Indian act lesson plan
Explore the wide variety of engaging lesson plans for grades 7-10 offered in the Assembly of First Nations Education Toolkit Unit Plan.
Unit Plan Overview
The Unit Plan includes the following elements to support teaching and learning.
- Each lesson includes activities to help students connect with, and synthesize the information from the books. The lesson may be extended at the educator’s discretion to allow students more time to comprehend and consider the material.
- Assessment suggestions in each lesson enables the educator to observe the students’ growing understanding of, and connection to, the content in the lessons.
- The Culminating Activity offers students the choice to enhance their engagement, ownership, and their personal connection to the material.
Culminating Activities
The culminating activity for the Toolkit Unit Plan may be presented in any of the following ways.
- Presentation.
- Essay.
- Art piece (e.g., song, poem, painting/drawing, dance, etc.).
- Video.
The culminating activity must focus on one aspect of the Toolkit Unit Plan (Impacts of Contact, Treaties, Indian Act, Residential Schools, and/or Cultural Competency) and demonstrate understanding, analysis, synthesis, and a personal connection to the material. Students must share their work with the educator, along with a Personal Reflection Piece (Appendix 3). Some students may or may not wish to also share their work with peers. The rubric is provided as a broad guide for assessing the culminating activity and personal reflection piece.
Lesson One: Introduction to Unit
- Students will learn how to develop a contract that emphasizes respect.
- Students will learn strategies for emotional well-being.
~45 minutes each
Classroom Contract Creation
Create a classroom contract which recognizes that difficult conversations may result from the content in this unit and always agrees to the importance of respect. The contract should outline the interactions and responsibilities of educator to students, students to educator, and students to students. Refer to your classroom’s contract prior to each lesson.
- I understand that I will be learning about the history of First Nations peoples and how it contributes to their current realities.
- My conduct will remain respectful, appropriate, and honourable when visitors are welcomed into the classroom, as they will help me further understand and appreciate the realities of First Nations people.
Knowledge Keeper or Elder Guest
Invite a local Knowledge Keeper or Elder to discuss emotional well-being when being presented with historical truths. Visit here to review guidelines for inviting a Knowledge Keeper/Elder into your classroom, read Plain Talk 8: Cultural Competency, or contact your local First Nation organization to learn appropriate protocols.
Culminating Activity Overview
Provide an overview of the culminating activity options and the rubric or assessment tool. Offer an opportunity for questions.
Brief Overview of the Unit Books
- Divide students into five groups and provide each group with either the Impacts of Contact, Treaties, Indian Act, Residential Schools, or Cultural Competency book.
- Give students about 5 minutes to briefly review the book (Virtual Adaptation: Create Zoom Breakout Rooms).
- Choose or have students choose one scriber and one speaker for each group.
- The scriber writes down what is discussed in the group and the speaker presents to the classroom what the group discussed.
- Gather the classroom together to share what was learned from each book.
- Write down their responses and thoughts. This can be referred to when the unit is complete and expanded upon as students’ learnings and thoughts change throughout the unit.
Have students write down two things they learned and one question they still have as an exit slip from the Brief Overview of the Unit Books activity.
- Chart paper and markers (Virtual Adaptation: Word document).
- Copy of Appendix 2: Rubric or assessment tool for culminating activity.
- Sticky notes for exit slip (Virtual Adaptation: Google Form).
