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Canadian Women's Lives

**When using this resource, please keep in mind that the writing team completed their work during the 2020/2021 school year and the resource was launched the spring of 2022.**

Canadian Women’s Lives (CWL) is a new, OSSTF/FEESO member and staff created curriculum resource that highlights the history and the accomplishments of women over the course of Canada’s history.

In this resource, there are many women who do not identify as Canadian but who live and have lived on Turtle Island. The resource includes the lived experiences from a wide variety of people who identify as women.

OSSTF/FEESO and the CWL writing team strongly believe that educational content about women must be deliberate, purposeful and genuine. It cannot be tokenistic and taught only on International Women’s Day or for the month of October during Canadian Women’s History month. This knowledge must be woven throughout the curriculum.

By sharing this resource our hope is that teachers, education workers, and students are able to engage in learning that more accurately reflects and celebrates the lived experiences, contributions, and inspiring stories of women.

Resource Writing Team and a message from the OSSTF/FEESO President
How to use this resource

There are a variety of ways to use this resource.

You may choose to use the information to support your lessons or you may choose to use these as your lessons. This resource is meant to be adaptable in order to meet your needs, for example:

  • You are teaching CHC2DF: Go into the curriculum button for Canada and World Studies and peruse there OR go to the Summary Table of Outlines & Plans by Title, and find History under the Curriculum column.
  • You want to teach a lesson on a particular woman in Canadian history in this resource: Go to the List of Women by Thread and look/find: i.e Anne Dagg
  • You want to discuss an issue, for example, women in sports: Go to the thread: Women & Sports and find a lesson and/or activity that matches your course.
  • You are looking for a lesson that you need to do as an emergency lesson: you would go to the section that says Lesson Plans: you will have access to lessons that you can quickly adapt to your grade/ course.

You could chose to:

  • Use an entire thread as a longitudinal timeline within a specific thread.
  • Compare women from a certain era (example the 1920-30’s) across many threads (STEM, Politics and Sport)...

Beyond this resource

Guiding questions to continue your critical thinking about Canadian Women’s Lives in History:

  • How can biases be addressed (including my own)?
  • Have a variety of Canadian women’s lives from diverse groups been included?
  • Are authentic voices being accessed and used when available?
  • Is this woman Canadian/does she consider herself Canadian?
  • Is there information that is controversial: public vs private?
  • How can I add to this small sample of women’s lives?

    • This document will be reviewed at a minimum of every five years.

Resources by Ontario Curriculum Area
Biographies of Women by Thread
Full Lessons – adaptable by grade/course
Activity Outlines
Introductory Activity, Templates, References, Glossary of Terms

Contact us

Comments and/or feedback can be sent to rosemary.judd-archer@osstf.ca.