Teaching materials
The material begins by establishing the fundamental question of why unions are needed, using interviews with contemporary individuals and historical oral accounts to introduce the idea of collective action. It then delves into the harsh realities faced by early workers...Teaching materials
This video series offers a comprehensive look into the evolution of workplace health and safety in British Columbia. Designed for audiences such as secondary students and those undergoing union orientation, the focus is on individual workers’ stories and tragic events.Teaching materials
"Youth, Unions, and You: A Secondary Teacher’s Guide to Labour Studies for BC Schools” (2001) is a resource guide developed as a joint project by the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Federation of Labour, with financial backing from the...Teaching materials
This teaching resource serves as a curriculum application for Social Studies 9, aiming to illuminate the crucial role Indigenous workers played in British Columbia's early economy.Teaching materials
These teaching materials are designed for Social Studies 10 and Social Justice 12, addressing the essential question of challenges women face in unionizing compared to men and how these circumstances have evolved. View Steam Laundries Strike Teaching Materials (PDF)Teaching materials
These teaching materials are a case study on workplace health and safety, focusing on two sawmill explosions in British Columbia: Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake and Lakeland Mill in Prince George.Teaching materials
This unit was developed for BC’s Social Justice 12 course by the Labour History Project, a partnership between the Labour Heritage Centre and the BC Teachers’ Federation with additional support from the BC Federation of Labour and the SFU Labour...Teaching materials
Designed for secondary students and union orientation classes, this case study provides a historical perspective on asbestos exposure in British Columbia. Participants are encouraged to consider the ongoing dangers of asbestos for workers and their families and to discuss the...Teaching materials
Designed for secondary students and union orientation classes, this case study guides participants to identify occupational health and safety concerns at the Stave Lake Quarry leading to the untimely death of a new and inexperienced worker.Teaching materials
This comprehensive educational resource explores the origins and evolution of the labour movement in British Columbia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The lesson examines the working conditions, struggles, and achievements of workers during this period, highlighting key events...Teaching materials
Out of the loss of her husband to an occupational-related illness came one woman’s crusade for change. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
Through the story of Won Alexander Cumyow, this film explores the history and early experiences of Chinese Canadians in British Columbia and examines how Won Alexander Cumyow’s struggle to win the right to vote was connected to a wider struggle...Teaching materials
The images of talented logging and working life photographer Wilmer Gold provide a powerful record of the lives of Vancouver Island’s loggers and fallers. This film captures the challenges he faced in documenting their lives. How effective is photography in...Teaching materials
Named after the famous song written by IWW singer and activist, Joe Hill, this film is inspired by his words and IWW organizing efforts amongst railway workers in the interior of BC. What values, if any, do you or our...Teaching materials
Highlights the 1912-1914 Big Strike in Vancouver Island coal mines where miners and mine owners clashed over worker safety. The film highlights the methods used by both sides to resolve the conflict including the use of police, militia and violent...Teaching materials
An historical look at female telephone operators in British Columbia and some of their early activism with specific reference to the first strike in the Canadian telephone industry. What role did the women operators play in the success of the...Teaching materials
A short profile on Ethel Johns, an important figure in the history of nursing in British Columbia. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
Referencing the pre-existing economy prior to colonization, this film powerfully places in context the significant role that BC First Nations played in the establishment and prosperity of British Columbia. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
In 1983, Operation Solidarity and the Solidarity Coalition came together in response to a series of proposed bills by the Social Credit government to stage the largest protest in the province’s history. See the rest of our Working People Lesson...Teaching materials
During the Great Depression, unemployed men took to the rails, with the intention of arriving en masse in Ottawa. While they did not reach their destination, this protest lives on in memory. Students are introduced to the economic and political...Teaching materials
The story of company towns and their unique role and legacy in the economic and social fabric of the province, with a specific focus on the west coast town of Ocean Falls. See the rest of our Working People Lesson...Teaching materials
