My Blog

It Really Was Our War -- 1812 a Turning Point for Canada

05/17/2012 12:18:00

First came the government announcements about the sheer breadth of celebrations we would have as Canadians to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

Then came the naysayers, who quickly called this thinking ‘revisionist.’ Just war-like, selective historical memory from the Conservatives, others said.

Personally, I think grand celebrations are in order for this bicentennial, and with good historical reasoning, I am reminded, after reading a recent blog post over at Association for Canadian Studies. It’s not clear who the author is, but here’s the link.

In it, they take a balanced look at the pros and cons of the impact of this war. But what is undeniable is this:

“It’s certainly true that the British would not have succeeded without the support of Canadians fighting against unstoppable hegemonic power that is the United States. Further, by proving themselves in battle against the Americans, the Canadians demonstrated that they were beginning to think and react like a community unto itself. There would be more crises ahead, such as the Rebellions of 1837-38 and the Fenian Raids a year before Confederation, but none would match the potential for destruction that came, and went, with the War of 1812.”

I think it is the creation of that common community within the colony that is the most important aspect to consider here. By proving we could work together toward a common goal, the colony began to lay a ground work of emergent cooperation that would culminate in responsible government a few decades later. I’m not suggesting a direct link, but I am suggesting that a battle won together creates fertile ground for nation-building together.

Historical Fiction Recreates History and Illustrates Complex Problems

05/09/2012 12:38:00

This blog post originally appeared on the Canadian Homeschool Society page.

Everyone loves a good movie. Movies that are anchored at a specific point in time often particularly captivate us. Victorian England, turn-of-the-century pioneer settlements, North Africa, the harsh Arctic or Australian outback…all of the places humankind has lived and conquered have been showcased in movies and often with magical results. It feels like we’re there. We may never visit in real life, but it’s a great second best.

That’s why we love historical fiction, too. The recreation of history begins with setting the right time, detail and tempo. But the recreation and reconstruction of history is not the only reason we should choose to use historical fiction to teach. One of the most important reasons of all is that the story will illustrate the complexity of history in a way direct teaching cannot.

History – life – is a complex web of faces, motivations, geo-political realities and human foibles. It is about rulers and the ruled, the tragic and the triumphant and everything in between. In truth, history is complicated.

I am not implying that you should not teach history directly. But the power of the narrative form, through its characters and motivations, should give a holistic feel for a time period that is irreplaceable, even when the history is complicated.

For instance, it wasn’t easy for any of the ‘sides’ when the Canadian West was settled. The Metis and First Nations peoples were there first when settlers from Canada’s east, the U.S., and Europe began to traipse across the prairies looking to settle into new lives. First Nations and Metis people weren’t happy about it, and yet the settlers were there at the invitation of the Canadian government. However, the government itself wasn’t recognized by Indigenous peoples! Then we have the near-elimination of the bison as a food staple, the political drama of the building of the railway, the use of Chinese labourers to build the railway, American manifest destiny on the side…you get the picture. Nothing was clear at all, for anyone.

A narrative form – the historical fiction novel – allows us to get a good sense and feeling about the time period in question. Using characters from many sides of history we can relate with any of them more easily. In the end, a clearer picture emerges.

History is complex and needs to be dissected and examined from many angles. We can do this through direct teaching and, indeed, should. But there is an undeniable power in the art of good historical fiction to lay the groundwork for something that is irreplaceable when studying history — empathy.

Public Policy Forum will Honour all of Canada's Living Prime Ministers Tomorrow

05/02/2012 09:30:00

All of Canada's former living prime ministers will be honoured at the Public Policy Forum's Annual Testimonial Dinner tomorrow night in Toronto.

According to a press release, more than 1,000 leaders from all sectors of Canadian society will gather at the testimonial dinner to pay tribute to distinguished Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to the quality of public policy and public management in our country.

If you have $600 to spare, sounds like a great event for political junkies. Check out the details here:

Apparently Jean Chretien will be absent, as will Prime Minister Stephen Harper. That leaves Prime Ministers Clark, Turner, Mulroney, Campbell and Martin to attend. Not a bad turnout.

Jeffrey Simpson has a take on the personalities here:

John A. Macdonald, Mackenzie King and the Human Condition

04/25/2012 17:22:00

The two men who served Canada the longest as prime minister have very little in common in terms of personality. That much was evident to me as I read, one after the other Richard Gwyn’s Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald – His Life, Our Times, then Alan Levine’s King: A Life Guided by the Hand of Destiny.

Macdonald served for 19 years, King for 21. Together, their personalities shaped Canada for four decades.

Macdonald was likeable, clever, bold and sneaky. You could also make the case for dishonest, but not for personal gain. It was always for Canada, his indomitable energy.

