Program Length: 1/2 hour
Produced: 1997

Introduction

This video, the first of 3 parts, presents snapshots of Canadian culture, building its impression from trivia, stories, historical facts, cultural theories, personalities and music. It suggests that Canadians have a unique culture to celebrate and to be proud of. Items such as Moose-ellaneous (trivia) and Great Canadian Beaver Tales combine to build an interesting and significant presentation of Canadian culture.

In this episode, three Canadian artists are featured: Bryan Adams talks about Canadian content regulations, Great Big Sea describes early Newfoundland history and Tom Cochrane describes the importance of bush pilots to northern Canadian culture.

This study guide suggests ways that students can process the information to better understand Canadian culture and the ideas presented. The guide's sections occur in the same chronological order as the items in the video. Some of the suggestions involve class discussion, some involve research, some involve creative activities.

Classes need not view the whole tape at one sitting, nor is it necessary to use all of the guide; in fact, it is recommended that only those suggested activities be followed that best suit the students and the curriculum. Select a section of the video that you particularly want to focus upon, cueing up that moment and omitting the rest. Use the video tape with a remote control, pausing the VCR and discussing particular statements and images as necessary. Replay sections that require repeated screenings for full comprehension. Many of the speakers' statements are included in the guide so teachers can become familiar with them and be prepared for them when they occur in the program.

The tape and guide might be used for an entire unit of study of Canadian culture, or it may be a one-class break from other studies. There are two other Heritage Day programs (Heritage Day 2 and Heritage Day 3) which follow this one, each with other useful aspects of Canadian culture to present and discuss.

1. Opening Montage

The Heritage Day producers prepared an opening montage filled with Canadian images, listed below. The images flash by very quickly, often only 1/15 second each, yet many still register in viewers' minds. How many of the images can you recognize and remember? To what degree do you think these are uniquely Canadian images? What overall impression of Canada do you get from this montage? Do you think that is an accurate impression? What important images of Canada are missing? View the montage in slow motion to see all the images. Which ones did you fail to recognize or remember? Do you think this montage is effective in communicating an impression of Canada? What other ways could an introduction sequence been constructed to give an impression of Canada?
Student activity: Create a collage which you think presents a good impression of a subject, possibly Canada. Explain which images you included and which ones you excluded. Explain why you organized the images the way you did.

Opening Montage Images: Canada crest, suspension bridge, Ashley McIsaac, tug boat , musician with an acoustic guitar, canyon foot bridge, loggers dancing, cow face, direction signs, shore-to-mountain landscape, hockey goal foiled, model fishing boat, fans excited, totem pole, lighthouse, Ashley McIsaac, model lighthouse, lobster on a rock, flags, old-fashioned font for Heritage Day logo, Much logo & Heritage project logo.

2. Heritage Quiz

Answers to the following questions occur throughout the video, most either require a full viewing or selection of the appropriate questions. Asking students to answer them as the video proceeds will help them pay attention and practice extracting information from video tape (a much-needed skill).

1. Why did Bryan Adams sing in the band?[He was the only one who could sing.]

2. Which song, previously to Adams' Heaven, had sold a million records?[Anne Murray's' Fly Away]

3. How long was Everything I Do on the British charts?[17 weeks]

4. Why is 1497 important for Newfoundlanders?[John Cabot landed.]
 
5. When did Newfoundland become a British colony?[1762]
 
6. Why is 1949 important for Newfoundlanders?[The year Newfoundland became a Province.]
 
7. When did Marconi receive the first radio signal?[1901]
 
8. When did the first broadcast occur that combined music and voice?[1906]
 
9. Which two TV shows have originated from Newfoundland culture?[Codco and This Hour Has 22 Minutes]
 
10. Alanis Morisette's Jagged Little Pill has sold how many copies worldwide?[20 million]
 
11. Where is the National Aviation Museum?[Ottawa]
 
12. Which airplane did Tom Cochrane's father first fly?[the Norseman]
 
13. Where is that plane now?[Petro Canada building, Montreal]
 
14. Why is a Canadian penny attached to the airplane motor?[for luck]
 
15. How was the bush plane crucial to the northern culture?[It was the link between remote outposts and the rest of Canada.]
 