‘Dunsmuir’ is an infamous name in British Columbia, particularly related to coal mines on Vancouver Island, this film presents a snapshot of working in Dunsmuir-run coal mines in the 19th century. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans...Teaching materials
An important and often unknown story of the town of Paldi, located on Vancouver Island, and the history of Indo-Canadian workers in BC’s forest industry. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
The life and images of early photographer Mattie Gunterman, both capture the lives as lived by ordinary and pioneering peoples in British Columbia. Her extraordinary life turns on its head the preconceived notions of woman’s work of that time. How...Teaching materials
Rutledge was a pioneer in Canadian aviation, setting up an all female “Flying Seven” Club in Vancouver. Useful as a case study of the gendered division of labour and summarizes historical obstacles facing women as commercial pilots. This episode is...Teaching materials
This film captures pieces of working life at North Vancouver’s Burrard Dry Dock during WWII, when women entered the workforce in previously unheard-of numbers. Students will explore the role of women in wartime industry, the effect of the wartime production...Teaching materials
This film highlights the work undertaken by Helena Gutteridge, a tailor, suffragette, politician and advocate for working-class women. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
Gold Rushes attracted people from around the world to British Columbia. Although hopes were high, very few struck it rich. How did the Gold Rush affect the development of British Columbia? See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans...Teaching materials
This film looks at an important figure in BC labour history whose life and death continue to cause debate today. Ginger Goodwin’s early activism started in the coal mines of Vancouver Island and continued with the smelter workers of Trail...Teaching materials
In the 1970s, more women entered into the workforce and sought ways to become organized. One union that formed in British Columbia—the Service, Office, and Retail Workers’ Union of Canada—is the subject of this film. Students gain an appreciation of...Teaching materials
A series of strikes rocked the fishing industry in Steveston, BC in the early 1900s. This story examines the context and the efforts made to unite fishers across racial lines. What were the qualities of the leaders of the Fisher...Teaching materials
This film examines the working lives of “Canada’s Forgotten Workers,” the farmworkers whose labour fell outside much of the protective labour legislation. Provides an overview of their living and working conditions in the 1970s and invites students to compare with...Teaching materials
On June 17, 1958, the bridge under construction at Second Narrows collapsed. In memory of the workers killed, the bridge is now known as the Ironworkers’ Memorial Second Narrows Crossing. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
In 1939, Connie Jervis, 24 year old President of the Langley Teachers’ Association, led a successful fight for improved system of wages and compulsory arbitration. See the rest of our Working People Lesson Plans here.Teaching materials
Young children have always been part of the work force in British Columbia. Through the story of the explosion at Coal Creek mines in Fernie, this film examines the issue of child labour. See the rest of our Working People...Teaching materials
A snapshot of work in early canneries through images and song. This vignette is in the style of a visual essay with historical photographs providing backdrop to the lyrics of the song. See the rest of our Working People Lesson...Teaching materials
The subject of this film is Tatsuro “Buck” Suzuki, a fisher and early environmentalist on the Fraser River in British Columbia who also played a key role in the return of interned Japanese Canadians to the coast after the Second...Teaching materials
This film powerfully links the working lives of Indigenous union activities along Burrard Inlet, while examining the early social justice and collective organizing of Local 526 of the Industrial Workers of the World, the “Bows and Arrows”. Assess the economic...Teaching materials
While documenting the events of the 1938 Relief Camp Workers sit-down strikes and occupations in downtown Vancouver, this film presents their reasons for the protest, and the radically differing reactions to their collective protest by the three levels of government:...Teaching materials
This vignette provides insight into the role that steamship transportation played in the lives of workers in the early years of transportation. Not only was the steamship important to resource workers to get to the job, but for many isolated...
Teaching materials
Free lesson plans, videos, and downloads for the classroom. Teach your students about the labour movement, social justice, unions, and workplace safety.
We offer open access teaching materials in partnership with the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Social Studies Teachers’ Association. Many of these resources are available in French and English. We also offer workshops for teachers on how to use these resources; get in touch to learn more.
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