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Early Peoples

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Hands-On SST

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Early Settler Life, Towns and Villages - Class Inquiry

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York Region District School Board - School Website

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A Day in the Life of Modern Elementary Schools 

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A Day in the Life of Modern Elementary Schools 

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Day in the Life: Elementary School Student

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Time lapse of home constructed start to finish

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Video Gallery

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Early Settler Life - National Film Board of Canada

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Inquiry/Inference

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Inquiry / Inferencing

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NativeTech: Wigwams - Basic Wigwam Construction

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Native American Technology & Art: a topically organized educational web site emphasizing the Eastern Woodlands region, organized into categories of Beadwork, Birds & Feathers, Clay & Pottery, Leather & Clothes, Metalwork, Plants & Trees, Porcupine Quills, Stonework & Tools, Weaving & Cordage, Games & Toys and Food & Recipes.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Reader

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Settlers in Ontario

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Canada. History of Canada in a Nutshell.

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"Settlers Life"

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National Film Board of Canada - Life in Early Canada 01 - Emilie's Journey

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Origin and Definition

Turtle Island is the name many Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking peoples mainly in the northeastern part of North America use to refer to the continent. In various Indigenous origin stories, the turtle is said to support the world, and is an icon of life itself. Turtle Island therefore speaks to various spiritual beliefs about creation and for some, the turtle is a marker of identity, culture, autonomy and a deeply-held respect for the environment.

Story of Turtle Island

The story of Turtle Island varies among Indigenous communities, but by most accounts, it acts as a creation story that places emphasis on the turtle as a symbol of life and earth. The following versions are brief reinterpretations of stories shared by Indigenous peoples. In no way do these examples represent all variations of the tale; they merely seek to demonstrate general characteristics and plots of different stories.

In some Ojibwe oral traditions, the story of Turtle Island begins with a flooded Earth. The Creator had cleansed the world of feuding peoples in order to begin life anew. Some animals survived the flood, such as the loon, the muskrat and the turtle. Nanabush (Nanabozo) (or Weesakayjack in some Cree tales) - a supernatural being who has the power to create life in others - was also present. Nanabush asked the animals to swim deep beneath the water and collect soil that would be used to recreate the world. One by one the animals tried, but one by one they failed. The last animal that tried - the muskrat - was underwater for a long time, and when it resurfaced, the little animal had wet soil in its paws. The journey took the muskrat's life, but the creature did not die in vain. Nanabush took the soil and put it on a willing turtle's back. This became known as Turtle Island, the centre of creation.

Many Haudenosaunee versions of the tale start in the Sky World - a land in the heavens where supernatural beings existed. One day, a pregnant Sky Woman fell through a hole under the roots of a tree and descended to Earth. Gently guided down by birds that saw her falling through the sky, she was placed safely onto a turtle's back. Sky Woman was grateful to the animals for helping her. In some versions, her appreciation was so powerful that the earth began to grow around her, forming Turtle Island. In other versions, the animals brought forth mud from the bottom of the water, which grew on top of turtle's back and formed a new land for Sky Woman and her descendants - Turtle Island.

Scholars tend to describe tales like Turtle Island as "earth-diver myths" - stories that in some way connect the origin of the world to beings (often animals) that dove into ancient waters to retrieve soil used to create (or recreate) the world as we know it. Such tales also often involve the presence of supernatural beings, such as transformers or tricksters, and a Creator. ( See also Religion and Spirituality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Did you know?
Not all Indigenous creation stories feature a turtle. In many Northwest Coast Indigenous cultures, Raven features prominently in origin tales. According to the Haida, for example, Raven created Haida Gwaii and brought light into the world. Sedna, the ocean spirit, whose fingers created all the sea creatures, is central to Inuit creation stories. For some Innu peoples, it is Kuekuatsheu (Wolverine) that made land out of rocks and mud. Creation stories may not always feature animals and are not always about the origins of the land. Sometimes, these tales speak about how all lifeforms came to be, or about how humans learned valuable life lessons.

Colonization and Reclamation

Settlers' renaming of Turtle Island to North America is reflective of the anglicization (modification of non- English words into English) of Indigenous place names and stories. In recent times, Indigenous activists have made efforts to reclaim traditional names. For example, in 2016, the Ogimaa Mikana project (begun by writer Hayden King and artist Susan Blight in 2013 as part of the Idle No More Movement) prompted the re-introduction of Ojibwe place names to Toronto streets. Activists put stickers bearing the Ojibwe names of various roads on signs: Spadina Road temporarily became Ishpadinaa; Davenport Road became Gete-Onigaming. ( See also Anishinaabemowin: Ojibwe Language.)

