As part of their ongoing commitment to engage teachers in reconciliation work the Manitoba Teachers' Society recently assembled a group of indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers from across the province to discuss and explore the Secret Path. This was an opportunity for teachers to create lesson and unit plans to support the teaching about Residential schools in Manitoba classrooms. The resource is built on the ideal 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.
In this lesson plan, some of the activities include:
The lesson plan does suggest enlisting the support of mentors or guides, including Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Survivors and Intergenerational survivors where appropriate and possible. Suggestions for possible action ideas and learning resources are included in the resource.
In this resource, students will learn to establish norms, do graffiti art and develop a plan for inquiry and action.
When talking about reconciliation, exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world. This could be addressed as part of those units of study that discuss citizenship education and more particularly the concept of global citizenship. It is also a useful recourse for those units of study dealing with human rights.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | Students lead their own research and questioning. Peer to peer discussions and active communications are used to form individual opinions and conclusions about the issue. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Satisfactory | Cultural and social barriers are identified, and students have a chance to reflect on the outcome of these barriers and how it can create different problems. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Good | The resource facilitates respectful consideration of First Nations people and their roles, both contemporary and historical. Ensuring this complexity and part of the students' experience with the resource with this resource will depend on the teacher's planning and preparation. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | Students will complete an inquiry/research assignment on a topic related to Reconciliation (using the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation resources) and a Take Action Piece. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | Most of this resource is centered around discussion where students can clarify their own beliefs and values. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Very Good | This resource has a First Nations focus but the framework could also be used for studies of other cultural groups. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Poor/Not considered | This is not a focus of this resource. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | This resource is specifically developed for Manitoba School District teachers, but it could also be adapted to other areas. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Good | The resource is built on the ideal of promoting understanding for Residential Schools. The resource is based on the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12 year-old boy who died after running from Residential School in the 1960s and the process of Reconciliation through education. 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. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Good | There is guided questioning provided in the lesson plan to help engage students in discussions about the issue that will then lead students towards independent thinking. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Good | The purpose of this resource is to raise awareness and understandings about First Nations Peoples and Residential Schools through Social Studies, inquiry, literature, art and ELA activities. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Good | Students will complete an inquiry/research assignment on a topic related to Reconciliation (using the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation resources). |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | This resource has many different activities which will lend itself well to different kind of learners. However, no strategies are included for learners with difficulties. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Good | This resource recommends a meeting with First Nations Elders and citizens to share stories with students. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | There are class discussions |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Good | This resource provides ideas on how to assess students, however rubrics are not included. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | Students are asked to create a summative presentation using PREZI or PowerPoint of their learning process and final project outcomes to share with the class. |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | This lesson is based on Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire's book which chronicles the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12 year old boy who died after running away from a Residential school in the 1960s. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Satisfactory | Students will choose an action project of their choice. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |