Historical Plaque Assignment Guide

Historical Plaque Assignment Guide
Due 11:59pm on Monday May 18, 2026 25%
Historical plaques can be found in communities across Canada. They present a brief and tailored
story connected to a given place or person. These stories usually focus on the experiences and
activities of early European settlers.
Special Instructions (please read and follow carefully):

• Please review the ‘Assignment Requirements’ section of the course Syllabus and
  remember to use APA format and ensure all sources are properly referenced in-text
  and in the reference list.
• Include a minimum of 4 sources with at least 2 sources from course materials. To do this
  assignment justice you will likely need to call on more sources than the minimum
  requirement. You may use academic articles and books, government and community-
  based websites, news articles, and course materials. Course content from Modules 3 and
  4 will be particularly helpful for this assignment.
• Please do not use Wikipedia or similar websites.
• We encourage you to write in the first person.
  Assignment Instructions
  For this Assignment, you will:

1. Look at one historical plaque located in the town or city where you live in Ontario.
   Ideally you will visit this plaque in person and think about the land that the plaque is
   situated on, though if this is not possible you can also find images of plaques online:
   (https://www.ontarioplaques.com/Directory_Counties.html,
   https://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/online-plaque-guide). If you are not currently in Ontario,
   please find a plaque from a town or city in Ontario that you have visited or lived in.
2. Write a minimum 500-word critical analysis of the historical narrative on the chosen
   plaque, referencing at least three course materials. In your analysis consider what story is
   being presented, whether Indigenous presence is included, how Indigenous people or
   nations are presented, and how/if settler colonialism is addressed.
3. Once you have completed the steps above, write the text for a new plaque that could be
   placed in your home territory. The text should be 100-200 words in length, include
   Indigenous presence, and tell a story about a person, place, or event. Please avoid stories
   victimization and rather highlight Indigenous agency, advocacy, resistance, and or
   resurgence.
4. After completing your exam, please consider submitting your findings to this link. Your
   answers will be included in a research project with the Ontario Heritage Trust which
   operates the Ontario Provincial Plaque program. Your submissions will not be reviewed
   until after your final marks for this course have been submitted.