“Making History!”:
Scrapbooking the 60th Anniversary of D-Day Trip
Author: Jacleen Attersley, Courtice Secondary School, Kawartha-Pine Ridge DSB
Rationale:
Students who participate in the 60th Anniversary of D-Day trip will complete a scrapbook of their trip
for their culminating activity. This scrapbook will chronicle their visits to not only Juno Beach but to
other European historical sites. Similar to the “We Remember Time Capsule”, their scrapbook will not
only commemorate the sacrifices of Canadians during the two wars but will also in itself become a
historical document, documenting for future generations the involvement of Canadians. Students not
only will be studying history but making it! As a culminating activity, this scrapbook not only covers a
multitude of the grade 10 history curriculum expectations, but also can meet expectations in other
disciplines such as English, Art and Technology (if the student decides to create their scrapbook by
computer).
Overall Expectations

demonstrate an understanding of the elements of Canadian identity;

demonstrate an understanding of Canada’s participation in war, peace, and security.

demonstrate an understanding of how individual Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada and
an emerging sense of Canadian identity

ask questions, identify problems, and effectively use historical research methods to investigate topics and issues
in history;

use a variety of information sources effectively when researching historical topics or issues, accurately record
relevant information, and then organize this information in a meaningful way;

analyse and evaluate information when researching historical topics or issues;
Specific Expectations

evaluate the influence of Great Britain and Europe on Canadian policies during the two wars and describe their
struggle for recognition;

demonstrate a knowledge of Canada’s military contributions in World War I and World War II (e.g., Ypres,
Somme, Dieppe, D-Day, Vimy Ridge);

evaluate Canada’s role in the Allied victories of World War I and World War II (e.g., Vimy Ridge, D-Day,
liberation of Holland);

describe how Canadians of various ethnocultural backgrounds, individually and as communities, contributed at
home and overseas to the war effort during World War I and World War II;

assess the contributions of selected individuals to the development of Canadian identity during World War I and
World War II;

formulate different types of questions (e.g., factual, definitional, comparative, causal, decision-making,
speculative) to focus their historical research;

use school and public libraries, resource centres, museums, historic sites, and community and government
resources effectively to gather information on Canadian history;

use computer-stored information and the Internet effectively to research Canadian history topics;

record and organize information effectively using notes, lists, concept webs, timelines, charts, maps, graphs, and
mind maps; use computer-based systems effectively to organize information for research and report preparation;

identify different viewpoints and explicit biases when evaluating information for a research report or participating in
a discussion;

in primary and secondary sources (e.g., artifacts, visuals, articles);

use relevant and adequate supporting evidence to draw conclusions;

make reasoned generalizations or appropriate predictions based on research;

demonstrate competence in research and writing (e.g., gathering information, building an argument, supporting
the argument with evidence, writing clearly, editing);

express ideas and arguments in a coherent manner during discussions and debates, or in graphic displays.
Procedure:
There is a detailed student handout (Appendix A) which divides the activity into three parts: before the trip,
during, and after the trip. Students are urged to follow some of the guidelines in order to facilitate completing
this culminating activity quickly and efficiently.
Basic Requirements for the Scrapbook
Note: if a student wishes their scrapbook to be archival and survive until the 100th
Anniversary of D-Day, archival supplies (album, paper, glue, pens) should be used. They
are a bit more expensive but they are acid free and lignin free and will not stand up to
the ravages of time. It is also strongly recommended that students keep a daily journal
during the trip so that they can quickly refer to it when they are assembling their
scrapbook.
Components of a Scrapbook
 album with a hard cover and title page
 two page layout for each day minimum (students can do more if they wish or add to after the
trip)
 historical sites identified with basic information and significance of
 journaling with personal touch
Before the trip:
 provide a lesson on scrapbooking
 provide a lesson on journaling/keeping a journal during the trip
 provide a lesson on taking pictures
 have them research the historical them to quickly create a scrapbook when they get home—
they won’t have time to research after the trip!!!!
During the trip:
 remind students to keep a journal of your daily events and the historical sites you visit.
 remind them and help them take pictures, especially ones with them in it!!!
 suggest other items they can use in their scrapbook
After the trip:
 Remind students to develop their pictures and select the ones they will put on your pages
 Decide what to say for each day about the sites they visited and the historical significance of
them
 Select colours for their layouts
 Read their journal and their research notes they made before the trip so they can quickly put
their scrapbook together
 Put their pictures on, title their pages and journal !!!!
Evaluation:
See Rubric (Appendix B)
Appendix A
Culminating Activity Handout: Scrapbooking your D-Day 60th Anniversary Trip
One of the important aspects of history is to preserve as much information as possible for
future generations. You will play a pivotal role in doing so by helping build the “We
Remember Time Capsule”. Another excellent way to do so is to scrapbook your trip. Not
only will scrapbooking preserve valuable information, but also it will provide you with a
record of a fantastic adventure. You will be required to hand in your scrapbook as your
culminating activity (worth 10% of your year).
our scrapbook should include not only information on the sites you visit but also your
experiences. Your pictures will be accompanied by journaling (written commentary on your
subject) as well as art work/embellishments. Be creative and remember that it is not only a
record of your trip and history but also an expression of your experiences. With that in mind
consider the following scrapbook guidelines:
Before your trip
 any items pertaining to the trip (brochures, travel itinerary, fundraising experiences)
 journaling of your thoughts and experiences (you could start a journal that you could
refer to when you build your scrapbook page and write in on the trip ( it will be
difficult to remember everything once you get home)
 examine on the internet some of the layouts so you get an idea of what you might
like style wise
 camera and film—do you have access to a camera (digital or film, or disposable—
make sure you take lots of batteries as they cost a bit more in Europe)

