For history teachers, finding high-quality primary sources can be time-consuming. TothePast.ca is a growing digital resource that provides ready-to-use materials focused on historical thinking across a range of grade levels, including AP-level courses.
TothePast.ca is built around Canadian History Assessments of Thinking (CHATs) which are activities designed to help students engage directly with historical evidence. Activities ask students to evaluate the reliability of sources, interpret political cartoons, and determine how different pieces of evidence relate to one another.
Teachers can browse materials related to major themes in Canadian history such as Confederation, Indigenous history, the fur trade and both World Wars. The site also allows educators to refine their search not just by topic, but also by historical thinking skill (eg. close reading, corroboration). This makes it easier to locate sources tied to specific groups of Canadians or particular historical questions. Teachers can also use the site’s primary sources as the basis for DBQ-style activities by grouping documents around a central question and asking students to construct evidence-based arguments. There are also blog entries which encourage teachers to consider new pedagogical approaches.
Many of the tasks are structured as short and focused, targeting a single historical thinking skill. While beneficial for skill development, teachers will likely need to build additional activities to extend student thinking.
TothePast.ca is a great resource for history teachers across Grades 5–12; its focus on primary sources and historical thinking makes it particularly valuable for developing critical analysis skills. For educators looking to bring more inquiry and evidence-based learning into their classrooms, TothePast.ca is a resource worth exploring.
