Educational Programs text and image of the Diefenbunker's War Cabinet Room.

Daily Life in the Diefenbunker

Educational program description

In this program, students explore what life would have been like in the Diefenbunker during a lockdown. Divided into three groups (military, civilian, and government), they discover how each group would operate during an emergency. They then debate the importance of everyone’s role in the defense of the country, to decide who among them warrants one of the limited spots in the bunker.

Includes an informative tour component and an interactive activity with discussion.

Grade Level:
> Ontario - Grade 5–10
> Quebec - Elementary 5–6, Secondary I–IV

Format:
> On-Site

Duration:
> 2 hours

Cost:
> Starting at $13.00 per student

Language:
> English
> French (available by request)

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Review details on scheduling, pricing, and other logistics before you book.

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Learning goals and curriculum connections

This program is great for social studies, geography, history, politics, science and language classes.

Some skills students will learn in this program are problem-solving, collaboration, responsibility, adaptability, and making difficult decisions.

ONTARIO - Elementary (Grades 5–8)

Grade 5 Social Studies: Learn about the different roles in the national government, as well as the role of civilians and military, and examine some of the actions they took during the Cold War.

Strand B: The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship

Grade 6 Social Studies: Learn about Canada's international relations during the Cold War and compare a proposed community from the time with our values today.

Strand B: Canada's Interactions with the Global Community

Grade 7 Geography: Learn about which roles of government consider the physical environment while examining a scenario of a potential human disaster during the Cold War.

Strand A: Physical Patterns in a Changing World

Grade 8 Geography: Learn about a specific population settlement and decide which roles would be the most important in this settlement.

Strand A: Global Settlement, Patterns, and Sustainability

Grade 5–8 Language (English/French Immersion): Make predictions and inferences on the necessary staff needed to run the country during the Cold War and discuss these with classmates.

Strand: Oral Communication

Grade 5–8 Science and Technology: Learn about a structure and system that was built in case of human disaster and see how science had to work with other disciplines during this time.

Strand D: Structures and Mechanisms

ONTARIO - Secondary (Grades 9–10)

Grade 9 Geography: Learn about different roles and responsibilities in the bunker, including who was in charge of decisions for the natural environment and the Canadian population.

Strand B: Physical Geography and Physical Processes in Canada
Strand D: Changing Populations

Grade 10 History: Taking a historical perspective, decide which civilians, military, and government personnel were necessary to run the country in case of nuclear war.

Strand D: Canada, 1945–1982
Strand E: Canada, 1982 to the Present

Grade 10 Civics: Learn about the different departments of government, and the important roles civilians and military played in a historical scenario.

Strand B: Civic Awareness

Grade 9–10 English/French Immersion: Make predictions and inferences on the necessary staff needed to run the country during the Cold War and discuss these with classmates.

Strand: Oral Communication

QUEBEC - Elementary (Grades 5–6)

Geography, History, and Citizenship Education (5–6): Learn about the threat of the Cold War, which would have affected Quebec in the 1980s and examine the organization of society, and specifically the government at this time.

Competency 1: To understand the organization of a society in its territory
Competency 2: To interpret change in a society and its territory
Competency 3: To be open to the diversity of societies and their territories

Language English or French (5–6): After learning about the Cold War, prioritize who would be the most important people to have in the bunker and have a class discussion over these roles.

English - Competency 4: To use language to communicate and learn
French - Compétence 3 : Communiquer oralement

QUEBEC - Secondary (Grades 7–10)

History and Citizenship (I–II): Learn about the social phenomena from the Cold War period and decide which roles would have been the most important in the bunker considering the social phenomena of the time.

Competency 1: Examines social phenomena from a historical perspective
Competency 2: Interprets social phenomena using the historical method
Competency 3: Constructs his/her consciousness of citizenship through the study of history
Specific timelines: Social phenomenon of the present

History of Quebec and Canada (III–IV): Learn about the different historical actors from the Cold War and specifically examine which actors would have been making decisions in a nuclear war.

Competency 1: Characterizes a period in the history of Quebec and Canada
Competency 2: Interprets a social phenomenon
Specific Periods:
- 1945–1980 The modernization of Quebec and the Quiet Revolution
- From 1980 to our time: Societal Choices in Contemporary Quebec

Language English or French (I–IV): After learning about the Cold War, prioritize who would be the most important people to have in the bunker and have a class discussion over these roles.

English - Competency 1: Uses language/talk to communicate and learn
French - Compétence 3 : Communiquer oralement selon des modalités variées

The Diefenbunker is one of the most unique educational sites in Canada, offering an experiential learning environment, 75 feet underground. Students can immerse themselves in the Cold War and experience Canadian history from a perspective unlike any other. Explore our themed programs with links to elementary and secondary school curriculum.

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