Canadian Battlefields Study Tour

 

English and French tours to Northern France and Belgium

The 2010 Historica-Dominion Institute’s Canadian Battlefields Study Tours are designed to introduce educators to some of the most important Canadian battlefields and memorials in Belgium and France. From the great Vimy pilgrimage of 1936 to the recent anniversary commemorations of Vimy, D-Day and VE Day, Canadians have been drawn to these sites of memory which form an important chapter in our nation’s history.


Program Overview

The study tours are designed specifically for high school history/social studies teachers who want to enrich their classroom experience by engaging students in the study of the two world wars and learning about remembrance through the presentation of material and the human face of war.


Tour

After arriving in Paris, France, the group  travels to Belgium where the week begins in Ypres (Iper) and visits to the 1915 and 1917 battlefields. In the Ypres Salient and Passchendaele the teachers examine and debate the messages conveyed by the cemeteries, memorials and the war museum in the restored Cloth Hall. The trip continues to Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel. The teachers then work together on strategic decision-making exercises before visiting Dieppe. The next week is spent in Normandy at Le Moulin Morin where there are classroom and dormitory facilities. Each day begins and ends with discussion periods on what was learned and how it can be effectively used in the classroom.


Lest We Forget Project

As part of the tour, teachers are required to prepare a biography of a Canadian who is buried or commemorated in France or Belgium. Teachers will gain experience in using primary documents which are provided by Library and Archives Canada. For many educators this is one of the most meaningful aspects of the tour.



Eligibility

Applicants must adhere to the eligibility requirements.

• You are a Canadian teacher of social studies, History of Canada or regional histories and plan to continue teaching next year.
• You teach students between grades 9 and 12 and CEGEP (Québec).
• You are available to attend all activities at or Study Tour and can commit to participating fully to all the activities for the duration of the session.
• You have a solid understanding of English or French, respective of the tour you apply to.

Costs

• Cost for the 2010 Tours is $2000. The fee covers costs of the program, accommodation (double occupancy), excursions and transportation (flight and bus in Europe)
• Teachers are required to cover their costs for transportation within Canada, ie: to and from the departure point. The English tour will depart from Toronto while the French tour departs from Montreal.
• Teachers are required to cover the costs of all but two dinners throughout the tour. Breakfast is provided at each hotel and lunch is "on the run."

Canadian Battlefields Study Tour Participants’ Commitment

• Participants will be required to play an active role in the study tour. They will be asked to participate in several decision-making exercises and to make short presentations about a soldier.
• Upon return, teachers participating in this program are committed to:
  • Do a presentation about their Battlefields Study Tour experience to their School Board
  • Write an article about their experience
  • Do a presentation about the experience to the teachers and/or students of their school
  • Collaborate on lesson plans to be submitted to the Historica-Dominion Institute website.

The Canadian Battlefields Study Tour is a project of The Historica-Dominion Institute and is made possible through the financial support of Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Battlefields Foundation, as well as through a personal donation by John and Pattie Cleghorn. Project partners include Library and Archives Canada and the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.