7-12, Unit One: "An International Peace Park"

Introduction & Teacher Background

Canada and the United States hsare the longest undefended border in the world. Since the war of 1812, the two nations have been at peace. Although the stepwise establishment of the present international border through agreements in 1818 and 1846, and the initial survey of the 49th parallel in the 1850s and 1860s were political struggles, the issues were resolved peacefully. Common language and custom, economic similarity, traditions of democracy and principal trade partnerships have led to (for better or worse) the two countries taking each other for granted most of the time. Read more about the Peace Park...

Visit the resource guide to learn more about Glacier.

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Activity 1: Same Colo(u)rs, Different Flavo(u)rs...
Grades: 7-12
Methods: An e-mail discussion between Canadian and American students about their similarities and differences.
Time: 2 - 10 hours
Subjects: Social science, history, economics, language arts, technology

Activity 2: A Peace Park (eh?)
Grades: 8-12
Methods: A facilitated group activity about the historical and present functioning of the International Peace Park.
Time: 2 hours
Subjects: Social science, political science, history, biology

Activity 3: A Natural Resource Called Peace
Grades: 7-12
Methods: A creative group writing about the various meanings of "peace" through a park hike and/or guided image experience.
Time: 2-3 hours
Subjects: Language arts, geography