This is an awesome website with old letters from 1817 and a list of orphans. It is very hard to read but it is cool to look at.

Assignmet #9-The Diary of An Englishman(Child)

Hey Bloggers! I'm responding to Assignment #9, which you can view here and here.

Monday, June 14th, 1779

Dear Diary,

Hello. My name is Margaret Jarden, I am twelve years old, and my family are Loyalists. My father gave me this diary because he said that I should write down my observations on this adventure to a place called Nova Scotia, somewhere to the north of where we live(or at least lived), with thousands of other Loyalists going with us, and some to different places. He said that this should be a well exciting adventure, because after all, we get to explore a whole new country! But I do hope that this adventure will be worth it, after all, as my little brother Isaac will be bothering me most of the way. Anyway, my mother has told me that a group of Loyalists beside us has just told my father that we will arrive in somewhere called Shelburne, which I think is a capital name for a town!

I sometimes wonder why we have to move to British North America, because I thought that my family was happy in New Amsterdam (the Thirteen Colonies). Well, my father said that it was because we must stay true to our roots, and stay true to the -- oh my! I just saw a moose! What a wonderful place we're in, I love nature! Canada will be especially topping because my father has told me that we will be getting 1000 acres of land! Imagine, 1000 whole acres of land where I can roam free, with nothing but the sound of wondrous wind! Oh, I really cannot wait, this will be a marvelous experience for us all!

P.S. I never finished my thought -- my father said that we must stay true to the Kingdom of Great Britain, and to the British monarchy which is why we are moving to British North America.

Wednesday, June 23rd, 1779

Dear Diary,

We are extremely close to arriving to British North America! I overheard a young little girl asking her father not too long ago, and I am very excited! Nothing very new has happened, but I have the most wondrous news! My father just told me that he will be getting me a horse! Almost all of my friends in the Thirteen Colonies had horses, so I finally feel included. Oh, and I have just seen a family of "British North Americans"(that's what my father calls them), and they look quite similar to us Loyalists. I thought that they would look quite different, but I've only lived in New Amsterdam for my whole life. I have also noticed that they seem not at all too pleased to see us -- one girl even through a stick at me! I think that this is because a rumour is going around which is saying that we will be making a new colony here. I don't know, but I have to go help mum unpack the cart. Until next time, I will keep writing in this diary, explaining my adventures here in British North America.

P.S. My father's friend has given me a picture of where we will be moving(it's near the bottom of the island).

Assignment #8- The Real Riel

Hey everybody! I'm responding to Assignment #8, which is to create a fictional interview between Louis Riel and yourself.

Introduction: Hello, my name is Sabrina, and I'm going to be doing an interview with Louis Riel, just days into his trial. Riel's trial is due to the leading of the the resistance movement of the Metis and First Nations people of Western Canada. Please give a warm round of applause for Louis Riel!

(Louis Riel enters, audience claps)

Sabrina: Hello Louis, and thank-you for coming today.

Louis Riel: It is my pleasure to be here.

Sabrina: How are you?

Louis Riel: I'm feeling very well, thanks. I was actually just at my trial before coming here, so I'm really quite tired. How are you?

Sabrina: I'm good as well, thanks. Actually, the audience and I have come up with a few questions to ask you. I'll ask the first question. Many of us heard that you wanted to be a priest when you were younger. Why did you lose interest?

Louis Riel: Well, as a child I always wanted to be a priest. I was educated by Roman Catholic priests at St. Boniface. My family was very noted for their strong Catholicism, so I wanted to learn more. But after my father died, I lost all of my interest in becoming a priest, and withdrew from college in March 1865. After I dropped out, I started working in Illinois, Minnesota, and many other places before returning to the Red River Settlement. So basically, I didn't become a priest because of the tragedy of my father's premature death.

Sabrina: I'm sorry to hear that. Let's go on with our next question. Does any audience member have one? Yes, you in the back.

Audience Member #1: Hello, Louis. I was wondering if you enjoy being named after your father?