16. Why was the Avro Arrow destroyed by the Canadian government?[It was caught between the change from Liberal to Conservative governments, and the Conservatives wanted to erase the legacy of the previous government.]

 3. Tears are not Enough

"I'm grateful for what I am now, so every once in a while it's nice to see music return the favour."
Adams co-wrote Tears Are Not Enough, a song sung by many Canadian artists. Proceeds from the sales of the song went to charity. Which other artists have used their talents to raise money for charity? Do you think musical artists should give something back to the public that has made them rich and famous? Why?

Research artists who have used their fame and talents to publicize and/or aid disasters or human rights violations. Do you think artists have a place in politics, or should they stick to their music? Are they taking advantage of, or exploiting their fame? Are these artists risking the loss of some fans, or can they only gain from their charitable work? See MuchMusic's Time for Mercy, a video about AIDS hosted by Jann Arden. Is Jann Arden risking or enhancing her reputation by appearing in the video? If it is OK for artists to attach their reputations to political causes, is it OK for them to attach their reputations to products, such as beer? See MuchMusic's Smokes and Booze for a thorough examination of this issue.

4. Canadian Content (Cancon)

Bryan Adams states that Canadian citizens are Cancon. There has been much controversy about Canadian content in the music industry. Unless the personnel on a record is mostly Canadian, the music cannot be entered in the Juno Awards competition (The Canadian version of the Grammies). One of Adams' albums was disqualified from Juno competition because it did not meet the minimum Cancon requirements. Adams was very upset.

What does 'Canadian citizens are Cancon' mean? What are the Cancon rules? How did Adams become involved with the Cancon rules? What do you think the rulings should have been? Why?
Research the Cancon rules for the Junos and for radio stations licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CRTC has a website at  http://www.crtc.gc.ca/
Do you think Canada needs Cancon rules? Why?
You can research Bryan Adams on the Web at  http://www.bryanadams.com/ 

5. Alanis Morisette

Research the early career of Alanis Morisette from age 9. Describe the stages of her career through the years. Which of her experiences and artistic achievements have made her truly Canadian?
Jagged Little Pill won an American Grammy award. What qualities does that album have that made it successful in the U.S. as well as Canada?
In this video, we see excerpts from Ironic and Head over Feet. What do the images tell us about Alanis' music and/or her philosophy? How do the visual styles of the videos influence the meanings of the songs?
To find more information, visit the Alanis links at  http://content.ubl.com/artists/003127.html or do a search at http://content.ubl.com/ 

6. Tom Cochrane

Tom Cochrane speaks proudly of bush flying, or his father's adventures, and of the role that bush pilots played in the lives of northern Canadians. How have the bush pilots given us a unique Canadian identity and something to be proud of?

The Avro Arrow is also part of Canadian identity. Is the Arrow's history something we can be proud of, or do these events show a part of the Canadian personality that we need to change? Do we still see harmful actions taken when one political party gets into power? Discuss.
To find out more about Tom Cochrane, search at  http://content.ubl.com/ 

7. Great Big Sea

The video ends with the full-length presentation of Great Big Sea's Goin' Up, a happy surreal video about many different people coming to a party. The video provides insight into the Newfoundland people's personality. What does it reveal about Newfoundland people? Do you think people in your part of Canada share these personality traits, or are they different? What do you think Goin' Up means in Newfoundland? Why?
To find out more about Great Big Sea, and to see the lyrics to Goin' Up, visit  http://www.greatbigsea.com/ or search at  http://content.ubl.com/


Written by: Neil Andersen
Neil Andersen is an award-winning Curriculum Consultant with the Toronto District School Board. He is also a speaker and consultant in media and communications technology. His most recent work includes the Between the Lines CDs, the teachers' study guide for the award-winning Scanning Television, and study guides for Space, Bravo! and MuchMusic's Cable in the Classroom broadcasts of original media literacy programming.