Connecting the Past and Present of Uniforms by Samreen Malik
Connecting Past to Present: An Analysis of Military Uniforms
Students from grades 7-8.
This tour and activity is open to classes and students of all backgrounds, including students with disabilities, ensuring the inclusivity of all students.
10 - 25 participants in-person depending on the class size, and an unlimited number of students for virtual tours and activities.
Using illustration and drawing as a creative outlet, students are encouraged to think critically about the importance and significance of uniforms in the military. In doing so, these ideas will enable them to make connections between the past and present by comparing and connecting elements of military uniforms from The Battle of York to Canadian military uniforms of the present day. The goal is for students to better understand the history of Fort York and the National Historic Site while also allowing them to strategize on how they can merge both the past and present.
Tour and Activity Plan
Students participating on-site will be meeting at the entrance of the Fort York National Historic Site with teachers
Staff who facilitate the Fort York National Historic Site will work with classes and give a brief introduction to the museum to students and the different attractions to help educate visitors on the history of Fort York.
Students will be asked to question themselves on their own interpretation of uniforms. What attributes of a uniform hold value to them?
Students will be presented with various uniforms dating back to uniforms for privates of the Grenadier Company of the 8th Regiment in 1813, to uniforms worn by men and women of the Fort York Guard. These uniforms are made from different materials and have been designed differently for centuries. The uniforms also vary in terms of rank for each soldier as well.
Students will be given detailed explanations of each of the uniforms analyzed and will be asked the following discussion questions as they view each uniform, and the photographs provided:
What differences do you see between uniforms made for soldiers of various ranks?
What qualities and attributes were used to differentiate uniforms worn by officers and other troops, as opposed to soldiers in command, such as Lieutenants and/or Captains?
Do you think these uniforms have evolved and/or changed since the Battle of York? Explain why and how
Examples of objects that would be presented to students during the tour:
1. The 8th (The King’s) Regiment of Foot, Grenadier Company Private Coatee, 1813 (Courtesy of Fort York Collection)
As mentioned on the Fort York National Historic Site website, under the Gallery page, this specific uniform is made of red cloth with matted wool material and includes a total of 32 pewter buttons. These attributes are shown in the illustrations and photographs taken of later uniforms displayed on-site at Fort York and online as well.
2. Illustration of the 23rd Regiment, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Though this image is not on display at the Fort York National Historic Site museum, students participating in the tour on-site and virtually will have the opportunity to view this illustration as well.
According to the Gallery page on Fort York National Historic Site's website, this regiment had been stationed for duty at Fort York in the early 1850s.
This illustration was taken from a book from the library in the Department of National Defence, located in Ottawa.
- What does the uniform these soldiers are wearing say about their work and who they are?
- After analyzing the details in these uniforms, where do you think this Regiment originated from? What details signify this?
3. Group/Independent Activity: Design A Uniform! (16 Minutes):
Students will now have the opportunity to compile ideas gathered throughout the tour to help create a visualization of a uniform combining past and present Canadian military uniforms. They can choose a partner to work with or decide to work independently on the activity.
For students attending the tour in person, this activity will take place in the Officer’s Barracks & Mess.
Objective:
To encourage students to think creatively about how they can make connections between the past and present of war using military uniforms. This activity will enable students to think critically about the uniforms analyzed throughout the tour and the ideas and information presented to them as they make connections from the past to the present day when illustrating their military uniform designs.
Materials:
Students will be provided with the necessary tools and materials for designing their uniform illustrations which will include drawing paper or white paper, coloured pencils, graphite pencils, pens, markers, erasers, sharpeners, and rulers.
Students attending the tour and activity session via Microsoft Teams or Google Meets are free to use any drawing materials and mediums of their choice, including digital drawing mediums.
Activity Instructions:
- Once the tour has concluded and students in person are gathered in the Officer's Barracks & Mess, photographs and examples of modern-day Canadian military uniforms will be provided to both in-person and online participants along with a description of materials the uniforms have been made of and how they were designed. This will be essential information to provide to students for this activity as it will ensure that they understand the context of the activity, and will have a better comprehension of how to combine elements of past uniforms of Fort York with present-day Canadian Military Uniforms.
- Students will be asked to work with a partner or independently and choose what military rank they want to design this "hybrid" uniform for. Participating students must look back at information gathered during the tour of the various Fort York National Historic Site uniforms to include elements and designs that signify these military ranks.
- This activity will encourage students to think creatively and not be afraid of experimenting with ideas and techniques.
- Once students have completed their illustrations, they will be able to present their uniform designs and share their ideas, presenting key components in their uniform designs that help connect the past and present of military uniforms analyzed throughout the tour.
Here is a rough sketch and example of a uniform design for a Corporal, based on the instructions for this activity:
This uniform's overall outline and design are based on combat uniforms for the Canadian military from recent years. The two stripes indicate that this uniform belongs to a corporal. The military beret also symbolizes the modernity of this uniform. The Canadian flag is also on the sleeve, which many modern-day Canadian military uniforms include. The colour scheme is mainly based on the Corporal uniform for the 41st Regiment of Foot uniform from 1812-1815, as well as including key elements such as the gold buttons and the collar design.
As the tour has come to an end and activities are complete, students will be asked to reflect on what they have learned about Fort York's history of uniforms. What did they learn about these uniforms and how did the tour help them better understand ranks and standings in the military? Students will also be asked to reflect on how information learned throughout the tour can be connected to their personal experiences of the past, present, and perhaps the future. They will be asked questions such as how their perception of uniforms changed after the tour and activity, and how has uniforms impacted the history of Fort York. These ideas will later be discussed in further detail in the take-home resource that teachers will provide to students.