Archives Adventure: Exploring the Fur Trade
Grades: 5 & 7
Session Length: 2 hours
Max class size: 30
Available Tuesdays between 9 am – 1 pm

Summary:  In this field trip students will have the unique opportunity to engage in a behind-the-scene tour of the Archives, and learn about how the Archives of Ontario is preserving our past.   Students will also take part in an interactive fur trade board game developed at the Archives.  Students will immerse themselves in the world of the fur trade, gaining insights into the lives of traders as they navigate challenges and make decisions.  A brief discussion will be held after the game to consolidate the learning.  By combining hands-on experiences with historical exploration, this field trip offers an engaging way to learn about Canada’s past, encouraging students to become active participants in their learning journey.

Please Note: Workshops are currently only being offered in English

Summary: This virtual session builds on students’ understanding of primary sources, using archival materials to support their analysis of different perspectives and layered experiences from the past.

In this session, students will:

• learn about the role played by archives as a research tool, both online and in-person
• analyze primary sources from the archival, art, and/or library collections
• practice formulating questions about archival materials
• practice gathering and organizing information and evidence from primary sources
• take a virtual tour of the Archives of Ontario (optional)

Learn how to book a session below.

Note: this session can be customized to connect directly to a specific topic or unit; please ask about tailoring your session when emailing reference@ontario.ca .

•  For instructors with teacher candidate students, please refer to our virtual professional development sessions.

• For instructors whose post-secondary students would benefit from an orientation about using the Archives of Ontario’s collections and resources to conduct research, please email reference@ontario.ca to inquire about booking a virtual session with our Customer Service team.

• All our educational programming is offered free of charge!

To book a virtual program for your students, please email reference@ontario.ca.

Please note: your workshop is not finalized until you have received a written booking confirming from our education team.

• In order to offer an optimal workshop experience for all participants, we ask for a maximum of 30 students.

• Reservations must be made at least 1 week (7 days) before your preferred date and is subject to availability.

• If for any reason you are unable to attend your session, please inform Archives staff as soon as possible. 

• Virtual sessions can be offered wherever your class meets; our educators will join your group on whatever platform you already use. If necessary, the Archives of Ontario can set up a virtual session using Microsoft Teams.

• For general questions relating to classes and teaching, please email us at reference@ontario.ca.