Social Sciences Websites for Students!

Below are some sites that are fun for kids....
But you still might want to look at the teacher's links here too!

Got any fun history sites about Canada you like?!  Send us feedback here.

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First Nations. 

Sites about the aboriginal peoples of Canada and beyond.
Four Directions Teachings.com - Cycles 1-2- 3
http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com
Listen to stories from different First Nations here. 

Gateway to Aboriginal Heritage (New)  Cycles 2 - 3
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/ethno/index_e.shtml
Explore a selection of material drawn from the Canadian Museum of Civilization's artifact and archival collections. Historical and contemporary objects, images, and documents vividly express the cultural diversity as well as the creativity, resourcefulness, and endurance of this country's First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

Kid's Stop - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada - Cycles 1, 2 and 3
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ks/index-eng.asp

Students can read profiles of well known aboriginal people, look at historical timelines, see the origins of place names across Canada, listen to a selection of phrases in 9 different aboriginal languages, link up with different schools and much, much more. Site also features a teacher's section where free materials can be downloaded or ordered.

The First Nations of the New France Era - Cycle 2
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/index_e.aspx?DetailID=5187
The traditions of the Aboriginal peoples, who through the ages had developed lifestyles that were adapted to their very distinct environments, were disrupted by European contact. Come and meet the Native peoples in the days of New France.

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Pioneer Folks and Explorers!

Kid's site of Canadian Settlement Cycle 3
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/settlement/kids/index-e.html
"You can understand more about Canadian culture and heritage today by understanding who some of Canadians' ancestors are, and how they settled Canada. When and why did people choose to come to Canada? How did they interact with the communities of people, both Aboriginal and immigrant, already living here? What traditions and beliefs did these different communities bring and share? This website showcases just some of the pictures and other documents that are part of Library and Archives Canada's collection. "

Passageways - True Tails of Adventure for Young Explorers - Cycles 2 - 3
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/explorers/kids/index-e.html

This site is designed and written for young people approximately 9 to 12 years old. Most of the explorers featured on this site published accounts of their travels. Many of these original accounts are held at the National Library, and contain some of the images you see here. A related site entitled Pathfinders and Passageways: The Exploration of Canada has been designed and written for a general audience. It is based on the published accounts of a selection of explorers.

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New France:

The Virtual Museum of New France - Cycle 2
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/index_e.aspx?DetailId=6683

A New France ABC - Objects from the Collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization - Cycle 2
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/vmnf/avent/abc09-12/accu_cde.shtml

Twenty-five objects used in daily life, providing 25 ways of illustrating how Canadians lived in the New France era. The objects are from the collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, where they can be found, most of the time, in the Museum's immense storage facilities. This site has three levels of information: Level 1 shows the range of objects in the collection and provides a bit of information on each one. Level 2 explains what the objects were used for. Level 3 provides information on various aspects of daily life in New France.

The First Nations of the New France Era - Cycle 2
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/index_e.aspx?DetailID=5187
The traditions of the Aboriginal peoples, who through the ages had developed lifestyles that were adapted to their very distinct environments, were disrupted by European contact. Come and meet the Native peoples in the days of New France.

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13 Colonies of the United States:

Colonial Williamsburg - History Explorer - Cycles 2 - 3
http://www.history.org/Almanack/almanack.cfm
Meet the people, see the places, and get a taste of colonial life.
More stuff in their Kids Zone here http://www.history.org/kids/

Colonial Williamsburg - 18th Century Clothing - Cycles 2 - 3
http://www.history.org/history/clothing/index.cfm

Colonial Dateline - Cycles 2 - 3
http://www.history.org/Almanack/resources/dateline/chronhdr.cfm

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Canada History

Confederation for Kids - Cycle 3
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/2/2/index-e.html

This site was written for young people ages 9 to 13 who are learning about how Canada came to be a country. Includes a range of maps from Upper and Lower Canada in 1791 to the addition of Nunavut in 1999.

The Kids' Site of Canadian Trains - Cycle 3
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/trains/kids/index-e.html

This site is targeted for students aged 9 to 11, though people of all ages will enjoy the fascinating history of Canadian trains presented here. Discover stories of those that built the railway and those that used it: the workers, pioneers, school children, tourists, royalty -- the list goes on an on. Meet some of the First Nations people whose traditional way of life was changed forever with the coming of the railway. Listen to old songs about trains and hear the sounds of the railway. Photographs, illustrations, advertisements, posters and first-hand accounts tell the story by people who were there.

Youth Zone - Parliament Hill - Cycle 3
 http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/youthzone/text/zoneyouthhome-e.html
(Zone des jeunes en français also available here)
This web site was created to provide young people with a comprehensive history of Parliament Hill, 'A Treasure to Explore'. The importance of these buildings is reflected in curricula across Canada and in the numbers of young people and their teachers who come to Ottawa to visit Parliament Hill each year. This resource provides information, photographs and interesting details to help learners with their research.

A Chinese Canadian Story: The Yip Sang Family - Cycle 3
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/yipsang/default.htm
Yip Sang came to Vancouver in 1881. He first worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and later started a business in Vancouver's Chinatown. Yip Sang was one of Vancouver's most successful merchants in the early 1900s. His wealth allowed him to support four wives and to raise 23 children. Generations of Yips have grown up in Vancouver, and hundreds of Yip Sang's descendents live throughout North America. This web site tells more about Yip Sang, his family, and his legacy to Vancouver. The artifacts seen in this site are from the Wing Sang building and were donated by the Yip family to the Vancouver Museum.

First Among Equals - The Prime Minister in Canadian Life and Politics - Cycle 3
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/primeministers/kids/index-e.html

This image-rich site intended for children in Cycle 2-3 (grades 4-6) explains the role of the Prime Minister and includes fact sheets for each of the Canadian Prime Ministers.

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Inuit and Micmac

Life in Nunavik - Cycle 3
http://kativik.net/ulluriaq/Nunavik/inuitlife/index.html

Many different classes worked collaboratively to complete "Inuit Life in Nunavik". Enjoy touring through the community. A Day in the Life of an Inuit Child , is the story of a young girl who lives in a Northern village named Kangiqsualujjuaq located on Ungava Bay, Quebec. The work contained in the Our Community section was done by the Grade 5 Class at Ulluriaq School in Kangiqsualujjuaq.

Mi'kmaq Cultural Objects - Cycle 3

http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/objects/default.htm
View traditional Mi'kmaq objects, containers, clothing, tools and technologies on this site produced as a part of Canada's Digital Collections program.

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Hockey!

Backcheck: Hockey for Kids - Cycles 2 - 3
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/hockey/jeunesse/index-e.html

This digital project's primary focus is on the early days of hockey. Materials from the collections of the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada are presented to trace the development of Canada's national winter sport. The site includes eight hockey stories, from English and French language newspapers, that reflect turning points in hockey's history. The site also includes featured themes, rare items from the collections of the National Library and the National Archives and a guide to juvenile hockey resources at the National Library.