Learning about the prime ministers of Canada in middle school might not sound like an exciting topic, but through fun and engaging activities, your students will love learning more about the leaders of Canada.
This blog post has interesting and cool facts about Canada’s prime ministers. You can share these facts with your middle school class if they are learning about the prime ministers of Canada or Canada’s history or if you just want something fun to do in history class.
These interesting prime minister facts can help engage students by personalizing our leaders and showcasing their quirkier sides. Your students might only see them as being leaders of Canada, but they started just like everyone else.
Once you share these interesting facts, you can keep your students learning about the prime ministers of Canada through a fun and engaging research assignment.
Keep reading to learn more!
Canada’s Prime Ministers
As of 2024, Canada has had 23 prime ministers since 1867 and has only had one female prime minister: Kim Campbell. She stepped in after Brian Mulroney left the top job in 1993. Campbell took over the Progressive Conservative leadership and became prime minister from June until November 1993. She was not elected in a general election and served for the third-shortest period of time, only 123 days.
There have also been a father and son who were both prime ministers – starting with Pierre Elliot Trudeau in 1968. His son, Justin Trudeau, then became prime minister in 2015.
Cool Facts About 10 of Canada’s Prime Ministers
Below are some fun facts about Canada’s prime ministers over the years. Next to each name, their years as prime ministers are shared in parentheses.
Sir John A. Macdonald (1867 to 1873, 1878 to 1891)
It makes sense that Canada’s first prime minister was a big fan of trains. He was instrumental in building the country’s railway system.
Wilfrid Laurier (1896 to 1911)
Canada officially became a bilingual country in 1969 with the Official Languages Act, but did you know that Canada’s seventh prime minister was the first French Canadian prime minister? He also appears on the Canadian $5.00 bill.
Robert Borden (1911 to 1920)
Did you know that Borden, Canada’s eighth prime minister, was a champion of women’s rights? He was elected in 1911, supported women’s suffrage, and helped Canadian women obtain the right to vote.
Mackenzie King (1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, 1935 to 1948)
King kept a journal from 1893, when he was a student, until shortly before his death. Each journal entry was written by hand and was preserved on microfiche by the University of Toronto Press in 1960. In total, there are over 50,000 pages!
John Diefenbaker (1957 to 1963)
Elected in 1957, John Diefenbaker was known for a few things, but it’s unlikely one of them was his love of potatoes! He was once gifted a spud that looked like him.
Pierre Trudeau (1968 to 1979, 1980 to 1984)
He had flair. Trudeau was known as a charismatic leader and could also be quite a dancer. In 1977, he famously performed a pirouette behind Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, which was caught on camera for the world to see!
Brian Mulroney (1984 to 1993)
Canada’s 18th prime minister famously showcased his musical talents by crooning alongside former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. In 1985, Mulroney and Reagan belted out the song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” at a Québec City meeting nicknamed the Shamrock Summit.
Jean Chrétien (1993 to 2003)
Something that’s never really discussed about Canada’s 20th prime minister is his love of cards. Apparently, Chrétien was a very good poker player and even carried around a lucky coin to provide good fortune.
Stephen Harper (2006 to 2015)
Canada’s 22nd prime minister may have seemed a tad stuffy, but he was a huge Beatles fan. In his youth, he even played in a band called the Van Cats.
Justin Trudeau (2015 to 2025)
Justin Trudeau enjoys staying active. CNN questioned him to be the “most athletic world leader” after showing off a difficult peacock yoga pose (also known as mayurasana), taking part in a charity boxing event, “Fight For The Cure,” and having been a snowboard instructor in the 1990s.
Next time your students are learning about the prime ministers of Canada, remember to pull out these interesting facts to add a personal touch to these leaders. Students will love hearing about the quirks, hobbies, and interests that make these prime ministers just like every other Canadian.
The Importance of Research in Middle School
Research is an essential skill students need to develop, and learning about the prime ministers of Canada is a great topic. Middle school is the perfect time to introduce students to gathering, analyzing, and presenting information. Learning to research helps build critical thinking skills, improve reading comprehension, and boost students’ curiosity.
When students research Canada’s Prime Ministers, they learn not only about politics but also about leadership, decision-making, and how individuals can impact society.