Louis Riel: Interesting question. Well, my family was a very well-respected French Canadian-Métis family due to my father, who organized a group that supported Guillaume Sayer, a Métis imprisoned man. My father was a very strong man who was devoted to our our religion and to our family, and who always wanted peace. So yes, I feel honoured to be named after him.

Sabrina: Was your father named after his father?

Louis Riel: No, my grandfather's name was Jean-Baptiste Riel.

Sabrina: Oh. Well I'm going to ask one more question. Where is your trial taking place, and would you like to say anything to us about your trial?

Louis Riel: Yes..Well, first of all, my trial is taking place in Regina. Next off I would like to say thank you to everyone who supported me, no matter what happens. I would also like to say that I am sorry to the family of Thomas Scott, a man that was executed partly due to me. The last thing I would like to say is that I appreciate everyone's efforts to try to keep me innocent, and I thank you greatly.

Sabrina: Excellent. Well, thank you for coming to my show!

Louis Riel: Thank you for having me.

Sabrina: Please give it up for Louis Riel everyone!!

(Audience claps, Louis exits)

Assignment #7- Canadian History Makers

Hey readers! I'm responding to Assignment #7, which you can view here. The assignment is about choosing influential Canadian personalities and writing about how they contributed to Canada.

4 a.)Which category of Canadian Personalities interested you the most? Did you like the "we inspired", "we founded", "we fought", "we built" or "we governed" section the most?

The category that interested me the most was the "we inspired" section because many of the Canadians in that section changed the way many people viewed everyday things. For example, Arthur Lismer inspired people to see everyday Canadian landscape as something beautiful and something special. Someone else that is very inspirational in that section is Peter Pitseolak, a Native man who changed the way everyday people see the North of Canada, and life at the intersection of past and present.

b.) Which personality interested you the most? Why? Write, in your own words, a short description of what he or she did and why he or she is your favourite. If you get information from any source, you must credit it by creating a link to it.

The personality that interested me the most was Gabrielle Roy. Gabrielle was a woman who grew up in poverty in Manitoba, and took her experiences and observations from the and wrote a book about her vivid depictions of urban misery in Manitoba. Even though she has become very famous, she never let fame get to her head and still considered herself as a permanent outsider. She was my favourite because she took everyday things about living in poverty and inspired many people to share their thoughts and feelings with each other.

c.) In your post, suggest three more influential Canadian personalities that could be added to this site. Why did you choose these people? Which categories would they fit into? Link to information about each of them.

One influential Canadian that I thought could be added to this site was Terry Fox. I chose him because he fought so hard to raise money for cancer research, with his own charity, "Marathon of Hope". He ran across Canada with a prosthetic leg, to help other people overcome cancer and tumours. He is considered by many people to be a hero. He would definitely be in the "we inspired" section because he inspired so many people to contribute to cancer research, and he also inspired them to run with him across many provinces.

Another influential Canadian that I chose was Rick Hansen. Rick Hansen was a man who was inspired by his friend, Terry Fox, to create a fundraiser for spinal cord injuries. He created the "Man in Motion" marathon, which was a tour that took him on a 26-month trek to 34 countries, and he did the whole tour on his wheelchair. He would be put in the "we inspired" section because he too inspired many people to raise money for spinal cord injuries, and to help him support the cause.

The last inspirational Canadian that I chose was David Suzuki. i chose him because he is an environmental activist who tries "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us." In 1990 he created the David Suzuki foundation, a foundation whose priorities are oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and David Suzuki's Nature Challenge. He could be in both the "we inspired" section or the "we founded" section because David inspired many people to care for the environment and the world around us, but he also founded the "David Suzuki Foundation".

5. Vote on your favourite Canadian personality. (Click on the link to vote)

The person that I voted for was Gabrielle Roy because she inspired so many people to express themselves more, both to themselves and to others.

7. Which History-Maker did you have the most in common with? Were you able to figure it out from the clues given? What do you share with that person? What are some things that are different between you and that person?