Reclamation is not an easy process. Besides the involvement of various levels of government on the official renaming of any location, Indigenous peoples are not always in agreement about place names. For example, the Stoney-Nakoda have proposed renaming Calgary to Wichispa Oyade, but the Siksika, who also have claims to the area, instead prefer their own term: Mohkinstsis-aka-piyosis.

Despite such debates, reclamation efforts continue. In the case of Turtle Island, the term and origin story have found their way into various sectors of Canadian society. For example, some Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations have adopted the term as part of their official name or the name of their programming, such as Turtle Island News and the Toronto Zoo's Turtle Island Conservation programme. ( See also Zoos.)

The story of Turtle Island has also found its way into school curricula and texts. Turtle Island Reads - a Montreal initiative sponsored by McGill University and the local CBC - provides Canadians with stories about Indigenous peoples by Indigenous peoples. In 2018, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, in partnership with various First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations, released the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. The atlas re-envisions the map of Canada, using traditional place names, territorial boundaries and stories (such as that of Turtle Island) to direct their design. (See also Indigenous Territory.)

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Turtle Island is the name many Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking peoples mainly in the northeastern part of North America use to refer to the continent. In various Indigenous origin stories, the turtle is said to support the world, and is an icon of life itself.

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wetland
A wetland is an area of land that is often wet; the soil in wetlands are often low in oxygen. Wetland plants are adapted to life in wet soil. There are many types of wetlands, including: swamp, slough, fen, bog, marsh, moor, muskeg, peatland, bottomland, delmarva, mire, wet meadow, riparian, etc.

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glossary landforms land form forms island peninsula isthmus cape strait bodies of water

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Landforms and Bodies of Water: Glossary.

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Kids Report

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Meet the Polar Bears of Hudson Bay | Op-Docs

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2018/19 Guide to Indigenous Tourism in Canada

We are pleased to share with you this year's comprehensive guide to Indigenous tourism in Canada-available in print and online-for industry, media and visitors from around the world. Download the...

Continue Reading View the Blog

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We are pleased to share with you this year's comprehensive guide to Indigenous tourism in Canada-available in print and online-for industry, media and visitors from around the world. Download the... Continue Reading View the Blog

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great lakes st. lawrence lowlands - Google Search

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Mapping - Ontario's Regions, Land Use & Jobs

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Air Pollution | Video for Kids | Causes, Effects & Solution

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Land pollution (causes/ effects/ solutions)

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Water pollution | Water Contamination | Video for kids

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Gallery Walk

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Deforestation, Habitat Loss, Water, Air, Land Pollution; Endangered Species, Land Use, Climate Change, Over-fishing/Hunting

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Exploring Landforms and Bodies of Water for Kids - FreeSchool

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Making a City

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Oakville / Suburbs

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Oakville/Suburbs

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Suburbs

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Google Maps

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST - Cardinal Directions for Kids | Learn Directions for Children the Easy Way

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Our Garden In The City - Nelson Literacy.pdf

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Google Maps Inquiry

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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Urban, Suburban, Rural,  Resource

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Learning 360

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Directions 1. Using the chart you created on page 17, use the following boxes to fill the chart in. 2. The completed chart should have a definision, purpose, and picutre of each part of a map

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APE - Our Land Use and Community Needs Reflection

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Our Needs & Where we Find Them

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Ontario

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The 10 Best Places to Live in Ontario For 2018 | Canada

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What’s so great about the Great Lakes? - Cheri Dobbs and Jennifer Gabrys

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(2nd) largest country in the world with a population ofAlberta - British Columbia - Manitoba - New Brunswick - Newfoundland and Labrador - Northwest Territories -Nova Scotia - Nunavut -Ontario -Prince Edward Island - Quebec - Saskatchewan -Yukon - Photo Tour 34.4 million people.

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Unit Resources

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Overview Students will also learn about the physical and municipal regions of Ontario. They will explore the relationship between the natural environment, land use, and employment opportunities,...

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Virtual Learning Commons

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LibGuides: Grade 3: Social Studies: People and Environments: Living and Working in Ontario

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This guide supports the Grade 3 Social Studies curriculum. Inside you will find information on communities in Canada from 1780-1850, as well as information on living and working in Ontario.

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Google Maps

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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Crash Course Kids

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Resources: Welcome to the Neighborhood - Crash Course Kids #2.1

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Intro Video