ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEWHistory is not just about memorizing dates or significant events. Who or what
makes history – and why – is just as important as knowing significant dates or
the names of Prime Ministers. Public history and historical commemorations
are used to invent and re-invent Canada as a country. This assignment gives
you the opportunity to appraise how, why, and what Canadian history is
presented to the general public.
Historica Canada’s “Heritage Minutes” are short videos/ commercials that were
originally shown on TV in the 1990s. They became very popular and were a
good way for many Canadians to learn a bit about their history. Historica
Canada released several new Heritage Minutes in the 2000s.
While the goal of historical commemorations might be to construct one national
narrative or to tell a certain story about Canada, it is impossible to include all
the information about a person or event in that public re-telling. Who or what
gets left out of public narratives is just as important as what is included. With
this assignment, you will critically assess how historical information is
evaluated and presented to the public.
ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
Choose one of the Heritage Minutes and accompanying Canadian
Encyclopedia article from the list below and develop a critical assessment of
that clip and the story it is telling.
Your analysis might consider any number of questions:
•
What story does the Heritage Minute tell and why?
•
What portions of the narrative/story were left out and why?
•
What message is being communicated by this Heritage Minute?
•
Does this clip add to an understanding of Canadian history?
•
Do historical commemorations and public history need to conform to a
broader national narrative? Do they need to be positive?
•
What would you change about this Heritage Minute? Why?
Your assignment does not need to answer all of these questions; they are here
to guide you while you watch and read the material carefully and critically. Your
essay should be analytic and have a main argument.
HERITAGE MINUTES
Choose one of the following Heritage Minutes and accompanying Canadian
Encyclopedia articles.
Jacques Cartier
Video: Heritage Minute
Article: Bernard Allaire, “Jacques Cartier,” Canadian Encyclopedia, 9 July
2020,
Queenston Heights
Heritage Minute
Article: Anthony Wilson-Smith, “John Norton and the War of
1812,” Canadian Encyclopedia, 5 December 2016,
Emily Murphy
Heritage Minute
Article: Susan Jackel, Catherine Cavanaugh et al., “Emily Murphy,” Canadian
Encyclopedia, 20 November 2020.
REQUIREMENTS/FORMATTING
Essay should:
•
Have a title page that includes your first and last name as well as your
student number
•
Be 4-5 pages (1000-1,250 words) in length. Title page, citations, and
bibliography are not included in the word or page count.
•
Include page numbers
•
Be a word document not a pdf, pages, or any other format
•
Have footnotes or endnotes using the Chicago Manual of Style notes
and bibliography format. This means do not use in text citations, Ibid. or op.
cit., etc. as shortened forms of citation.
•
Include a bibliography. Many of the articles have links to other
encyclopedia entries. You can use those as part of your research, but it isn’t
necessary. If you do use additional resources, include them in the
bibliography.