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Social Sciences and Humanities

Lesson Plans

Responsibility
Grade 1; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students learn about how Aboriginal peoples demonstrate responsibility for themselves, others, and the environment around them. Students make connections to similar ways in which they demonstrate responsibility.
Rights, Property, Shared Environment, Heritage and Citizenship

Respecting Mother Earth
Grade 1; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students explore Aboriginal and other community perspectives on respect for the land, and develop a personal connection to protecting the earth.
Recycle, Waste, Respect, Environment, Farming

The Things We Need
Grade 1; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students identify the needs of humans, how these needs are met in different cultures, and who is involved in meeting these needs.
Staple Diet, Shelter, Food, Recreation, Cooking

Naming Ceremony
Grade 2; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students learn about names and naming traditions, and examine how these and other aspects of culture and community are passed on through the generations.
Heritage, Traditions, Celebrations, Families, Cultures

Social Celebrations - Remembrance Day
Grade 2; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students learn about the contributions of Aboriginal people to Canada’s military since 1812.
Remembrance Day, Canada Day, Victoria Day, Aboriginal Solidarity Day, Chinese New Year, World War I, World War II, Korean War

Seasonal Traditions
Grade 2; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students use a medicine wheel as the framework for learning about seasonal traditions common to their cultures and their community.
Cultures, Generations, Medicine Wheels, Life, Cycles of Nature, Traditions

Seventh-Generation Stewardship
Grade 3; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students use the Aboriginal concept of seventh-generation stewardship as a framework for exploring their responsibilities for the land, animals, air, and water for future generations.
Urban, Rural, Natural Environment, Water

Feasts of Thanksgiving
Grade 3; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students explore Aboriginal foods and feast traditions, and make connections between Canadian Thanksgiving and other thanksgiving celebrations.
Early Settlers, Celebrations, Thanksgiving, Origins, Feasts

What Settlers Learned From Aboriginal People - Food Preservation
Grade 3; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students research how food was preserved and stored by early settlers and Aboriginal people, and share the information in a feature article for a children’s magazine.
Early Settlement, Medicinal Plants, Transportation, Hunters, Gatherers, Food Preservation

What Settlers Learned From Aboriginal People - Technology
Grade 3; Primary
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students research how food was preserved and stored by early settlers and Aboriginal people, and share the information in a feature article for a children’s magazine.
Tools, Technologies, Inventions, Survival

Exchanges Between Communities
Grade 4; Junior
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students learn about goods and services produced by Aboriginal communities in Ontario and how they are exchanged for goods and services from other Ontario communities.
Goods, Services, Trade, Exchange

Walking In Someone Else's Shoes
Grade 4; Junior
The Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Using shoes as a metaphor, students research and share information about the differences between the physical regions of Ontario and Canada.
Communities, Regions, Population, Language, Environment

Celebrating National Aboriginal Day
Grade 5; Junior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students learn about the importance of National Aboriginal Day and celebrate it with their classmates.
Ceremonies, Celebrations, Commemorate, Summer Solstice, Heritage

Using and Making Maps
Grade 5; Junior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Using maps, students explore and compare a North American Aboriginal nation that existed at the time of European contact with an early civilization on another continent.
Regions, Civilizations, Maps, Geography

Achievements of Aboriginal People in Canada
Grade 6; Junior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students research the contributions and achievements of Aboriginal people in Canada.
Achievements, Contributions, Recognition

Current Aboriginal Perspectives
Grade 6; Junior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students invite members of the Aboriginal community into the classroom for a presentation and/or interview to explore present-day issues facing First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people.
Land Claims, Status, Rights, Poverty, Residential Schools

Different but Similar - Comparing Algonquian and Iroquoian Nations
Grade 6; Junior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students research and compare key social and cultural characteristics of nations within the Algonquian and Iroquoian groups.
Nations, Dialects, Language, Knowledge, Lifestyle

Issues Facing First Nations Today
Grade 6; Junior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords:  Students gain an understanding of the treaty-making process and the impact that the treaties made between Aboriginal peoples and the federal government are still having today. They participate in a simulated negotiation of an agreement to share a territory.
Treaties, Land Claims, Government, Negotiation, Agreement

Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Grade 7; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students examine similarities and differences in culture, values, goals, and interests within and across Aboriginal, French, and English populations in New France.
Similarities, Differences, Comparing, Contrasting

Exploring Cultural Differences
Grade 7; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students learn about cultural similarities and differences among Aboriginal groups and between the French and Aboriginal people in New France. They also learn about the impact the similarities and differences had on relations among Aboriginal groups and between Aboriginal groups and the French.
Conflict, Cooperation, Homogeneous, Diversity

Important Aboriginal Women
Grade 8; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students research an Aboriginal woman from the past to learn about her contribution to the lives of Aboriginal women and children.
Individuals, Events, Change

Lives of Metis and First Nation Peoples in Western Canada in the 1890s
Grade 8; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students research and compare how Métis and First Nation peoples lived in western Canada in the last decade of the nineteenth century.
Ways of Life, Harmony, Integrating

The Red River Rebellion
Grade 8; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students explore the roles of key individuals and groups in the Red River Rebellion and the impact of the conflict on the development of western Canada.
Causes, Results, Treaty #6

Treaties 1-8
Grade 8; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students research Treaties 1 to 8 and develop an understanding of their impact on the past and present lives of First Nation peoples, and consider what future impact they will have.
Land, Resources, Exchange, Rights

Treaties and Legislation - Transforming Lifestyles
Grade 8; Intermediate
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students examine the seven treaties signed by First Nations in western Canada and the federal government between 1871 and 1877 (Treaties 1 to 7) and the Indian Act of 1876 and compare the lives of First Nation peoples in western Canada before and after the treaties were signed and the legislation came into effect.
Transformed, Lifestyles, Concessions, Culture

