Grade 11

This lesson focuses on the importance of both traditional and western education of First Nation students. The class will take part in an initial discussion on the topic. Students will classify and organize information about tradtional learning in First Nations culture. Students will create a life map focusing on past, present and future education in both traditional and western education. The life map is a reflection, as well as, a goal setting activity to show students the importance of education. Education in this lesson is considering the passing on of knowledge, skills and beliefs from one person or source to another person. The lesson concludes with students being asked to reflect through paragraph writing on topics dicussed throughout the lesson.

Residential schools or boarding schools as referred to in different countries, not only happened in Canada, they also happened in other countries affecting many Indigenous Groups around the world. The teacher will first familiarize studetns with the physical location of China and Magnolia on a world map. Students will improve reading skills by focusing on explicit and implicit information. Students will annotate a resource provided by highlighting explicit information and to make inferences. Once students become familiar with boarding schools in China/Magnolia and surrounding area, they will create a visual to compare and contrast ideas with Canadian residential schools. Students will create an eight frame visual to illustrate similarities and differences of schools around the world.

This lesson focuses on past and present relationships of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada. Students will reflect on prior knowledge to answer questions and take part in class discussions. The class will read, analyze and discuss several resources that focus on hardships experienced by First Nation peoples while attending residential schools, as well as, present day relations based on apologies presented by the government of Canada to Aboriginal peoples. Students will take part in a letter writing activity; working with a partner students correspond with each other by sharing difference perspectives and knowledge. The lesson encourages students to express ideas and form opinions through discussion and letter writing.

Students will review and broaden their knowledge around the term 'Reconciliation' through an introducatory brainstorm session. Students will then take part in a virtual 'scavenger hunt' in a computer lab by exploring two Web sites that will familiarize them about the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. Students will continue their learning by reading an article involving a specific example of one aspect of the agreement. Finally, students will gather and organize information from the article by writing a formal information paragraph.

The class will form a sharing circle for the introductory discussion of this lesson. The sharing circle will teach the students that when sharing ideas, thoughts and emotions with each other, students must listen and respect one another. The teacher will set rules for the circle that should not be broken. Students will discuss, using examples from their own lives, some important ideas about the past, present and future of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Canada. The goal of the activity is to understand that we must know where we come from in order to understand where we are going. The teacher will then read some real life stories recounting events of First Nation peoples and their experiences growing up in Canada. To end the lesson, students will plan an interview by creating questions, dicussing the effectiveness of the questions by collaborating with their peers and teacher, and finally, will conduct an interview with a family or community member.