The IDC4UI (Ontario curriculum) Archives and Local History course was designed to bring local communities and students together in cooperative research projects that support student learning on the ways in which local history has shape their lives. By linking with local historical societies, archives, museums, elders and others in the local community, students develop a broader comprehension of the essential role that local historical work has played in maintaining our past and in determining our future. The course work supports students in acquiring a highly developed understanding of their school, local community, and the broader community in which they live and work. As a result of group and independent research projects, students develop a greater knowledge of the role of public memory, historical consciousness and commemoration and citizenship but more importantly, students develop a more in-depth understanding of themselves as Canadians. The course allows students to develop a greater insight into the role of public memory in the preservation of national narratives, and the implications our past will have on future Canadian concerns and policies about Canadian identity and unity. The students create an archive in their school or community that provides a repository for their research work. The independent and group research work in this course provide students with advanced research and analysis skills that will allow them to pursue post-secondary work with greater expertise and give them the confidence to work within and beyond their local communities
Women, comprising half the population of Canada at any given time, are often absent from public stories. This led me to create a women’s history talk series in 2009, HerstoriesCafe (https://herstoriescafe.wordpress.com) to provide public space for honest examinations of women in the past. The talks showcase stories from women who share their personal history or their research work with the goal of creating a broader discussion about how women have influenced Canadian identity. Talks take place in public spaces and each talk approaches a specific theme, including the arts, education, and civic activism—focused on women’s historical experiences as well as links to today. Teachers resources are provided.
This graduate level public history course explores the diverse stories found in our communities; the history of the places and spaces where we live; of people, of land, of buildings, that reflect our diverse and varied historical landscape. We explore how historical knowledge is transferred when it circulates between different social arenas or forms of media. We explore how state and local narratives have been interpreted and represented in public spaces, how concepts of democratization are framed, and we root out the historical truths regarding the production and sharing of public knowledge. The course offers opportunities to see communities with a new lens; examining how historical knowledge in institutional and public space is created, contested, and shared. The course supports educators seeking to widen their place-based and digital media knowledge but also interested in developing strategies for expanding their networks to better bridge the gaps between educational and community spaces. Students will explore the theory and practice reflected in a variety of sources, including websites, apps, exhibits, objects, graphic novels, and through field studies that will include architecture, streetscapes, monuments, archives, and libraries. Students will also be exploring the wide range of professional resources available in public archives, museums, parks, historic sites, heritage tourism, digital history, oral history, media, and public policy research. Students use the course to develop a public history digital project where they reach out to practitioners in the field to initiate change.
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