Discover this series of classic shorts exploring every facet of Canadian culture and history.
This short vignette features coal mines in New Waterford and Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, along with traditional Cape Breton folk songs sung by Men of the Deeps - a miners' choral group.
Ages 9 to 14
Geography - Territory: Regional
Science - Earth Science and Geology
Discuss with the class what they think would be some of the dangers of being a coal miner. Read up on the history of miners in Cape Breton on this website. After the reading, ask the class why coal mining was beneficial for Canada's population at the time. Learn more about coal miners from this website, including listening to miners' stories. Students from grades 6 to 9 can also write stories where they are coal miners and include hardships they face as coal miners.