Residential Schools: Teacher's Resource Guide: Teacher Kits, Lesson Plans, and Other Resources
Lesson Plans for Orange Shirt Day
- The Manitoba's Teachers' Society
Provides a brief explanation of Orange Shirt Day and highlights lesson plans and activities that can be used by educators to teach on residential schools.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17)
Other Lesson Plan Ideas
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Contains materials that can be used in the classroom and a section for teachers that includes lesson plans. Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17)
Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters
Has information on ths history of Orange Shirt Day. It also incudes videos and lesson plans to enhance students' understanding of Orange Shirt Day and the residential school system.
Photo from Projectofheart on Flickr. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Resources with Lesson Plans and Classroom Activites
- 100 Years of Loss : The Residential School System In Canada
Call Number: 371.9797 ONE 2011
ISBN: 9781100214139
Created by the Legacy of Hope, a non-profit charitable Aboriginal organization in Canada, the 100 Years of Loss Edu-Kit is designed to assist teachers in educating students about the history and the legacy of residential schools. The development of the resource, a first of its kind, grew out of the increasing calls from educators for materials they could use in the classroom to raise awareness and teach students about this important period of Canadian colonial history and the process of reconciliation that lies ahead for all Canadians.
The kit contains a teacher’s guide and six lesson plans that cover the following topics: the Federal Apology; the creation of the schools; identity; a day in the life of a child at residential school; the legacy of the system and the impacts on Aboriginal peoples; and healing and reconciliation. Preceding each lesson plan is a section to assist teachers in preparing for the lesson. Additional materials include a five-banner wall-mounted timeline that can be displayed in the classroom, and a teacher’s resource book and DVD, complete with survivor’s testimonies, images, primary documents, videos, worksheets, glossary of terms, and up to 24 hours of classroom activities. The kit is recommended for students ages 11-18.
Suggested Grade Levels: 6-12 (ages 11-17) - Deepening Our Knowledge: Residential Schools - Ideas for Class Activites and Lesson PlansCreated by the University of Toronto, the site contains lesson plans and activities related to teaching about many Indigenous-focused topics including residential schools. If you are a teacher choose "I AM...a teacher" from the dropdown box and follow other prompts as they appear.
- First Nations Education Steering CommitteeCreated by the First Nations Education Steering Committee, The Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resources Guides contain numerous lesson plans to teach about residential schools and reconciliation. They have developed three complete curriculum guides for Grade 5, Grade 10, and Grade 11/12.
Suggested Grade Levels: 5, 10-12 (ages 10, ages 15-17) - Legacy of Hope FoundationThe Legacy of Hope Foundation is an indigenous-led charity, focusing of education and awareness about the residential school system. The mission is towards creating an environment of justice and healing for all Canadians, while raising awareness of the direct and indirect impacts of the residential school system on its survivors and their descendants. The foundation also helps provide education on the history of Canada’s indigenous people and their past and ongoing contributions to life in Canada. The website is well-organized and easy to use. Extensive educational material is provided for free, including workshop guides, brochures and video. Workshop manual topics include the Métis and Inuit experience, parts of the residential school story that may not get much attention. The website also has links to exhibits. Extensive links to outside sources are also provided. Opportunities to get involved and help the cause are identified and shared. The resources provided by the website should be valuable for teachers at any level, and the fact that they come from an indigenous-run source means they should be presented with a real focus on the impacts of the residential school system.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17) - Project of the HeartProject of the Heart contains lesson plans and classroom activities submitted by educators across Canada to support teaching on residential schools. It contains teacher guides, visual aids, and a variety of other materials to assist teachers in building their curriculum.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17)
Videos
- Muffins for Granny
Call Number: E96.5 .M84 2008
The documentary film shares the stories of seven elders who went through the residential school system and explores how it impacted their lives.
Suggested Grade Levels: 9-12 (ages 14-17) - We Were Children
Call Number: E96.5 .W4 2012
This candid and emotional documentary examines the experiences of two residential school survivors and the emotion, physical, and sexual abuses they suffered while attending the schools. The film also explores the inter-generational impacts of the system.
Suggested Grade Levels: 10-12 (ages 15-17)
Websites
- Forgotten MetisCentering on the Métis experience of residential schools, this virtual collection includes a timeline of events, photographs, and resource list for all ages.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17). From The Legacy of Hope Exhibitions page. - National Centre for Truth and ReconciliationThe National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation stores information gathered by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and makes it avaible to all Canadians. Under the “Education” section, it contains materials that can be used in the classroom. It also includes a database where teachers can access photographs, newspaper stories, and other primary documents related to individual schools.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17) - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of CanadaThe site contains all the reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It has a link called "Find resources for students and educators." On this page, there is a link on top called Training Resources that educators may find helpful in teaching on the history and legacy of the residential school system.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17); 17+ and Adult resources - We Were So Far AwayA digital exhibit that focuses on the Inuit residential school experience. The exhibition includes photos, a timeline of events, a print collection of survivors’ testimonies, and a resource list. Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17). From the Legacy of Hope Exhibitions page.
- Where Are The ChildrenA virtual exhibit that includes photos, a timeline of the residential school system, a video collection of survivors' testimonies, and a resource list for all age levels.
Suggested Grade Levels: K-12 (ages 4-17)