The Diefenbaker Canada Centre has created some free interactive resources for teachers that focus on Engaged Citizenship. Initially created to help high school students (and newcomers to Canada) better understand the role of the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors, it has morphed into modules that cover everything from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to influencing public policy. There are even sections on media literacy and election simulations. Modules encourage students to engage in various activities within the platform and then take action outside the classroom.
You don’t have to do a full module before moving on to the next – the platform has a navigation tool that can allow you to pick and choose what sections would be most relevant to your class. There are short videos, quizzes, discussion questions, vocabulary lists and extension activities in each module.
The Diefenbaker Canada Centre worked hard to make a tool that would be easily accessible across Canada – even in remote communities. And it’s all free! They also wanted to ensure that the platform would work on phone, tablet or computer. Everything is bilingual (they know how hard it can be to find resources in French). The site is updated regularly so you can trust the information is up to date.
To register for the resources, email dief.centre@usask.ca with your name, province, name of your school, grade level and number of students (they use this information to help guide them in making future resources that are targeted to appropriate grade level groups). They will then send you a link and password you can share with your students. And they appreciate any feedback to help make the platform even more effective for teachers.
You can access the full webinar hosted by Kirsten Falzarano on the SSENC YouTube Channel which provides some background on the Centre including the origins and goals. It will also walk you through the evolution of the creation of the resources. At 21:05 on the video Kirsten specifically addresses the layout of the resources and shows the available modules.
