At-home and at school learning resources from Learning for a Sustainable Future
Week 4: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is recognized on September 30th to inform and remind Canadians about the history of residential schools and to honour the victims and survivors, their families, and their communities. Since 2013, September 30th has been recognized as Orange Shirt Day, a day to commemorate the tragic history and long-term repercussions of residential schools. The main objective of the National Truth and Reconciliation Day is to provide Canadians with the opportunity to learn about and reflect on a tragic chapter in their country's history, as well as to remember the survivors, their families, and their communities, as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous leaders have requested.

This week's edition will connect you to some excellent resources to learn more about the cultures, stories and experiences of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. During Truth and Reconciliation week, from September 25th to 30th, we encourage all teachers and students to wear orange to honour the thousands of missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of residential schools.
The Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada (IPAC) tiled map offers a unique perspective on our country’s geography that is vital to understanding the history and diverse cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. By studying the distribution of residential schools on the Giant Floor Map, students will gain an understanding of the federal government’s agenda in removing children far from their families and communities so they could end Indigenous cultures throughout Canada. Students will use the map and timeline to learn the various names and labels for residential schools. Teachers can request the map for two weeks or download the map in a smaller size as a tiled map. The IPAC teacher’s guide contains learning activities and ways to take action.
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Grades K-3
Shi-shi-etko is the story of a little girl who will soon be leaving her family and community to go to a Residential School. Shi-shi-etko, whose name means "loves to play in the water", spends her final days with her family members continuing the traditions of her family and creating memories for her to keep on her journey. With each adult Shi-shi-etko experiences the environment around her.


Activities
  • Get outside to read Shi-shi-etko. Have students write a letter to Shi-shi-etko to tell her how they feel about the way she spent her four days before leaving home and how she may have felt the day she left home
  • Watch Phyllis Webstad present her memories of residential schools and the meaning of Orange Shirt Day. Discuss Why Phyllis was so upset about the orange shirt. Was it just the shirt? How would you feel if your parents bought you something special to start the school year and it was taken away from you? Would it be even worse if you were being sent away to a new and very strange school?
  • Take students outdoors to decorate paper orange t-shirts with artwork or words that express their ideas and feelings about Orange Shirt Day
  • Use the Giant Floor Map to learn the various names and labels for residential schools
  • Get outside to find and paint rocks to remember the children who never came home. Create a remembrance display in the schoolyard
  • Have students trace their hand, then write in the hand something they can do to help others feel like they matter
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Grades 4-6
I Am Not a Number recounts the story of Irene Couchie, a young Ojibwe girl who gets sent to a residential school. At school, she faces many cruelties, she is punished for speaking her native language and not allowed to use her real name. Instead, she is called by a number, 759. During her time at school, Irene struggles to remember who she is, and she wonders "why everything I knew and loved about who I was and where I had come from was slowly being taken away." This story brings the history of residential schools to a younger audience in a manner that can be shared and understood.


Activities
  • Read I am Not a Number to students. Ask students to illustrate all the parts of their lives that make them who they are (e.g., language, family, friends, hobbies) and describe how they would feel if these things were taken away
  • Get outside for a Sit Spot activity. Have students choose one aspect of Residential Schools (loss of language, poor nutrition or separation from family) and write a short reflection
  • Use the Giant Floor Map and timeline to learn about the residential schools' names and locations
  • Create awareness by creating collaborative posters to inform others to wear their orange shirts on September 30
  • Learn about the 94 Calls to Action. The First Nations Child & Family Caring Society has created a student-friendly version. Have each student create a poster to accompany one of the calls of action that has some significance to them
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What Can I Contribute to Meaningful Reconciliation? is 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.


Activities
  • Choose one of the inquiry questions in the What Can I Contribute to Meaningful Reconciliation and have students begin to explore what meaningful reconciliation might look like. Complete some of the suggested activities in the resource
  • Use the Giant Floor Map and timeline to gain an understanding of the various names and labels for residential schools
  • Invite an Indigenous Elder or a Residential School Survivor to share their voice and answer questions from the class. Be sure to research appropriate protocols
  • Have students reflect on the multi-generational consequences of destroying families and traditional cultures. Talk about what students have learned from their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. What would their life be like if they were not loved and taught these things? Write a letter to your parents or grandparents to thank them for their teachings
  • Discuss the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action and decide what they can do to work towards them as a class
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The resource is built on the idea of promoting understanding for Residential Schools. The lesson plan is based on the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12 year-old boy who died after running from Residential School in the 1960s. The activities 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.


Activities
  • Watch It Had to Be Done, a short documentary which explores the legacy of residential schools through two women who have lived it
  • Have students choose an issue related to Residential Schools. Come up with a inquiry question. Explain why you are interested in finding out more about this topic. Complete an action project related to this issue
  • Write a letter to elected officials, have students determine which official would be most appropriate, with an idea on how to advance reconciliation in their community
  •  Select one of the 94 Calls to Action and track its progress. Complete some of the suggested activities in the Beyond 94 Teacher’s Guide
  •  Invite an Indigenous Elder or a Residential School Survivor to share their voice and answer questions from the class. Be sure to research appropriate protocols 
  • Complete the Imagine a Canada activity in your classroom. Students can create a poem, song, painting, drawing, sculpture, rap, essay, or any other artistic medium of their choosing. Their work should show how they can be a leader in Reconciliation, to make the future of Canada a more respectful place
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About Learning Inside Out

Above you will find a selection of activities, broken down by various grade levels. These guides will be released weekly and archived on our Learning Inside Out page, so you can always access the full catalogue.

All activities have been modified from resources on our R4R database, simplified and adapted for both outdoor learning in the school yard or at-home as needed. The activity descriptions above should contain all the information and links that you need!

If you'd like to view the full original resource on R4R, including curriculum connections for every province/territory, click the activity title.

We want this guide to work for you, so your feedback is invaluable to us.
Use the feedback button at the bottom of this Guide, or email us at info@LSF-LST.ca. We would also love to see photos of students engaging in the activities, please e-mail us any pictures or videos you have!
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Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) is a Canadian charity with over 25 years of experience working within the education system. Our Resources for Rethinking (R4R) database is an award-winning collection of resources that are peer-reviewed by certified teachers and connected to curriculum in all provinces and territories. R4R is recommended on many Ministry of Education websites.
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