This week we sent out our Teaching Canada's History newsletter for middle and senior high teachers, which got me thinking that this is going to be a great year to teach Canadian History. The coming year is going to bring out some anniversaries that provide great learning opportunities in the classroom.

I spent my summer reading up about the War of 1812. It's a fascinating campaign that truly had the opportunity to change the course of history in Canada. I would recommend starting with Pierre Berton's two volume work on the campaign: The Invasion of Canada and Flames Across the Border. It's easy to read and will provide you with great stories and starting points in the classroom.

It's also the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Selkirk Settlers in Manitoba and the 95th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 2012.

I've also spent the summer thinking about the wonderful projects from our Governor General's Award Finalists. We've posted a full article about the 18 finalists and posted podcast interviews with each individual. It's inspiring to hear what other teachers are doing in the classroom and the approaches that they are taking.

Finally we've also posted brand new lesson plans and classroom resources to help teachers get started. Have a great school year!