The person that I had the most in common with Emily Carr, a Canadian painter who was born on December 13th, 1987 in Victoria, British Columbia. She has artwork in many galleries around the world, and has had many things named after her like scholarships, schools, libraries, streets, parks, and stamps.After I played the game, I read the clues but I couldn't figure out who it was. But while I was reading the clues, I noticed that we had a lot in common. For example, Emily had a lot of sisters like me, and she has a nickname that she gets called by her parents, like me. She also likes to travel to Europe and around places in Canada, like my family and I. Another thing that we have in common is we both like to read and write, and she paints a lot. She paints pictures about the importance and beauty of nature. A different thing about us is that she had a lot of pets, like a monkey.

8 e.)One hundred years from now, imagine that students are learning about Canadian History Makers and they discover you. What will you be remembered for? How were you a Canadian History Maker? You are using your imagination, so think about some things that you would like to accomplish in your life and imagine that you have all the accomplishments of your life to look back on. Write a short profile of yourself, imagining the contributions you have made to the future of Canada.

Sabrina H. was born on May 31st, 1996 and had a very accomplished life. She was a brain surgeon, who was best known for curing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. She saved many people, all of whom were dying of this incurable disease. She starting researching when she was 31(after she was done medical school), and people were so inspired by her that many people started a campaign to help her raise money, called "Fight to end Dementia", which was very successful. She has had a university , a medical clinic, and many awards named after her. She won many awards herself, including a Nobel prize for her invention of a machine that helps people in wheelchairs walk freely and on their own. She has her name in many medical school textbooks, and there is a statue of her in front of Harvard Medical School for her many great accomplishments.

How to add really cool gadgets

Hey Bloggers!
If you want to know how to add a lot of really cool gadgets and games to your blog, then read these steps.

1.) Go to Dashboard
2.) Beside New Post, there will be a button that says Layout- Click it
3.) Click where it says Add a Gadget either at the bottom or to the right side-A pop-up window should appear
4.) On the left side there will be something that says Categories- underneath it will be a lot of different categories like Fun & Games, Sports, News etc.
5.) Select which category you want, and then choose which gadget you want(there will be thousands of choices)!

Hope this helped! Comment if you have any questions!

Assignment #6- Oscar Peterson

I am responding to Assignment # 6.

For the past 65 years, Oscar Peterson has been entertaining the world with his magnificent jazz piano skills. Born in Montreal, Canada, on August 15, 1925, he has grown to be known as one of the world's best jazz pianists. Along with his four brothers and sisters, he was introduced to music at a very young age by his father, Daniel Peterson. During his high school years, Oscar was trained by an accomplished classical pianist, Hungarian-born Paul de Marky, who taught Oscar "technique and speedy fingers". He also helped Oscar come to believe that he had something special and unique to give to the music world.

Although he is noted in Canada as being a leading personage and public figure on top of being a great musician, he is also known around the world. He gained world recognition after auditioning for CBC'S(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) national amateur contest which he went on to win. This opened the doors to several performances on a weekly broadcast show, on a Montreal radio station, and later performances on a national CBC broadcast called "The Happy Gang". Finally, after Oscar felt that his need to play the piano exceeded his need to go to school, he asked his father to drop out. But his father told him that he couldn't "let him leave high school to be a jazz piano player. You have to be the best, there is no second best." And so, with these words of wisdom, Oscar went on and followed his dream to be the world's best known jazz pianists.

***If you would like to see a video of Oscar Peterson's "Hymn to Freedom," click here ------>***

Special facts:

**The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus performed one of Oscar's most famous songs, Hymn to Freedom at Barack Obama's Inauguration**

**He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received many other awards and honours over the course of his career**

**In 2004, the City of Toronto named the courtyard of the Toronto-Dominion Square "Oscar Peterson Square"**

Assignment #5- The Early Settlers

I'm responding to Assignment #5.

Canada. We all know it's freezing outside. But we have so many things to help us with the weather. When we're cold, we can go into a heated room, put on our warm boots, jackets, and gloves, and suddenly become warmer. But haven't you ever wondered how the early settlers survived? When it was cold, they couldn't turn on the heater, or go through the drawer to find the warmest pair of gloves. If they didn't have any of these amenities, then how did they survive?