When you teach your students to research beyond the facts, you can enhance their understanding of Canada’s prime ministers by having them explore the individual and more human side of history. Before they were the country’s leaders, Canada’s prime ministers started as regular people, just like your students.
Through research and learning about the prime ministers of Canada, students gain a more well-rounded understanding of Canadian history and government. More importantly, they develop critical thinking, information literacy, and practical communication skills. These skills not only help students in middle school, high school, and beyond, but they can also help students in their future careers and everyday life.
Learning about the prime ministers of Canada will help students develop essential learning skills as they make meaningful connections to the past.
For more resources on helping middle school students with research, check out How to Research Efficiently and Successfully, Creative Ways to Teach Middle School Research Skills, and 10 Ways To Develop Research Skills in Middle School Students.
Learning About the Prime Ministers of Canada in Middle School Through Research
A great way to make Canadian history come alive is for students to research a Canadian prime minister and present their findings. For this Prime Ministers of Canada Research Assignment, students will research a Canadian Prime Minister and create a short, 1–2 minute presentation to share with the class.
Use the interesting prime minister facts listed above to give students a brief introduction to a leader they may want to learn more about.
This research assignment includes:
- Detailed Lesson Plan
- Assignment Sheet
- Research Links
- Graphic Organizers
- Sample Answers
- Assessment Options
- Print & Digital Formats
This resource includes individual PDFs of student pages to assist with online learning and Google Slides™ versions of the included lessons for 1:1 technology schools.
Here’s what teachers have said about this assignment:
“Over the years, I’ve found that so many students in middle school do not know about many of the Canadian prime ministers. This is a great way to give students the opportunity to find out more 🙂 Thank you!” – Jodi Z.
“My students were engaged in finding out information about their particular Prime Minister. It was a great opportunity to teach them to skim for information and create jot notes. The clear explanation of expectations & rubrics were very helpful. Students easily transferred their jot notes into ONE slide powerpoints that they shared with me for assessment and presentations.” – Donna D.
You can find the Prime Ministers of Canada Research Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Continue Learning About the Prime Ministers of Canada with a Digital Escape Room
Once your students have completed their research and presentations on Canada’s prime ministers, keep the learning going with a fun digital escape room.
The Prime Ministers of Canada Digital Escape Room allows students to work independently or with their peers to solve 11 challenges related to Canadian Prime Ministers. Students solve the required challenges to “escape” the museum room they accidentally locked themselves in.
To solve each challenge, participants will use their reading and listening comprehension skills, as well as their knowledge of Canada and its prime ministers.
This fun digital escape room resource includes:
- Digital Escape Room with 11 Challenges (“locks”)
- Detailed teacher directions
- Answer Key
- Student Instructions
- Reflection Questions
Canadian Prime Ministers Covered:
- Richard Bedford Bennett
- John George Diefenbaker
- Lester Bowles Pearson
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau
- Martin Brian Mulroney
- Joseph-Jacques Jean Chrétien
- Stephen Joseph Harper
- Justin Pierre James Trudeau
Here’s what teachers have said about this digital escape room:
“I used this as an introduction to our history unit on a Friday afternoon and students loved it! A good variety of activities that kept students engaged the entire period. Thank you!” – Chelsea N.
“My students had just done learning about Prime Ministers and here came an Escape Room with more varied information to learn and fun ways to do it through videos, ciphers, and readings. I partnered my grade 6s up on laptops and put a timer up. I gave them ONE BIG HINT if asked and then only “how to” questions after that (ex how to read a cipher). They flew through the challenges and when time was up there was a loud outcry beggin for more time cuz they wanted to beat the challenge. Will definitely do this one again! I’m going to add the learning from this escape room into the kahoot I’m creating as well.” – Donna D.
You can find the Prime Ministers of Canada Digital Escape Room on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
History Can Be Fun
It can take a little work, but history – especially Canadian history – can be fun. Using various tools and types of assignments, as well as emphasizing the personal, can help bring history alive in the classroom. Encouraging students to explore the lives of past leaders allows them to connect with history in a more engaging and meaningful way.
More history resources and articles:
- Canadian History Sub Plans Bundle
- Engaging Grade 7 History Lesson Plans
- Engaging Grade 8 History Lesson Plans
- 13 Ways To Make History Class Engaging For Students
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