the layout: chronological or thematic (do you want to organize the order of your page
by date or by the individual locations
During the trip
Pictures:
 include pictures of the sites as well as people on your trip (too often we get home
and have no pictures of our friends)
 the number of pictures of each site you put on your page (some pages will have one
or two pictures while others may have several pictures
 consider the angles and perspectives of the pictures you take, although once home
you can crop the picture (cut out the extra)
 digital cameras are great because you can erase the bad pictures and not print all of
them.
 make sure you get someone to take your picture!!!
Other items:
 pictures aren’t the only things that can be preserved: airline tickets, menus,
newspapers, bus tickets, maps etc. Be creative!
Journaling:
 this will make creating your scrapbook very easy and fast to create!
 write down (especially on the bus or in the hotel) the 5 W’s about the historical sites you
have been to but all make sure you include your opinions, feelings and impressions.
 you could create themes within your journaling. Ie. The 5 w’s, my feelings, a fact not in the
history books, interesting people I met, funny stories, people who made a lasting impression
on me, possible captions for your pictures, titles, important names and correct spellings, food
& culture, cultural differences (driving on the left side of the road, lorry for a truck).
At Home
Album & Pages
 the colours which compliment/emphasize your pictures
 select an album size—81/2 X 11 is the minimum size but you can use a 12X12 or 12x15.
 if you wish to have your album last against the ravages of time and acid & lignin, selecting a
photo safe, acid free, lignin free album and paper will make sure your album will be
preserved. Just like the pictures going into the time capsule, preservation of history is
something that future generation will be grateful for.
 acid free and lignin free albums and paper cost more money than regular paper; because of
the extra cost it is up to you to decide if you wish to use the material, which will ensure that
your scrapbook lasts.
 acid free and Lignin free materials can be bought at Scrapbook stores (they have the best
selection) but they can also be found at Walmart or Michaels or even at the dollar stores.
 for each page, any coloured paper you select to accent your pictures is best done by
examining your pictures. Select pages according to the colour in your pictures
Title Page:
 include a title page for your album
Pictures:
 organize your pictures according to day
 select the best pictures—narrow it down based on quality as well as importance of topic in the
picture
 crop (cut the picture) to highlight the important image and eliminate excess background (that
way you can, if you wish, include more pictures on your page)
 find in your journal the information about the picture (If you write on the picture and your goal
is to preserve the picture, use a photo safe pen to write on the back of the paper—ink will
eat your picture!
Journaling
 include titles and captions for your pictures which clearly labels your topics
 think of an interesting way to demonstrate the 5w’s
 every page will need some form of explanation; some pages will more than others—you be
the judge; however, you need to make sure each page communicates the necessary
information to anyone browsing through the book. Your goal is also to make sure that each
page is clear so your children, forty years down the road at the 100th anniversary of D-Day,
will understand and appreciate your pages.
 you can use the computer or handwrite the information for each page (however in
scrapbooking circles your handwriting is considered better because it become history—a
record of your handwriting in your teen years)
 employ “journaling boxes” to highlight your written information.
Make sure you examine the evaluation rubric while you are making your album.
Make sure your pages clearly communicate/preserve the message.
Appendix B
“Making History”: Scrapbook Rubric for the Trip of the Anniversary of D-Day
Criteria
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Comment
s
Ideas and
Communicates
Communicates
Clearly
Clearly and
information
information as
important
communicates
effectively
clearly
isolated pieces in
information but not
main idea, theme
communicates
expressed
a random fashion
a clear theme or
or point of view
main idea,
overall structure
theme, or
viewpoint to
audience
Presentation
Limited evidence
Point of view
Clear point of
Provides support
of a point of
of a point of view
apparent but
view
of view using rich
view
unclear at times
and persuasive
detail
Historical
Historical
Historical
Historical
Historical
significance
significance is
significance is
significance is well
significance is
is effectively
barely explored
examined
examined and
expertly
described
and preserved
preserved
examined and
and
preserved
preserved
Evidence of
Research
Little evidence of
Journaling,
Journaling,
Journaling,
research in
captions, and
captions, and
captions, and
product
symbols show
symbols show
symbols show
some evidence of
clear evidence of
evidence of
research
research
extensive
research
Effective use
Colour, pictures
Colour, pictures and
Colour, pictures
Colour, pictures
of pictures,
and layout are
layout preserve
and layout help
and layout help
colour, and
unorganized and
each subject in a
preserve the
preserve the
layout
do sufficiently
limited manner
subject in an
subject in a
effective manner
superior manner
preserve the
subject
Effective use
Journaling minimal
Journaling sufficient
Effective journaling
Journaling
of journaling
and/or barely
and/or preserves
which preserves
excellent and
and/or
preserves the
the facts and
the facts and
richly preserves
captions
facts and
significance of the
significance of the
the facts and
significance of the
subject
subject
significance of
subject
the subject
Overall
Limited effort in
Some effort in
Effort and
The combination
creativity and
presentation is
presentation is
thoughtful
of excellent &
impact
shown; visuals
shown; visuals and
preparation clearly
innovative
and text do not
text are clear but
shown with
pictures,
match each other
may not sufficiently
elements of
journaling, and
in quality; limited
help preserve the
innovation in the
layout combines
innovation and
subject; design
layout, journaling,
to make an
appeal to the eye
shows a hint of the
pictures, and other
outstanding
unusual or
visual components
presentation
innovative
***Adapted from the Ontario curriculum document Grade Ten “Canadian History in the Twentieth
Century-Academic”: Visual Product: Poster Collage Rubric.