Introduction

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.” – UNESCO

This web site is a joint initiative of the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site and the provincial Department of Education. It is intended to complement and expand upon the province’s Curriculum Guide for Grade 8 Social Studies: Newfoundland and Labrador History, and to provide a clear, expert introduction into the province’s history and culture from the beginning of the 19th century to the present.

The site contains more than 400 articles, which are divided into five units – each corresponding to the five organizational themes outlined in the Grade 8 Curriculum Guide:

Unit One: History as a Lens to the Past introduces basic historical research methods and links to dozens of reference material available online. Unit Two: History as a Story of People: 1800-1914 examines the origins and lifestyles of all people living in Newfoundland and Labrador from the early 19th century to the early 20th century. Unit Three: History as a Story of Significant Events explores the major occurrences that have shaped our past and present, including the two World Wars and the growth of a land-based economy. Unit Four: History as a Story of Change: 1945-Present looks at the events directly leading up to and following Confederation. Unit Five: How History Shapes our Present touches on how past events impact our current society and culture.

Teachers are invited to use this web site to help design classes and to supplement information already provided in the Curriculum Guide and the Voyage to Discovery text book. The site can be easily integrated into class work as it follows the same specific curriculum outcomes (SCOs) used in the Department of Education’s Curriculum Guide.

Students of all grades are also encouraged to use this web site to not only complement their coursework, but to learn more about their own heritage and cultural identity.