Cultural and Historical Contributions
Grade 10; Senior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students identify aspects of everyday Canadian life that are Aboriginal in origin, and explore key contributions such as Aboriginal Canadians’ role in the two world wars.
Local, National, Global

Geotechnologies and First Nations Issues
Grade 11; Senior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students study the role played by geotechnologies in addressing First Nation issues by examining a variety of community projects in Canada.
Land claims, reserve management, resource inventories

Aboriginal Peoples' Rights in Canada
Grade 11; Senior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students explore the context and history of Aboriginal rights in Canada and examine current issues and perspectives through research, writing, and discussion.
Rights, Benefits, Laws, Treaties

Shaping the Political Landscape
Grade 11; Senior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students study the background, aims, and actions of national Aboriginal organizations and their influence on Canadian government policies.
Political, Interest Groups, Influence, Government

Resource Development and Its Impact
Grade 12; Senior
Ontario Ministry of Education - The Teacher's Toolkit
Description/Keywords: Students study the economic, cultural, and social impacts of resource development on Aboriginal communities.
Traditional lands, Social, Cultural, Impact

My Own Blanket
(Grades K-4) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Social Studies, Visual Arts, Math

The Tipi, The Circle Model and Governance: Blackfoot Nation Lesson Plan
(Grades 1-6; Level Primary/Junior) Subject Strands: Political Science, Law, Architecture

Four Directions, Four Aspects of Self: Cree Nation Lesson Plan
(Grades 1-6; Level Primary/Junior) Subject Strands: Social Studies and Language

Giving Thanks: Mohawk Nation Lesson Plan
(Grades 1-6; Level Primary/Junior) Subject Strand: Social Studies

Mi'kmaq Creation Story: Mi'kmaq Nation Lesson Plan 
(Grades 1-6; Level Primary/Junior) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Drama, Social Studies, Science

First Nations Oral Traditions
(Grades 4+) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Social Studies, Drama

Examining Folklore
(Grades 4+) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Social Studies, Dance

Story Telling
(Grades 4+) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Social Studies, Drama

Culminating Projects
(Grades 4+) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Social Studies

Who Am I?
(Grades 4-6) Subject Strands: Language Arts, Social Studies, Visual Arts

First Nations In The Media
(Grade 6) Subject Strands: Social Studies - Heritage and Citizenship, Language Arts - Media Literacy

Who Tells The Story?
(Grade 7) Subject Strands: History - New France

The Tipi, The Circle Model and Governance: Blackfoot Nation Lesson Plan
(Grades 10-12; Level Senior) Subject Strands: Political Science, Law, Architecture

The Four Sky Dwellers and The Tree of Peace: Mohank Nation Lesson Plan
(Grades 10-12; Level Senior) Subject Strand: History

Mi'kmaq Creation Story:  Mi'kmaq Nation Lesson Plan
(Grades 10-12; Level Senior) Subject Strands: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Space Science, Philosophy

Collecting Oral History
(Any Grade) Subject Strands: Language, Social Studies

A Critical Challenge Approach to Aboriginal Art
(Any Grade) Subject Strands: Social Studies, Visual Arts, Language Arts

Resources

Contained in this section, you'll find a collection of resources that address a broad range of Aboriginal experiences and topics related to social studies, history and geography.  Please see the sidebar menu for featured topics.

The First Nations', Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada:  2006 Census Data

In this lesson written by The Critical Thinking Consortium with editorial input and subject matter expertise from Statistics Canada's Education Outreach Program and Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, students will use census data to learn about Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.  Data will then be used to infer the needs of a young and growing Aboriginal population.  (Level Intermediate; Grade 9)

Know Your Rights - Aboriginal Rights

Using First Nations Literature in the Classroom

From the website: "This unit consists of four sections. Each section begins with a chart that summarizes the objectives that will be covered in that particular section as well as what types of activities will be used to achieve the listed objectives. Following the summary chart, you will find a description of the activity, samples of how charts (templates) are to be completed and links to any templates."  The website suggests that these lesson plans can be adapted to literature from any culture, so long as the literary resources are available.  From Saskatchewan.

Where We live - Who We Are

From the website: "The heritage and history of some Canadians go back much further in Canada than those of others. These first inhabitants developed technologies that enabled them to live in balance with the environment in which they lived. In each region of the country, they developed different cultures and ways of life, depending in part on the climate and the natural resources available to them. This activity explores the history of how different Aboriginal groups interacted with the environment in which they lived. Aboriginal peoples of Canada adapted to change in the past, and continue to do so today."  (Level Junior/Intermediate) 

The Fur Trade: "Jimmy Goes Home"

From the website: "The following lesson plans are designed to help students gain a better understanding of Aboriginal and European contributions to the development of Canada. Comprehension questions draw out some of the pertinent points of the story; a mapping exercise helps students with a spatial representation of the story, and a journal writing exercise gives students a chance to creatively empathize with the characters of the story. Additional activities contrast two different types of aboriginal housing as well as compare bartering to a monetary system of exchange. The story and lesson plans are aimed at grades 4 through 6 and can be used as an integrated unit that incorporates Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies."  (Level Junior)

Lessons From The Land: A cultural journey through the NWT. 

Wabanaki: People of the Dawn

This video and learning guide package focuses on the Mi'kmaw people of Nova Scotia.  (Level Intermediate/Senior)

Takuginai (pronounced Ta-koo-gee-nye - Look Here)

This website is an extension of the popular children's program produced by IBC- the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation featuring puppets such as Johnny the Lemming, Malaiya, Isaaci, Puuki and Meesee. The Inuit version of Sesame Street.  A great way of learning about Inuit life today. Suitable for Elementary and Junior levels.