Brain Ninjas

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Canadian History

Learn the Truth With Books by Indigenous Authors

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We have collected some of our favourite books written by Indigenous authors. It's part of our commitment to raising the voices of Indigenous People across Canada. Canada is filled with so many wonderful creators, that it only seemed fitting to highlight some of the best. Come take a look at this book list of books for kids.

We have collected some of our favourite books written by Indigenous authors. It’s part of our commitment to raising the voices of Indigenous People across Canada. Canada is filled with so many wonderful creators that it only seemed fitting to highlight some of the best.

You will notice there are no affiliate links in this post. We ask that you support local businesses and authors by shopping at your local book stores. Teachers in our school purchased most of these books so we could have them in our school library and classrooms. Please be sure to comment below if you know of more books we should add.

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Black History Books You Should Use All Year

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While Black History Month happens each February there should be books about Black characters, Black history and by Black authors in your classroom all year round. Come check out our list of books that are in our classroom library and would be the perfect addition your school, too.

Black history is Canadian history. This history of all people that have made up this country should be included-both the heroic tales and the ones that are not told as often. We have always tried to include many stories of the different First Nations, Metis and Inuit People, but we discovered that our school and classroom library didn’t have enough books written by Black authors, featuring Black protagonists and telling the history from the perspective of Black Canadians.

The books we curated and collected shouldn’t be saved for one month of the year. These stories should be available to students all year round. They should be included in your language arts examples and in your history lessons. Come check out our list and see which books you might want to add to your collection.

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How to Take Your History Lessons Off Life Support

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If your history lessons are dropping flat we have just what you need to take your history lessons off life support. Get strategies you can use for any history lesson in your upper elementary classroom.

If you’ve ever thought your history lessons were boring, then truthfully, you had the wrong teacher. Teaching history can be exciting and interesting.

My love of Canadian history came from my favourite teacher of all time, Mr. Perrin. He was a tough teacher who expected the best from everyone, but he had a way of bringing history alive. You felt like you were in the trenches of World War 1 or at the table of a family living through The Great Depression. I underestimated the impact this love of history would have on my life.

Each time I step into my classroom and stand up in front of my students to tell them about some historic event, I still see Mr. Perrin jumping from side to side, role-playing both the French and the Germans in battle. This love of history was so apparent I can’t help but pass this enthusiasm along to my students.

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Five Simple and Stunning Remembrance Day Art Projects

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Check out these Remembrance Day art projects that feature poppies. This project features pastel or markers drawings of the corners of poppies.

Special occasions are a great time to bring out your favourite art projects. Remembrance Day is no exception. We teach in a general classroom, which means we’re responsible for art lessons all year long. While we like to teach specific skills with different projects, sometimes you have to have art projects around a specific theme for hallway decorating or assemblies.

Remembrance Day is one of those occasions when you don’t have a lot of time for art because you’re just starting to get deep into your lessons, and report cards are just around the corner. That’s why we’ve come up with some simple but stunning projects you can do with your students.

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Ways to Teach Drama in the Classroom

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Drama has many uses in the classroom. It promotes reading, fluency, expression and can help with confidence and public speaking. Come learn some of the ways you can use drama in your classroom.

Students love role-playing and dramatic play, but many find the pressure of a performance overwhelming. Add some drama to your classroom by using drama circles, role-playing and storytelling in a low-risk environment.

Read on to find out all the reasons you should add some drama to your classroom and ways you can add a little bit every day.

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Memorable Books for Remembrance Day in Canada

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Check out these Remembrance Day books you can use to help your students learn about Remembrance Day in Canada. The list includes picture books, novels and short activities that require reading. Best of all, most of the books can also become part of your social studies lessons.

Looking for Remembrance Day books for Canadian classrooms? Our list has picture books, non-fiction, novels and graphic novels, plus short reading activities. Picture books work for older students too, and most of the novels suit students in grade five and up.

Preparing for Remembrance Day commemorations is a great opportunity to talk not only about the sacrifices of the past but also about our contributions to peace. There are so many Remembrance Day activities out there, but most of them involve poppy crafts. One of the best ways to learn about the past is by reading Remembrance Day books. They are always a great way to introduce solemn topics while uplifting our students. Most of all, they are portable, easy to use, and don’t require a lot of technology.

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