History Commons^™

Am I Canadian: Making Canadian History Personally Relevant To Students (And To Me), Melanie V. Williams

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This reflection explores the challenges and opportunities inherent in teaching and learning Canadian history when the majority of the learners – and the teacher herself – are first- and second-generation Canadians. The intersectionality and constructed-ness of identity, and the effects of individual versus collective memory on identity, can either alienate students from Canadian history or provide them with a variety of entry points into the subject. Historiography also plays an important role in engaging students in Canadian history, academically as well as personally. Ultimately, what students must learn in history class is the ability to construct Canadian histories that reflect …