King was the most introverted of all Canada’s leaders. He was difficult to please, had few friends and was carping, critical and sneaky. Honesty was not a King problem, but you might as well try to pin Jello down than pin King down. He was a workaholic and genuinely seemed interested in the nation’s welfare. Even his eccentricities and heavy dabbling in spiritualism was always a sideshow compared to King’s commitment to Canada.

I won’t try to pretend that I haven’t got a favourite here; Macdonald easily wins both hearts and minds for his two decades in power. King could set few hearts soaring, but anyone has to admit his policies and politics have defined key aspects of our society.

Even though there are few similarities on the personality side, what I find most interesting in comparing the two men is their mutual understanding of the electorate and the human condition.

Macdonald could always read the electorate. He was able to relate to others with ease, comfort and a sense of caring – whether one-on-one or in a group situation. He had a highly developed EQ.

King could always read the electorate, too. However, he was only able to master his understanding of the human condition from behind the scenes, through others, and through important policy decisions he undertook. His timing was impeccable.

If Macdonald lived at a later time, he would also most certainly have started Canada’s social welfare state, as King did. Had King lived in Macdonald’s time, though, I doubt the railway would have been built. (He would have fretted about the expense.)

On the other hand, I bet Louis Riel would not have been hanged. Mind you, he might have died in prison while King decided what to do. (Riel’s death if necessary, but not necessarily Riel’s death.)

Both books are fine reads.

Best Books for Kids and Teens 2012

04/20/2012 21:09:00

Just found out that my first novel, The Mystery of the Moonlight Murder: An Early Adventure of John Diefenbaker, will be included in the magazine ‘Best Books for Kids and Teens 2012’.

Librarians and teachers seem to be picking up the Leaders & Legacies series and this can only help.

We appreciate the nod toward the series.

Role of the Fiction Author (and its connection to teaching history)

04/13/2012 19:03:00

I wasn’t planning on writing about the role of the fiction author in its relation to history until I stumbled upon a recent interview from thriller writer James W. Hall.

Hall has 17 novels under his belt and recently wrote his first non-fiction book – a close examination of America’s bestselling modern novels and the qualities that bring them all together.

The book is called Hit Lit: Cracking the Code of the Twentieth Century’s Biggest Bestsellers. The survey-oriented book looks at titles as diverse as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather, Peyton Place, and The Da Vinci Code to try to figure out what it is that people find so fascinating.

And although he talks about a dozen recurring features that suggest why people are flocking to these books. Turns out one of the biggest reasons is the high level of non-fiction content (my emphasis.)

Halls says that within the book, “I talk about why it is that novel readers want real-world information in their fiction and how that’s linked to the history of the novel, how we…value that aspect of the tall tales we read. Everything from Tom Clancy’s very specific, very precise description of nuclear submarines to things that are perhaps a little more veiled; Gone With the Wind is valued not just for the Civil War history and the Southern point of view, but also the enormous emphasis on social etiquette, how that society worked logistically, how you plan a barbecue party and so forth.”

There you have it. Everyone loves history in some form or another. I think it’s the sense of ‘anchor’ that history provides in storytelling that is so compelling to us. So that even when we choose to be entertained -- to allow ourselves to dream -- we choose to ‘dream on the ground.’

The Role of the Historical Fiction Author

04/12/2012 20:57:00

With historical fiction, the author's feet are planted firmly in the realms of both imagination and history, although I suspect there is an abiding love for the latter. (Otherwise they would have chosen a fiction-only career, most likely.)

As my own chosen area of writing, I can tell you it creates an interesting dynamic. For instance, in May I will be speaking to the Peterborough Historical Society. Typically, I speak to service clubs like Rotary, Lions, Kinsmen, etc. To the generalist audience, I have been told my knowledge of the prime ministers is quite impressive. However, I bet there will be more than one authentic historian in the audience and so I can say in all honesty I am feeling more pressure than usual. I do hope they will go easy on me!

Being a historical fiction author carries the stigma of being neither a historian or a ‘normal’ fiction author. Kind of a ‘you’re-the-guy-who-makes-stuff-up-about-real-things’ sort of dynamic.

What many don’t realize is that the narrative form is so important for many of us to absorb critical information – especially for youth.

Heritage History says it well:

“The problem with highly condensed history…is that they tend to diminish stories to make room for facts and analysis. But the idea that students need to absorb facts rather than stories is a distortion of the truth. Memorizing facts may help a student become a winning contestant on Jeopardy, but it is unlikely to provide him with useful insights into human nature and the behavior of complex civilizations. It is stories from history that portray personalities and events in their full complexity that provide the most valuable insight and instruction into the real problems of human society.”

Need more?

Levstik (1986), VanSledright (1995), and VanSledright & Kelly (1996) conducted studies of elementary school students as they studied history, including children's trade books. The researchers concluded that “students' interest in the subject matter and their ability to learn and retain information increased significantly when their history instruction included literature.”