Well, it wasn't easy. First of all, their houses were not very warm, as most were a "one-room structure made of logs, field stone, spruce poles or prairie sod". Sometimes, if settlers came in the winter, they would even have to make their house in the snow! All of the settlers had to go out, in the cold snow, and dig for a bit of wood to warm up their home. And sometimes, if it was really cold, the wood would be so frozen that it wouldn't even light. The women and girls almost always had to sew and knit clothes, hats, mittens and socks to keep warm. Another trouble that they had to live with was taking care of the animals. They would have to go outside every morning, get the chicken's eggs, and feed the animals in the freezing snow. They also had to go out and find a little food to feed their family, and there were also many illnesses in the cold Canadian winters like pneumonia ,scurvy and cholera.

But according to this website, even though life was hard in Canada, it was "better than they would expect in Europe". In Canada, people owned their own farms, had plenty of wood for heating and keeping warm, and lots of fish and wild animals for eating. They also had many social events with friends and family. So I guess that life in Canada wasn't that bad.

The reason that my parents came to Canada 21 years ago was because there was a war in the country that my parents were from. They decided to come here because there was no war in Canada, and it was a free country. They also wanted their children to have a better future in a country like Canada, and to get a good education. But even after they saw the cold Canadian winters, they loved it! There was no snow where they were from, and they loved all of the snow and decorations everywhere! It was really different from where they lived(Lebanon and Cyprus), but they didn't complain. The only part that they didn't really like was shoveling the driveway in the morning.

So overall, even though life in the cold Canadian winters has it's flaws, many people appreciate living in a free country like Canada.

Thank you for reading my entry!

Assignment #4

Hey Everybody!!

I just read a lot of really awesome blogs!! They were all great and had a lot of detail. All of them mentioned really great and imaginative ideas about what would happen in the future.

The first blog that I read was Emily's blog. It was really great and she made a lot of really cool predictions about the year 2109. I really liked when she said that "Cancer and aids will have a cure, but a new incurable disease will start." I found that really interesting.

The second blog that I read was Ryleigh's blog. It was really cool, and she had a really nice backround!! She had a lot of predictions about what the world would be like in a century. It was cool when she said "2109 will probably have a lot of new and unique technology, maybe there will be TV's that would never need to be plugged in!" I thought that that was a really different thing to say.

The last blog that I commented on was Chongo's blog. It was a really well done blog. Not only did she mention things about the future, but she also mentioned a lot of things about the past. I especially liked when she said that there might be "much more technology, to do all the work humans have been doing in this past century for us." I really liked that and I think that she did a really great job!

Assignment #3

Hi! This is my response to Assignment #3.

It seems like Canada has gone through a lot of changes in the past few centuries. I think that 1606-1709 was the best time for the First Nations people. They were in power, they built alliances, and became central in the fur trade out of both Montreal and Hudson's Bay. But over the next few centuries they started to lose power and the control of the fur trade was being given to the Europeans.

I think that 2009 has changed very drastically from the past few centuries. We have new technologies and various industries, so we don't have to rely on our selves as much (making clothes, making tools, cutting down wood etc.). We also don't have to worry about there being any wars over the ownerships of industries.

I think that 2109 will look much different than 2009. I think that there will be a lot of historical events(maybe there will be a black prime minister, or even an Aboriginal Prime Minister), and I think that the population will increase a lot. After all, going from the population of a few thousand people to 32,000,000 people is a big difference! This would also be very good for our economy because more people would need jobs.

Plus, with all of the amazing technology we have now, imagine what we can have in the future! I think that there will be some form of technology(maybe robots) that will look after humans, so humans will not have to take care of themselves. This will be very harmful to the environment, so maybe the earth will get so polluted that in 200 years from now people will live in outer space! Probably not, but with the new technology coming out every day, who knows what the world will be like in the centuries to come?

If you would like to see the website that I'm responding to, please check out Christopher Moore's blog!

Welcome to my Blog!!

Welcome to my blog!!
I'm a grade 7 student in Ottawa, Canada, and I'm going to be writing about Canadian History in this blog. This will be really fun since there will be no more text books. A few other classes are doing this with me, so you can check out their's too!

I'm new to this so this, so if I make a mistake, please tell me!
And don't be shy to leave a comment!

P.S.. you should check out my teachers blog here!