(Re)Making Confederation: (Re)Imagining Canada/Créer et Recréer la Confédération : Imaginer et réimaginer le Canada

ACSUPEIThe Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) in collaboration with the University of Prince Edward Island and PEI Social Studies Teachers’ Associationwill be holding a national conference on the teaching and communicating the history of Canada entitled (Re)Making Confederation: (Re)Imagining Canada. The event will be heldNovember 21-22 2014 at the Delta Prince Edward & PEI Convention Center, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The conference will look at the most effective methods to engage students and teach Canadian history and social studies, as well as to address current issues in communicating history and look at the relevance of history in our daily lives.  The conference will feature over 30 plenary, panel, workshop and other special sessions and will include a number of sessions conducted in French (with simultaneous translation). Many of Canada’s leading academics, teachers and authors as well as researchers and representatives from museums, archives, government, non-governmental organizations, history organizations, publishers, and media will attend as presenters, delegates and exhibitors.

The conference will be pertinent to all those interested in issues revolving around the teaching and communicating Canadian history and social studies.  Professors, students, teachers, researchers, civil servants, decision makers and members of non-profit and history related organizations will benefit from the conference sessions, as well as the opportunity to meet and hear experts from across Canada.

A sample of sessions on the program include:

  • The Guardians of Confederation Project: Canada’s Leaders of Tomorrow –  High school students from across Canada will gather in PEI to contextualise the world of 1864 and questions surrounding confederation.  Their work will lead to questions regarding the evolution of confederation from 1864 to today.  The students will interact with leading teachers and professors at the conference.
  • Engaging Students, Teaching Tools and Techniques
  • Learning-Based Projects – Creative ways to engage students featuring winners and finalists of the Governor Generals award for excellence in teaching from across Canada
  • The Legend of Charlottetown, the Legacy of Confederation
  • Teaching (in) Diversity
  • Atlantic Canada in the National Consciousness
  • History and Citizenship
  • Teaching in/about Acadie
  • Evaluating Historical Thinking
  • Sir John A.: Myths and Realities
  • Engaging Technology, Engaging Students
  • Learning and Teaching about Rights in Canada
  • Making Canada, Forgotten Canadians
  • Representing the Road to Confederation: Teaching and learning about Canada

A few of the presenters and conference speakers include:

  • Georges Arsenault, Prince Edward Island Historian and Folklorist
  • Professor Peter Seixas, University of British Columbia
  • Professor Margaret Conrad, University of New Brunswick
  • Alastair Sweeny, publisher, historian, and author.
  • Professor Sharon Myers, University of Prince Edward Island
  • Professor Penney Clark University of British Columbia / The History Education Network
  • Maurice Basque, Université de Moncton
  • Rachel Collishaw, Glebe Collegiate, Ottawa, Ontario, Winner of the 2103 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • Anthony Wilson-Smith, President, Historica Canada
  • Professor Jocelyn Létourneau, Université Laval
  • Professor Stephen Levesque, University of Ottawa
  • Professor Sasha Mullally, University of New Brunswick
  • Professor Alan Sears, University of New Brunswick
  • Professor Ed Macdonald, University of Prince Edward Island
  • Professor Peter Twohig, St. Marys’ University

A block of hotel guestrooms is being held for conference delegates at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel (18 Queen Street, Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 8B9, www.deltahotels.com/Hotels-Prince-edward)  Rates range from $145.00 to 185.00 per night. To book a room call reservations at 1-866-894-1203 orpri.reservations@deltahotels.com and mention block code AC1155 or Association for Canadian Studies when booking.

To register on line visit www.acs-aec.ca.  Additional conference information to be updated and posted atwww.acs-aec.ca on a regular basis. A limited number of travel grants are available for out of province elementary and secondary level teachers.

For information regarding conference sponsorship, advertising or being an exhibitor at the conference, as well as for any additional questions, please contact James Ondrick at the Association for Canadian Studies: e-mail: james.ondrick@acs-aec.ca, Tel 514-925-3097