Daraius M. Bharucha and Stefano Fornazzari San Martín

Bill Crothers Secondary School, Unionville (Ontario)

The idea for the project “My Place in Canadian History: Digital Storytelling with Historical Thinking Concepts” came from a simple question that was extremely relevant to both Stefano Fornazzari San Martín and Daraius M. Bharucha, given their own journeys to Canada.

Where would they fit into the historical narrative of Canada and how does their journey connect to the larger Canadian narrative and to developing a sense of Canadian identity? In short, how do students connect to the history they are learning? As immigrants with diverse yet corresponding stories, they had found their places and their identities, and wanted to ensure that all their students would find them as well.

The project is a student-centered multimedia project which takes the student’s family history and puts it into context in terms of the development and growth of Canada as a nation. Students make relevant and meaningful connections to the curriculum that make them realize that they are a part of and not apart from history. The project encourages students to be historical detectives and use Historical Thinking Concepts as a framework with which to analyze and interpret their place in Canadian history.