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Near the end of November we learned about a truly interesting project by Mr. Miles' Grade 8 class at Alcona Glen Public School. Combining inquiry with Remembrance, local history with mapping, this class room project demonstrates the importance of connecting today's youth with the history of their communities! We asked Mr. Miles if he could share a selection of his class project with us, and to tell us more about what inspired the project.

"While driving into school I had noticed a poppy on the street sign of Galloway and Gibson.  I started looking further into why there was a poppy on those street signs and discussed it with my class.  The outcome of that conversation became our basis for our inquiry project. Upon further investigation and the help from Steven Montgomery, a senior planner for the town of Innisfil, it turned out to be amazing.  Within walking distance of the school, there are 25 streets that have been named after a veteran from the Innisfil area and there are many more in the surrounding areas. I had my students research their vitals, summarize their lives and attached it to a map of our community linking the report of the soldier to the street name.  Initially, this was a struggle to find data, however, the classes worked through the project and was able to find lots of information on their veteran. This helped the students and myself make a personal connection and recognize the soldiers who once lived in the area of our school who sacrificed for the greater good of our country.  One of the resources we used was a book called Innisfil Veterans - Their Lives and Memories from the Innisfil Historical Society."

- Chris Miles, Grade 8 Teacher, Alcona Glen

We took the class's physical project into the digital world. Click the links and images to learn more about the soldiers honoured in Innisfil's street names. Discover more about the history of Innisfil. Who was your street named after?