Canadian Province Research Project

All About Ontario

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Timeline

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Landmark Postcard

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Natural Resources

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Essential Questions for Ontario

1. What are some significant events in the history of Ontario?
2. What are some facts and features that make Ontario unique?
3. What are some interesting places in Ontario that people would want to visit?

All About Ontario, Canada

When it joined the Canadian Confederation: July 1st, 1867

Motto: Loyal she began, thus she remains.

Nickname: The province of opportunity.

Bird: Common Loon

Tree: Eastern White Pine

Flower: White Trillium

Attractions: Niagara Falls, Algonquin Park, Stratford Festival, CN Tower, and Parliament Hill.

Famous Citizens of Ontario: Actor Jim Carey, singer Justin Bieber, hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and Director James Cameron.

Capital City: Toronto

Major Cities: Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, and Hamilton.

Natural Resources: Trees, water, minerals, corn, wheat, and vegetables.

Brief History of Ontario

Thousands of years ago, early people such as the Algonquians, the Cree, the Iroquois, and the Huron inhabited Canada; they fished and hunted the lands. Many European explorers came to survey the land, and in 1611, they claimed it for England. Over 100 years later, the French, who found alliance in the Huron tribes, and the English, who were allies with the Iroquois, fought over the land in the Seven Years War. The war ended in 1763 with the signing of the “Treaty of Paris” and England emerging victorious. When the American Revolution ended, several British loyalists fled from the United States to Canada, splitting the Quebec colony into Lower Canada (French speaking settlers) and Upper Canada (English speaking province that later became Ontario). On July 1, 1867, the Dominion of Canada was established, which meant it was self-governed, but still within the British Empire; this is when Ontario became a province along with Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. In the late 1800s, mining became very prevalent, and hydroelectric power was on the rise.

Students will create a historical timeline, a postcard, a spider map, and an economy storyboard showing what they have learned about Ontario. Creating these visuals gives the students the opportunity to show their creativity and their unique view of the state that they have researched. In addition, the combined use of words and illustrations allows students with different learning styles to show what they know in an exciting and eye catching way.