Learning

Introductory Essay

This short essay focuses on education within schools and universities during the Second World War in order to explore the relationship between war and learning. In elementary schools, high schools,…
Canada’s participation in the First World War has often been described as a coming-of-age – a trial by fire that transformed an immature colonial polity into an independent adult nation. Yet despite…

"Brothers-in-Arms"

Presented to a school in Steinbach, Manitoba, as part of the War Memorial Library of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, this booklet told the story of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and South African soldiers during the First World War.

Brother Britons.pdf (24.14 MB)

The Canada War Book

This book was issued to schools in New Brunswick as a text-book to instruct students about Canada's role in the war and their duty as Canadians to save money and materials that are needed for Canada's war effort. Although the armistice had been signed before this book was released, the war was technically not over until the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June of 1919.

Canadian Democracy in Action

The Prince Edward Island Department of Education released this book to its schools to describe Canadian democracy and the operation of the government of Canada.

Badges of the Canadian Expeditionary Force

Children who had no access to actual military badges could collect cards of the badges instead.

Modern war in school

A Prince Edward Island schoolboy used these exercise books during the Second World War for mathematics and writing; there were six different books in the "Branches of the Service" series.

A school play from 1917

Drill was very popular in Canadian schools before the First World War and became even more popular after 1914, when it was used as a vehicle for patriotic instruction.

Rule Britannia.pdf (2.17 MB)

Patriotic notebooks

Schoolboy Clarence Geddes used these notebooks for History and Geometry classes. They probably date from early in the First World War.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

The Red Cross Conservation Department was responsible for saving waste material - everything from fat and bones to scrap metal - to be turned into weapons. Collecting such things was a popular activity for schoolchildren.

Collecting cards from cocoa

Children who collected these cards could trade them, or use them to learn semaphore or as a bookmark.

The Kaiser's Last Will

This parody, probably printed at the end of the First World War, was typically of such humour that poked fun at the enemy. Once they had been defeated, Canadians could afford to take them less seriously.