Classroom Discussions

Throughout classroom discussions, it is important to recognize that Indigenous people are not victims first. Include time to learn about the culture, the language, as well as history, traditions, and perspectives and the many resilient people who were impacted by residential schools.

Grades 3 - 6 Classroom Discussions

When thinking about developmental readiness of your age group, here are some thoughts for you to approach in your classroom. We talk about why we wear orange - to remember the children that were taken away and couldn't be with their parents and family, couldn't speak their language, and learn their culture and identity, we wear orange so it doesn't happen again. 

Here are some ideas to connect with your students: 

- Connect with picture books. Use the book Speaking Our Truth along with the teacher resource) to bring learning into the classroom. 

- Share Phyllis' story in video and by using the pdf story in French and English.  

- We can share concrete examples from stories like When I Was Eight (your school has this book in both English and French). 

- See here for more books that your school has. 

- Sign up to paint with Moses Lunham to have an art piece to bring your learning together. 

When I talk with my own young children and to classes, I talk about families that speak another language and how they couldn't speak their ancestral language, the language knew in their home. We talk about how this eliminates identity, belonging, and connection in a developmentally appropriate way and how it would create a barrier between the children and their parents and family. In addition to language being removed, there is an incredible impact of losing ones identity such as cutting hair, being given a number in place of the child's name, being removed from siblings. 

Please contact cortnee.goure@sccdsb.net for further information about how to raise awareness and build understanding in your school and check out this Indigenous Education SCCDSB website below for resources and links to lesson ideas for before and after this important day and week is recognized