Honouring Bravery is a Canada Company Military History Learning Program (MHLP) whose aim is to bring engaging content about Canada's military history to classrooms across the country. 

In March, 2025, I was hired by Honouring Bravery to revise and write lessons as part of their education platform. 

These lessons and amazing source materials are posted on the Honouring Bravery Website. https://honouringbravery.ca/learning-materials/. 

Each lesson outlines Curriculum Expectations and Learning Goals and include a Teacher's Guide, a Student Guide and a source bundle of exciting primary and secondary materials to support student learning and inquiry.  

The lessons that I wrote which use inquiry-based learning pedagogies for the study of the First World War focus on the following topics: 

Putting war-time Guelph on the map: Mapping how a small community planned for war

In this activity, students will investigate how a small town community in Ontario mobilized for war. For the purpose of this lesson, Guelph, Ontario has been chosen as the case study; however, research materials and weblinks for the exploration of other small towns in Canada have been provided for use at the teacher’s discretion. 

Using a variety of primary and secondary source materials, students will learn about the social, economic and political factors that contributed to the recruitment, enlistment and mobilization of community members of all ages to support the war effort in Canada and eventually overseas on the battlefields. Students will learn about roles and contributions of individuals, groups, and organizations to the war effort by engaging in a variety of source analysis activities that will allow them to explore different perspectives and from diverse source materials including photographs, letters, newspaper articles, and primary source objects. 

In order to communicate the results of their inquiries, students will create either an interactive digital map, or a walking tour that will enable their peers to connect historical spaces and places to the rich history of the mobilization of their community to support the war effort. In the process, they will use source materials to bring the stories of the community to life and can assess using good evidence how the community was impacted and forever changed by the Great War in Canada and on the frontlines.

Here is a link to the lesson on Guelph's mobilization: https://honouringbravery.ca/act/putting-war-time-guelph-on-the-map/ 

Canada’s First World War Soundtrack

In this activity, students will investigate music composed, published and performed by Canadian composers, poets and lyricists during the First World War. Students will engage inquiry-based learning and source analysis activities that will enable them to explore the imagery on sheet music and unpack the meanings behind the song lyrics of different songs. Students will also learn about the composers and performers who sang these songs. Students will share their findings with the class through a presentation or music podcast.

Here's a link to the lesson on Canada's First World War Soundtrack: https://honouringbravery.ca/act/canadas-first-world-war-soundtrack/ 

The stories that war paintings tell us about the Great War

In this activity, students will investigate artwork produced by Canadian artists and other artists whose work was funded by the Canadian War Memorials fund (1916-1919) coordinated by Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook as part of the Canadian Army’s War Record Office. Students will select artwork, learn about the artist who created them and complete a source analysis activity. The research gathered in their individual inquiries and their analyses of the historical perspective and historical significance of the artwork will help them to create a mini-presentation in the role of an art gallery docent, which they will share with their peers as part of a class gallery walk.

Here is a link to the lesson on: The stories the war paintings tell us about the Great War: https://honouringbravery.ca/act/the-stories-that-war-paintings-tell-us-about-the-great-war/ 

The materials that I wrote for the Second World War focus on the Normandy Landings, on D-Day, June 6th, 1944

Searching for censored content in the letters of Canadian soldiers who landed at Normandy

In this activity, students will investigate the roles of Canadians in the Normandy Landings and complete a source analysis activity using letters written by Canadian troops, and which were censored during the war. To complete this activity, it is recommended that students have a foundational knowledge of WWII and the Normandy Landings. Our virtual exhibition When Daylight Comes may be of interest if students have limited prior knowledge of the landings.

Here is a link to the lesson: https://honouringbravery.ca/act/searching-for-censored-content-in-the-letters-of-canadian-soldiers-who-landed-at-normandy/

Reporting the Normandy Landings

In this activity students will research a topic relating to the Normandy Landings. Students will use primary and secondary source materials from a variety of curated resources and will create a radio broadcast report as if they were a reporter on the CBC. Their reports will speak about the contributions of Canadian troops and the contributions of Canadians on the homefront in the lead up, during and aftermath of the Normandy Landings. The reports can be pre-recorded or read live to their peers. Inspired by the broadcasting work of CBC’s famous reporter Matthew Halton, the news reports of the students will illuminate many aspects of the Normandy Landings while including the voices of those who were directly and indirectly involved and explaining and analyzing the historical significance of the Canadians on D-Day.

Here is a link to the lesson: https://honouringbravery.ca/act/reporting-the-normandy-landings/

Creating a book of remembrance for those who served in the Normandy invasions

In this activity students will research a soldier who was a casualty on D-Day or in the aftermath of the Normandy Landings. Students will use primary and secondary source materials available online. After having learned about the service of one soldier, they will create a digital page of remembrance and memorial (on Google Slides, Canva, or another platform) which will tell the story of their contributions in the Normandy Landings and which commemorates their loss and honours the legacy of their contributions at D-Day.

Here is a link to the lesson: https://honouringbravery.ca/act/creating-a-book-of-remembrance-for-those-who-served-in-the-normandy-invasions/ 

Student Guide

list of suggested Topic