Blake Seward

Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute, Smith Falls (Ontario)

Blake Seward has developed an award–winning unit called Lest We Forget. It began as a student exploration of primary military service files, based on the names found on the community cenotaph. This unit has grown and been adopted by schools across Canada. Lest We Forget is comprised of five steps, each of which has a template to guide students through the research process.

Students acquire a name from the community cenotaph and research information from the National Archives, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Department of Veterans Affairs. They develop an essay based on what the service people did during the war until they died. The students develop research skills as well as have their information published with Veteran's Affairs Canada on their Virtual Memorial web site, and the local newspaper. The unit culminates with a pilgrimage over to the European battlefields where students finish their research by completing a grave rubbing of the soldier they have researched.