Next: The Role of the Fiction Author (and its connection to teaching history)

The Role of the Historian Author

04/11/2012 20:20:00

A recent post over at Everyday History by Chris Dummitt got me thinking about the role of three different groups of writers -- historians, historical fiction authors and fiction authors. Each group has the capacity to impart valuable knowledge and to entertain, in their own way. Today, I’d like to take a brief look at the role of historians.

I like this simple passage over at BBC History about the role of historians.

“…(historians) treat their sources with fidelity (that is, they do not pretend that the records say things that they do not, and do not deliberately ignore records that contradict the historian's argument). The task of the historian, however, is more complicated than that of simply reporting what the records say. At the very least, the records that survive for most periods of history are both incomplete and often contradictory, and the historian therefore has to try, in some fashion, to address those gaps and contradictions. That is, he or she has to act as an interpreter.”

Seems like a reasonable definition to me. Then why are so many historians in the crosshairs? Jeffers Lennox, writing on activehistory.ca, wonders if the shots aimed below the belt at historians for apparently being insular and irrelevant is warranted. As Jeffers writes, “Too often, those taking pot-shots at historians are themselves not interested enough in history to move beyond arguments drawn from the lowest hanging fruit.”

He goes on to point out that the role of historian and the general audience is essentially a contract and that both must play their role; the audience must be there for engagement if the historian is to reach out and offer the desired content.

“Historians in the United States win Pulitzer Prizes, their books can be found on the shelves…These historians aren’t better qualified, smarter, or (necessarily) better writers than their Canadian counterparts. The difference, in my mind, is that they have a more eager audience.”

In many ways, historians are the most valuable in terms of their credentials and imparting of precise information, yet they are the most vulnerable to being overlooked by a wider audience.

Next: The Role of the Historical Fiction Author

Whither Canada’s History in the new Alberta curriclum?

04/04/2012 17:08:00

The Calgary Herald is beginning a new feature called ‘Up for Debate,’ where an informed reader raises a topic for discussion. Canadian history caught their attention in their first installment. Tom Leppard, an education consultant and former teacher/school administrator laments Alberta’s new curriculum guidelines for high school history.

Leppard writes:

“Alberta Education’s recently revised high school social studies curriculum has relegated Canadian history to the margins. Yet, the department’s consultation with parents, teachers and historians revealed a strong desire to include a full measure of Canadian history (local, provincial and national) in the new curriculum. To be fair, including Aboriginal and French Canadian perspectives is a positive development but the approach is cut and paste, selective case studies with little context or understanding…

…This “post-hole” approach to Canadian history is more ‘miss than hit’; no Sir John A Macdonald, no Vimy Ridge. Surprisingly Canadian history is now being taught in the US and each year more young Americans are studying George Washington and Sir John A. Macdonald, Gettysburg and Vimy Ridge.”

Leppard's U.S. references mainly refer to the highly regarded International Baccalaureate (IB) program, of which there are about 800 U.S. high schools offering the program.

The former teacher goes on to ask the question, 'why is knowledge of Canada’s history important?'

"The answer is complicated, but let’s consider this; history provides the knowledge and context to understand contemporary Canada and its place in the world and that is why the CBC relies on historians like Jack Granatstein or David Bercuson to explain current events."

Simply said but well said. It’s been a while since I’ve read Granatstein’s populist ‘Who Killed Canadian History?’ but I do wonder how much has changed across our 10 provinces and 3 territories in terms of curriculum revisions that would benefit the teaching of Canadian history. A fresh pan-Canadian audit of this would be nice to read.

One reader has already written in response to Leppard’s article, and rather dismissively. She essentially said once students hit high school, it’s time for a more global understanding of the world anyway.

Maybe so, but my global understanding of the world includes Canada. A robust teaching of Canada’s history, if done well, should enhance and amplify our global understanding, not take away from it.

Music to My Ears: Canada’s History and Canada’s Prime Ministers in Song

03/30/2012 16:19:00

As someone whose professional focus is about getting kids interested in Canadian history, I was happy to learn of ‘The Canadian History Tunes’ CD and download.

Put together by a certified teacher, ACTRA performer and now homeschooling mom, Julianne has created a learning experience for kids that is outside most history teaching norms.

“When I started out as a teacher and being a kinesthetic learner myself, all I knew for certain was that not all children learn the same,” she notes.

Her reference to kinesthetic learning draws on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory and it’s a great point. I memorized the prime ministers in order because I was a history geek in school. Our education system favours the linguistic and numeracy/logical intelligences.

With Julianne’s CD, though, students could be singing 25 original Canadian history songs, including ‘Learning The Canadian Prime Ministers By Song©’ which helps students memorize all of the Canadian prime ministers in order. (It’s a party trick no one should be without, I must say.)

Good luck to Julianne on this venture. I hope to hear these songs being hummed in public soon.