This power point helps students understand how to determine the historical significance of the topics covered in class.

1. Historical Significance

2. What is Historical Significance
 Asks the question: Why is what we are studying
of importance?
 Another way of putting it is “So What??”

3. Criteria to Judge Historical
Significance
 Does the event have serious, long-lasting
consequences for many people?
 Using this criterion, you might decide that World
War II was historically significance.
 Now, think about something important that has
happened to you recently.
 The results might be important to you, but they are
probably not significant from a historical
perspective.

4. Criteria to Judge Hist. Sig.
 Does the event reveal or shed light on emerging
or long-lasting issues?
 The experiences of a Saskatchewan farmer during
the Great Depression may not have affected
millions of people, but her personal story may show
how people coped at the time
 People today may have comparable concerns, so
her story may be judged historically significant

5. Apply Your Knowledge
 In 2008, the federal government declared that the
development of the “maple products industry” was an
event of national historical significance. To recognize
this, the government pledged to place plaques in
McDonald’s Corners, Ontario, and Plessisville and
Mont-Saint Hilaire, Quebec. Maple products are
produced in these communities and many others.
 Many Canadians agree that maple syrup is important.
In 2008, the Dominion Institute announced that maple
syrup ranked 40th in a national survey of the 101
people, places, symbols, events and
accomplishments that define Canada.

6. What Do You Think?
 Consider the Federal Government’s declaration
on the maple products industry and maple syrup’s
ranking on the Dominion Institute survey.
 Use the criteria for judging historical significance
to decide whether the maple products industry
should be included in the Grade 10 history
curriculum.

7. What Do You Think?
 Name three historically significant
people, places, symbols, events or
accomplishments you would have chosen if you
had taken part in the Dominion Institute survey.
 Justify your choices by using criteria discussed in
class for deciding on historical significance.