Grade 8

The video explores the connection between Grandma Kay and the village children. In Grandma Kay's kitchen, she tells the traditional narrative of how Crow brought fire to the people. The children learn about the past and its relationship to the present day.

This program describes how Canada's government works. Filmed on location in Ottawa, students learn about the members of parliament and the basic structure and functions of the House of Commons. There is an interactive quiz at the end of the program. A teacher's guide is available.

The National produced a documentary based on CBC journalist Karen Levine's book Hana's Suitcase: A True Story. The book depicts a Japanese school teacher, Fumiko Ishioka, who decides to use the Holocaust as an educational tool. Using the suitcase of Hana Brady, a young girl who was sent to Auschw...

Although humans have travelled all the way to the moon and back, the bottom of the sea remains largely unexplored. Now some Canadian scientists are doing something about that by placing sensors and cameras on the seabed off Vancouver Island. This story looks at the NEPTUNE Canada project.

The Healing Professions is a resource designed to provide prospective students with information about professions in medicine, nursing and pharmacy with a cultural perspective. The resource features Elders Ken Goodwill and Betty McEnna providing advice to youth about their pathways in life. In ad...

Geologists search for clues of massive tectonic shifts that reverberate through the continent, forcing the mountains up out of the plains. Bends and cracks reveal the growth pangs of the mountain building era.

This episode tells the story of the changes in the geology and landscape of the vast central area of North America. In recent geologic history, five interconnected freshwater lakes are formed. We explore a long vanished mountain range, the remains of a tropical salt-water sea and trace the story ...

Geologic time has shaped the Canadian Shield into a complex ensemble ranging over millions of square kilometres. The geography of the Shield has been surveyed from North to South, and yet its underground world still leaves much to be explored. The Canadian Shield is one of the last frontiers of h...

This episode tells the story in three dramatic chapters of how tectonic upheaval pummelled and pounded eastern North America until the shape we recognize today finally emerged. The discovery of fossils provides proof of how North America and Africa were once bound together. Tectonic movement lies...

From studying the sediment deposits at Anticosti Island, to rebuilding the history of one of the most significant mass extinctions (443 million years ago), scientists are piecing together elements that continue to shape this diverse region. Scientists reveal the fractures in this active earthquak...

Starring Tina Keeper and Tiffany Peters, this production presents a re-enactment of a racial assault on Rhonda Gordon and her daughter Angela. When confronted and verbally abused by a group of youths on a bus, Rhonda worries that the incident will cause Angela to reject her Aboriginal heritage. I...

The National visits an inner city high school in Saskatoon, SK, where teacher Allison Cameron tests the theory that vigorous daily exercise improves academic performance. City Park Collegiate is considered a high school of last resort for kids who haven't been able to make it anywhere else. The G...

Aboriginality re-imagines the strength and spirit of First Nations culture through narrative mediums that connect urban First Nations youth to their rural ancestral histories. Dallas Arcand, world champion hoop dancer and hip-hop artist, is inspired by both new and traditional elements of First N...

Ontario sculptor Kai Chan discusses his artistic philosophy of economy and repetition with young students. Kai challenges everyone to see the beauty in ordinary things. He has the ability to transform mundane materials into delicate and delightful works of art. Kai guides the students as they bui...

In this program, young students explore the work and life of abstract painter and stained glass maker, Quebec born, Marcelle Ferron. They experiment with the texture and tranparency of cellophane and paint as they create their own art works.