Canada

Canada is more than woolly mammoths and scarlet maple leaves, hockey superstars and Royal Canadian Mounties. As the world’s second-largest nation, geographically, Canada spans six time zones, has two official languages--English and French--and most recently saw the rise of a new territory, Nunavut, which has long been the ancestral home of the Inuit people. Explore Canada’s colorful history and rich cultural heritage through the direct links on the Times Launch Point Web site: https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint

Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.

Level 1

ZOOM School: Canada: Canada comprises 10 provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan) and three territories (Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories). Find out about Canadian wildlife and crafts, and learn how many dinosaurs have been named after Canadian cities, provinces and rock formations.

https://www.EnchantedLearning.com/school/Canada/

Comparison of the First Nations Peoples of Canada: The Haida are known for their magnificently carved totem poles used as memorials. Explore the beauty of the cultures of the Haida, Blackfoot, Inuit and Iroquois through photos, commentary, historical accounts and legends.

https://www.camosun.bc.ca/~conklin/pages/martin/index.htm

Canadian History Timeline!: Learn about key figures and events in Canadian history through this illustrated timeline, which begins with the dinosaurs that inhabited most of Canada 75 million years ago and ends with the year 1999, when Nunavut achieved territorial status.

https://www.cbc4kids.ca/general/time/history-challenge/default.html

Level 2

Canadian Electronic Passport: The Native Americans of Northern Canada prefer to be known as the Inuit instead of as Eskimos, and their language, Inuktitut, is a working language of the Canadian government. Learn about the first Canadians and the arrival of the Europeans as well as facts about modern-day Canada, including its parliamentary system of government.

https://www.mrdowling.com/709canada.html

Canadian Geographical Names: You probably know what a canyon and a gulch is, but what about a pingo or a buffalo jump? Discover the meanings behind Canadian geographical terms and the origins of the names of its provinces. Learn about Canada’s aboriginal communities and read about its explorers and national parks.

https://GeoNames.NRCan.gc.ca/english/schoolnet/origin.html

British Columbia Archives Time Machine: Through archival photographs and interesting descriptions, travel back in time through 11 adventures that teach you about important features of British Columbia: the history, art and culture of the First Peoples and the economy and technology of British Columbia, as well as multiculturalism and achievements of British Columbian women.

https://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/exhibits/timemach/index.htm

Level 3

Facts on Canada: Canada received its name when two Native Americans told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to “kanata,” the Huron-Iroquois word for village or settlement. Discover Canadian history and geography through this site, which offers fun quizzes and interesting Canadian facts.

https://canada.gc.ca/canadiana/cdaind_e.html

The National Library of Canada Digital Projects: Whether you’re interested in Canadian heroes, historical sound recordings or science fiction, this collection of beautifully illustrated and written exhibits introduces you to fascinating segments of Canadian history and culture.

https://www.nlc-bnc.ca/digiproj/edigiact.htm

The CRB Foundation Heritage Project: Learn about prominent figures in Canadian history like Percy Williams, the world’s fastest man in 1928, and Klondike Kate, an early suffragette. Read about exciting moments in Canadian sports, see some video clips and try out the Sports Machine Quiz.

https://www.heritageproject.ca/default.htm

EXPLORER’S QUEST

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

What does the name of Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut, mean?

CLUE: See Facts on Canada

Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 100 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.

Answer to last week’s Quest: The Pilgrims’ voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower took 66 days.

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This column was designed by Kelly Hanson, Kristin Armstrong, Melissa Keenan and Anna Manring.