CBC Archives

Ask students to complete the download sheet Serving Our Traditions and History. Have students share their results with three other students. Ask each group to identify the foods it thinks are truly Canadian. Ask each group to choose the one item from its list that they think is truly Canadian. As each item is named, discuss how Canadian food is an important part of our history and many of our celebrations and traditions.

Direct students to the topic A Taste of Canada: Our Homegrown Cuisine on the CBC Digital Archives website. Have students browse Clips Traditional native food, What's in a name?, Vive la poutine! and Wild about fiddleheads and read the accompanying text for each clip. Students will use the information to help them write creatively to reflect on how Canadian food is tied to our traditions and history. They might write a tall tale, a poem, a series of anecdotes, a story, or any writing format of their choice. Before they begin, brainstorm as a class to explore topics that students might use for their writing.

Have students share their writing in small groups. Publish the writing as a class book called Serving Our Traditions and History.

Students can interview an older person in their community and collect stories about foods connected to their families’ traditions and history.