Getting Started
A Heritage Fair project isn’t meant to be something intimidating. You’re probably already making Heritage Fair projects and didn’t know it.
Heritage Fair projects are a few simple things.
- They’re Canadian themed. The principal part of the project is about Canada.
- They’re heritage themed. That means they help explain a little bit about who we are as Canadians.
- They’re historical. They help explain how we got to this point. The present is rooted in the past. To understand who we are today we need to look a little bit at who we were yesterday.
- Heritage Fair projects are based on research. The research can be done online, in books, or primary sources can be used such as National Archive of Canada sites or conversations with older members of your community. The research should also be grade appropriate. You can expect a lot more from a Grade 9 student than from a Grade 4 students.
- Heritage Fair projects can be done in many formats. While most classes create them using backboards and essays, they can also be done as websites, PowerPoints (or the equivalent format), or even as a painting.
- You don’t have to have a Heritage Fair at your school. While we think school Fairs are great for the school and the community who can come look at the projects and help with the judging, we also know that sometimes you just can’t have a Fair. In that case, just evaluate your projects and send some on without a school Fair.
The kids you send to the Red River Heritage Fair don’t always have to be the “best.” As ambassadors for their school, they should be polite and well behaved, but the child who grows the most from an experience like the Red River Heritage Fair is not always the one who scored the highest percentage on their project.
If you look here you’ll find our guide to creating heritage fair projects in your classroom.