Americans: what did you learn about Canada in grade school? Just curious. Thanks.?

Answer 1

Good grief. These answers are horrendous and paints Americans in a bad light. I guess these fine people don't remember anything taught in 4-8th grade civics and history classes. Canada is deeply engrained in our colonial and revolutionary history lessons. I don't know where these fine folks went to school but I went to public school in upstate New York and central New Jersey.

What we were taught about Canadian History was focused on how it integrated with our own growth as a nation:

* Samuel de Champlain's navigation of the St. Laurance and the opening up of the waterways for fur traders and the beginning indian relations with the Huron.

* the fur trade (mostly around the Hudson Fur Company)

* the French and Indian War (when the French lost Canada to England and the outcome began the taxation issue that drove the US to fight the English for freedom)

* the religious conflicts between the Catholic French in Canada and Great Lake region and the Protestant English colonizing New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions

* Indian tribes that flowed between the Canadian and US territories - Algonkins, Hurons, Iroquois, Sioux, Chippewas, Crees, Inuit, etc. My goodness - my brother and all of his friends were in the Indian Guides (a pre-curser to the Boy Scouts) which was dedicated to the appreciation of these tribes and people.

Later, in High School, we learned about Canada's involvement in the Underground Railroad and some assistance in the industrialization advances brought to the North during the Civil War.

These are just a few of the things off the top of my head. If I really gave it more thought, I am sure I could come up with a dozen more examples. Artists, explorers, military leaders, writers... we had a lot of information shared with us about Canada.

I am sure we don't know nearly enough but who ever does?

Answer 2

All we learned is that Canada is the country to our north. In American schools, we are only taught American history until middle school. In my school, we learned American history until 8th grade and 9th grade when we took European History. Then in 10th grade we took World History (which covered Asia, South America, The Middle East, and Africa). So basically we never learned anything about Canada. It's unfortunate, really....

Answer 3

very little: chapter in a book in grade 6(?) titled "our neighbor to the north". Their states are called provinces. Some of them are hard to spell...
I became extremely embarassed when, as a French teacher I knew lots and lots of French history/geography but so little about Québec, let alone the rest of Canada. I've certainly learned a lot since then, and I try to make sure my students are not (quite) as ignorant as i was about Canada.
...another child of the 60s

Answer 4

Well, as a child of the 60s, we learned that Canada is a great place to quickly relocated if one is drafted!

Answer 5

I learned that it is above us. No really, I believe the french came over to claim the land from the native indians that lived there. After that, thats it.

Answer 6

honestly, not much. Just that they lived to the north and were laid back. And the obligitory photos of mounties.

Answer 7

pretty much not to much. Only the time when the pilgims came, thier great tribes. That's about it.

Answer 8

If we learned anything, i've forgotten it by now. I Quebec is french speaking. that's about it.

Answer 9

I DONT RECALL ANYTHING ABOUT CANADA ONLY THAT WE ARE BORDERED TO THEM

Answer 10

this ought to be good, probably not much - a fellow Canadian.