Contemporary Studies Resources 7-12

Learning Activities


Research a Woman in STEAM in Canadian History and identify what barriers she had to overcome to be successful and what contributions she made to STEAM development in Canada.  How has this woman’s contribution impacted Canadian society and the lives of Canadians today?  Canadian Women in STEM Including Women in the History of STEM   Canadian Archive of Women in STEM ______________________________________


Building Critical Thinkers by Combining STEAM With History - have students research the history of science stories, uncover the unintended consequences of inventions, or think about inventions, like their cell phones and Instagram, and consider how they make an impact on life more broadly.  Have students create a list of all the changes - to both the material world and less tangible ideas and concepts - like human psychology and belief systems, and have them break into groups to discuss and share their findings.  

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Have students create timelines of inventions in history, along with a second timeline as if that invention never happened. Eg. What would happen if a cell phone was never invented? 

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Read the short story The Veldt by Ray Bradbury (available in CommonLit) and listen to and read the lyrics to the song The Veldt by Deadmau5.   Discuss the theme of the story - including the consequences of technological advancement.  Consider that this story was written in 1950.  What technological advancement was occurring at that time?  Discuss the juxtaposition of technological advancement with the decline in social interaction. 

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Check out the Unilearnal channel on Youtube to view profiles of Black entrepreneurs (B is for Black series) and 28 Moments of Black Canadian History (including topics like the origins of Caribana, Dub poetry, immigration policy, Jean Augustine, Oscar Peterson, Rap in Canada, the Jamaican Maroons, and Marie Joseph-Angelique. 

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Head over to Curio.ca on the Staff Portal and check out some of the documentaries on STEM.  If you go to the Math, Science, and Technology drop down menu, you will find a variety of topics to choose from.  Some you may want to consider are: #MeToo: How Hastag Launched a Revolution (Civics & Law), Addicted to Your Phone (Psychology), 50-Ton Rudder (National Geographic), A Day in the Life of Earth (Geography).