Grade 9 Eastern Canada Trip: History, Politics, & Culture

All Grade 9 students are strongly encouraged to participate in the annual trip to Eastern Canada as part of the Grade 9 and 10 curricula. It is a tremendous cultural and educational experience, one not readily available to tourists.

This is a perfect time of year to visit the cradle of Canadian culture, as the students partake in the famous Carnaval de Québec festivities, the Ottawa WInterlude festival and many other events which link to both curriculum and culture.

The Eastern Canada Trip provides the setting for the ultimate experiential, Inter-Disciplinary Unit.  Under the umbrella of the Unit Question, “What Does It Mean To Be Canadian?” teachers of both Grades 9 and 10 have put together a programme designed to enhance the standard curriculum and to give the children invaluable experiential understandings. 

The programme integrates many subjects, including the Humanities (government, Pre- and Post-Confederation Canadian History, First Nations History, Canadian geography), P.E. (How has Canada’s harsh winter climate affected recreation?), French (both language and culture, Quebec Carnival), Art (National Gallery programme “Perspectives on Canadian Art”), Science (Canadian biomes), Film Studies (National Film Board of Canada) and Career and Personal Planning (university tour and Mulgrave alumni interviews). 

In a jam-packed 8 days, the students visit the Canadian Parliament, skate on the Rideau Canal, walk the Plains of Abraham, billet with French-Canadian families and partake in a host of other organised activities.   Not only will the students complete activities whilst on the trip, they will continually draw upon their experiences back in the classroom through Grade 10 and beyond.  For this reason, we believe every student should take advantage of this excursion.