materials are an attempt to recognize those who suffered from this injustice and, through greater awareness, ensure that similar injustices are less likely to be repeated.
By engaging in the educational materials that accompany The Camps video series, students will develop a critical understanding of
The Camps is a cross-Canada journey into the past, present and future. In the fall of 2015, the crew of Armistice Films embarked upon an historical journey. Armed with professional cinema cameras, four film professionals set out to document the remains of all of the internment camps used during Canada's First National Internment Operations from 1914 to 1920. At the internment sites, the crew interviewed a variety of individuals who have either a direct or indirect tie to the Internment Operations. They interviewed several internee descendants, including those of Ukrainian, German and Hungarian descent.
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Season 1 | Season 2
Preface About The Camps Video Series Significance of Canada’s First National Internment Operations About Video Series Educational Materials Creating a Trauma-Informed Classroom Acknowledgements Curriculum Connections—Historical Thinking Concepts
Introduction to Critical Thinking Understanding Critical Thinking Promoting Critical Thinking
Six Entry Points for Inquiring into Internment Entry Point 1: Teaching Guide to The Camps Entry Point 2: Spotlight Lesson Entry Point 3: Inquiry into Local Histories Entry Point 4: History Docs Entry Point 5: Recognizing an Historic Injustice Entry Point 6: Developing Understanding through the Arts
Teaching Guide to The Camps Lesson 1: Why does internment still matter? Lesson 2: What were the impacts of the camps Lesson 3: How do we know about the camps? Lesson 4: How should we view the actions of decision makers? Lesson 5: How much have attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives about internment changed over time?
Spotlight Lesson: Mara Lake What should everyone in Canada know about the effects of internment?
Background sheet: Canada’s First National Internment Operations
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