Grades K-4: The Orange Shirt Story
Six-year-old Phyllis was excited about heading off to her new school, especially when her grandmother purchased the bright orange shirt, she chose to wear on her first day. Upon entering St. Joseph's Mission School, Phyllis's excitement turned to fear as she realized she was losing everything she treasured, starting with her special shirt. Surviving the cold, harsh despair of the church institution depended on the resiliency of this small child who dreamed of returning to her grandmother's loving home. This true story explains why the orange shirt worn by Phyllis Webstad represents a movement honouring the lives of First Nations children who never returned home and how we must all never forget that “every child matters.”
Grades 2-6: Clara Clare: Loss of Language and Culture
This resource is a sensitive and age-appropriate lesson plan for the elementary classroom with a focus on identity and the impact of residential schools. The students will participate in various activities to learn the components of identity then listen to Clara Clare's story to understand her experience.
Grades 6-8: The Secret Path Middle Years Lesson Plans
This lesson plan was created to help engage teachers in reconciliation and was created to support the use of Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire’s book and CD the Secret Path, which talks about the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old boy who died after running away from Residential school in the 1960s. The lesson plan is divided in 3 mini lessons: What Were Residential Schools, Identity and an art project where students design an illustration that represents their personal ideas/thoughts on reconciliation. The lesson aims to raise awareness of the history and creation of the residential school system, its ongoing legacy, and how it has shaped the country we live in today.
Grades 6-12: What Can I Contribute to Meaningful Reconciliation?
A thorough resource that explores the causes and consequences of residential schools in Canada. The overarching question the resource attempts to answer is "What might meaningful reconciliation look like?" by considering The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action #62 and #63 as a platform for the activities. The resource not only teaches history but engages learners in critical thinking to create an understanding of what led Canada to this point and the steps to take to intentionally plan where we must go for proper reconciliation.
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