Social Studies

Pathways

Paldi

Learn about this extraordinary community on Vancouver Island, established in 1917 by a man named Mayo Singh.

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Landscapes of Injustice

This pathway examines the displacement and dispossession of thousands of Japanese Canadians in Canada in the 1940s.

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This pathway is connected to the exhibition Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum. The exhibition and pathway explores the connections between historical and contemporary Black experiences throughout BC.

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Democracy in BC

British Columbia today is both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy, which means that British Columbians elect people to represent them at the provincial legislature. These elected representatives are called members of the legislative assembly (MLAs). Each MLA represents a different area, called an electoral district or a constituency. It is their job to…

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Dominion Astrophysical Observatory

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) partnered with Royal BC Museum. Discover how this place of science helped the world understand astronomy and our place in the universe.

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Heritage Fairs

The Royal BC Museum and BC Heritage Fairs both work to engage youth with BC’s history. Find out how and be inspired by student projects in this pathway.

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Object-Based Learning

This pathway is especially for teachers who want to use object-based learning in the classroom. Includes lesson ideas and online support.

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La famille : Liens et appartenance (Niveaux 9e-12e)

L’histoire de la Colombie-Britannique est remplie de récits de famille — des familles de toutes les formes et de toutes les tailles ; des familles établies ici depuis des milliers d’années, des familles venues ici des quatre coins du monde. Ensemble, nous contribuons à la diversité de notre province.

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Family: Bonds and Belonging (Grades 9-12)

British Columbia’s history is filled with stories of families—families of all shapes and sizes; families that have been here for thousands of years and families that have come from almost everywhere in the world. Together, we shape our diverse province. (Grades 9-12)

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Family (Grades K-3)

Every family has a unique and special story. At the Royal BC Museum we have lots of stories—and histories—about British Columbia families. Come and explore! (Grades K-3)

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The Punjabi Experience in British Columbia

Explore interviews from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley. Learn more about the experiences of early Punjabi immigrants to Canada.

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Residential Schools and Reconciliation

How do we reconcile past wrongs? Look at documents and objects from the Royal BC Museum’s ethnology collection and archives to learn about the effects of Indian residential schools and think about how we can reach reconciliation.

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Reading Photographs

Every picture tells a story, but whose story? How can a single picture tell us a story about what happened long ago? To answer these questions historians have developed some thoughtful ways to read photographs.

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Acknowledging Past Wrongs

Look into documents and artifacts from the Royal BC Museum and Archives to uncover how the Chinese Canadian community was treated in BC’s past.

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Early Chinese Canadian Experiences in British Columbia

Did you know that there has been a connection between China and BC for over 225 years? Explore the Royal BC Museum and Archives and use our collections to find out more about early Chinese Canadian history.

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Voices from the Past

Oral history recordings are like time machines. They transport us to the past and help us learn about the people and places of British Columbia. They are uniquely personal accounts of the past from the people who actually lived it. What can you discover about British Columbia’s past by listening?

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Documents and Diaries

It’s been more than 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. How can we now use artifacts, documents, and other primary sources to understand what life was like for people during this part of BC’s past?

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Webster Precisely!

Jack Webster was a well-known British Columbian journalist. BCTV donated all of the Webster! episodes to the Royal BC Museum. What will you discover about BC's recent past from the Jack Webster collection?

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Species at Risk

We're all in this together. An ecosystem is a natural community. When species disappear it can throw an entire system off balance, with far-reaching consequences for ecosytems, for the planet, and for us. What can we do about it?

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A Living Schoolhouse

Explore the rich history of the people who learned and taught in St. Ann's Schoolhouse.

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BC’s Gold Rush

In 1858 word of gold rang out in the Fraser Canyon, setting off a dramatic migration of people and propelling this once remote region of western North American into the modern age. What can you discover about BC's gold rush?

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Emily Carr

Emily Carr is British Columbia’s most famous artist, but she was also a colourful woman who lived a life full of adventure. Learn about Emily’s love of animals and explore her life through some of the museum’s vast Emily Carr collection.

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Our Living Languages

Did you know BC is a language hotspot? Over 34 distinct indigenous languages are spoken here. Explore sounds, images, words and video about First Nations languages.

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Tradition in Felicities

Canada’s oldest Chinatown is in Victoria, BC. The Royal BC Museum exhibition Tradition in Felicities used video, photographs and the written word to celebrate the community of this national landmark. Teachers look for lesson plans in Watch!

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British Columbia Remembers the Great War

Documentary film and photographic images held in the BC Archives help us to remember the First World War. Watch video, see photographs and read about the war sometimes called The Great War.

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Mary Henry’s Journey to a Tropical Valley

American botanist Mary Gibson Henry collected plants in northeastern BC in 1931. Her pioneering journey was recorded on film. Lucky for us, BC Archives has a copy.

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The Royal Treatment

The role of the British Crown in Canada is mainly ceremonial, but the lieutenant-governor still plays a key part in the governing of British Columbia.

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Can You Dig It?

Archaeology tells us that Indigenous people have been here a very long time. Evidence such as artifacts, house remains and animal bones are held in the Royal BC Museum collection.

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Finding Family

You might be surprised at what a seemingly simple piece of paper can reveal. The BC Archives holds paper documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates. These and other records are important resources for family history researchers.

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Entries

Japanese Tea Garden in Esquimalt

By UVIC Public History 2017 Grad Student Project

Hayato Takata and Yoshitaro Kishida opened the garden on July 11, 1907. Two Takata brothers started to run the garden as a family business in 1922. The Takata family was interned in 1942. Their houses and the garden were vandalized and destroyed. The rest of their belongings were sold off by the government. [BC Archives-E-01902] Learn more about this image at BC Archives here.

Transcript of an Interview with Hideo Kokubo

By UVIC Public History 2017 Grad Student Project

Hideo Kokubo was interviewed in Vancouver in 1973 in a project by Reynoldston Research and Studies. He discusses life as a fisherman in BC in the 1940s and mentions how the government seized Japanese Canadian fishing boats during the Second World War. [BC Archives-AAAB8584] Learn more about this interview at BC Archives here.

Miners at the Awaya Ikeda Mine, Haida Gwaii

By UVIC Public History 2017 Grad Student Project

The owner of the Ikeda Mine, Arichika Ikeda, died in 1939 but the ownership of his mine came under the jurisdiction of the Custodian in 1942. His wife, Kaoru Ikeda, interned in Slocan, was made to release her rights to the property as well as their family house. She died after four years of internment in the spring of 1946. [BC Archives H-04580] Learn more about this image at BC Archives here.

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Applied Design Applied Design, Skills and Technology Arts Education Career Education English Language Arts Science Skills and Technology Social Studies