Skip to main content

Teacher Resources

Searching for Symbols

Searching for Symbols was developed for students from Kindergarten through Grade 3 (primary cycles 1 and 2 in Quebec). This resource is made up of the following:

  • A photo gallery of Canadian symbols at Parliament
  • Three interactive games
  • Information about junior-level guided tours of Parliament
  • Resources for teachers, including print-ready activities for the classroom

The Symbols Gallery

The gallery comprises eight collections of photos. These photos can be used to teach young learners the stories behind the symbols found at Parliament. The information in the Symbols Gallery is for teacher reference and can be incorporated into classroom lessons at an appropriate level.

Interactive Games

There are three interactive and online games that form part of this resource. “Symbol Match” encourages students to match photos of Canadian symbols to their descriptions. “Name that Symbol” is a quiz that tests students’ knowledge of various Canadian Symbols, and “Symbol Scavenger Hunt” is a drag-and-drop style activity where students collect Canadian symbols in a virtual classroom setting. These games can be played by individual students or in a group setting.

Interactive tour

The Tour

Take your class on a tour of Parliament! A specially designed interactive tour uses props and visuals to help younger students discover the meaning of the symbols found in the Centre Block of Parliament. For more details and to book a reservation, visit Searching for Symbols Tour.

When you bring your class to visit Parliament, be sure to request the level-specific tour appropriate for your young group.

Resources for Teachers

The activities have been organized into three sections (pre-activities, activities, and post activities) to assist you in teaching your students about these symbols. Printable, photocopy-ready blackline masters are available for most activities. For your convenience, you can print all of the activity sheets at once. The pre-activities are designed to help students understand the concept of a symbol and offer warm-up activities that will generate discussions and ideas. The activities are related to the symbols found on the website and serve as consolidation and review exercises. The post-activities can be used as extension projects or for wrapping up the unit.

Print Entire Resource (PDF 2 MB)

This resource is 34 pages long and is best printed in colour.