Educational visits to the Muslims in Canada Archives: a preliminary resource for educators

Archives are a treasure trove of history, culture and knowledge, offering researchers of all ages and levels countless opportunities to engage with primary sources, rare documents, and hands-on learning experiences. Whether you’re an elementary school teacher introducing learners to historical inquiry or a university instructor guiding advanced research, a visit to an archive can enrich your curriculum in meaningful ways.

Workshop with Dr. Julie Lowe’s iSchool class (Faculty of Information, University of Toronto) Comparative Information Traditions: Islamic Civilizations. Courtesy of Muslims in Canada Archives.

This guide outlines what educators and researchers can expect at the Muslims in Canada Archives – which is now open by appointment, including the types of classes that visit, examples of activities, instructional support, and key takeaways for planning a successful trip.

Who visits the Archives?

We cater to a wide range of educational levels, each with tailored programming:

Elementary and middle schools: focus on introducing principles of archives, basic research skills, local history, and primary source literacy. Activities might include interactive storytelling, document analysis or transcription exercises.
High schools: focus on developing critical thinking and historical research. Activities might include guided research sessions, comparing primary and secondary sources, and digital archive navigation.
Post-secondary: focus on introducing the archival and other information professions, the study of Islam and Muslims in Canada, and explorations of specialized subjects. Activities might include reference interviews, reviews of collections or review of genres of materials

What can students do at the Archives?

Guided tours, browse collections [and exhibits]: explore curated collections with an archivist, learning how materials are preserved and organized. Temporary exhibits can be set up.
Hands-on workshops: storytelling, oral histories, document analysis
Receive research support: get assistance from archivists in locating materials for class assignments

What instruction does the Archives provide?

The Muslims in Canada Archives is more than a storage space – it is an active learning environment with specially trained information professionals

Pre-visit preparation: archivists may provide digital previews of materials or suggest pre-visit readings. Teachers receive tips on how to align the visit with curriculum standards
On-site instruction: introductory sessions on archival rules, handling procedures, and research ethics and customized lessons tailored to class topics
Post-visit resources: follow-up activities such as reflection essays or creative projects based on findings or digital collections at the Archives

Considerations for educators

Align with curriculum goals: connect the visit to particular topic or unit that is being covered in class
Prepare students: teach basic archival terminology and discuss proper handling of fragile materials
Logistics and accessibility: group size, technical needs and special accommodations
Encourage inquiry-based learning: have students develop (research) questions before the visit and pre-assign a post-visit project

Why the Archives matter for education

Visiting the Muslims in Canada Archives reifies and instantiates the history and experience of Muslims through tangible records and materials. Students don’t just learn about the history, which is largely not known about and unwritten – they touch it, analyze it, and question it. Archives foster:

Critical thinking: evaluating bias, context, and reliability of sources
Empathy and care: connecting with personal stories from the past
Research independence and scope: building skills for lifelong learning and broadening the types of sources used

Whether your students are budding historians, future scientists, or curious young learners, a visit to the Archives can be a transformative educational experience. If you’re interested in scheduling a visit, write to us at mica@utoronto.ca to discuss prospective dates and customized programming for your class.

Video of archivist Mitra Fakhrashrafi conducting workshop with middle school students. Courtesy of Omar Murji, Toronto District School Board.