Digital Collections

INTRODUCTION

Students should come prepared with a family tree. The family can be their own or a friend's (family information may be unavailable). It does not need to be detailed but it should go back for several generations and it should indicate the country of birth for each individual, whether they immigrated and if so, how old they were at the time of immigration.

Take a poll of the backgrounds present in the classroom. Encourage any students who are immigrants themselves or have native North American heritage to share stories. Get discussion going on how students' families celebrate their culture. Discuss the importance to people of keeping traditions.

All students should be involved in the discussion. Everyone should have a family tree. They should express appreciation for cultural diversity in Canada and its importance in Canadian culture. In the discussion, introduce the term cultural heritage.