3 minute read
The 1812 Project: A Deep Dive into Historical Inquiry in Grade 7 (The Glen, Spring 2024)
The 1812 Project was designed to deepen our students’ understanding of historical events and processes through student-driven inquiry, providing a unique experiential learning opportunity for our Grade 7 students to explore history by posing their own questions and conducting individual research. This allowed them to actively ‘do history’ rather than just read about it. By exploring the events and key figures of the War of 1812 through the lens of Historical Thinking, our students gained a comprehensive view that included local, regional, and national perspectives. To enhance the authentic connections necessary for this sort of experiential learning, we connected with various community members who shared their knowledge and expertise, enriching the overall educational journey.
The project began with interactive sessions led by outside experts. Hafiz joined us from the Archives of Ontario and presented the students with artifacts from the War of 1812, guiding them through how to formulate and tackle historical questions. This was followed by a virtual presentation by Jessica from the City of Toronto Archives, who discussed the impact of the War of 1812 on the formation of the City of Toronto as we know it today. She was joined by her father Jim, who is currently researching and writing a historical fiction novel exploring the War of 1812 through the eyes of a middle school-aged boy. He offered insights into the research process behind historical storytelling and helped our students understand how to use that research to tell someone’s story.
The project culminated with a field trip to Fort York where students experienced the historical site firsthand, enhancing their connection to the events studied in class. Being immersed in the presence of history through artifacts like muskets, cannons, clothing, buildings, and maps made the past more accessible and tangible.
The 1812 Project not only provided students with a platform to engage more deeply with the study of history but also highlighted the complexities of historical inquiry. Ms. Mandl and Mr. Nahachewsky observed that the students sometimes grappled with finding definitive answers to their questions which, while initially challenging, ultimately drove their learning in unexpected directions. Through hands-on experiences like examining historical artifacts, letters, and journals from the Archives and handling a musket at Fort York, they were able to develop a more personal connection with the material.
A standout moment through the project was one student’s in-depth discussion with Ewan, the Program Development Officer at Fort York, about General Sir Isaac Brock, which sparked a lively debate about historical ‘what-ifs.’ All of these experiences underscored the value of interactive learning and the impact of fostering personal connections to history.
Reflecting on the project, one student, Jackie, shared that she connected particularly with the storytelling nature of history and enjoyed that the project allowed her to explore some of the lesser-known stories of the people she had learned about in class. This meant that she was able to understand them better as individuals rather than simply historical figures, exploring the nuances of their representations across various media.
Another student, Sacha, commented that the visit to Fort York added a level of realism to his inquiry into the life of General Brock. Walking in his footsteps, Sacha noted the stark difference between his own lived experiences and how life must have been during the War of 1812.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our community partners who shared their expertise with us through this project and assisted us in providing this authentic inquiry opportunity to our Grade 7 History students.
