Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Intergenerational Trauma & Legacy

Active learning works for this topic because discussing intergenerational trauma and legacy requires critical thinking about sensitive, lived experiences. When students engage directly with the TRC's Calls to Action through discussion and debate, they connect abstract concepts to real-world implications and develop empathy alongside understanding.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada since 1982 - Grade 10
• ON: Identity, Citizenship, and Heritage - Grade 10

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The 94 Calls to Action

Divide the class into small groups, each assigned a category of the Calls to Action (e.g., Education, Justice, Health). Students use online trackers to determine the current status of their assigned calls and present their findings to the class.

Explain the concept of intergenerational trauma in the context of residential schools.

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation, assign small groups to focus on 2-3 Calls to Action each, then have groups present their findings in a gallery walk format to expose students to the full range of recommendations.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How can understanding intergenerational trauma help us analyze the current challenges faced by Indigenous communities in Canada? Provide at least two specific examples.' Encourage students to connect historical events to contemporary issues.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: The Role of Education in Reconciliation

Students debate the effectiveness of Call to Action #62, which calls for mandatory curriculum on residential schools. They discuss whether education alone is enough to achieve reconciliation or if it must be paired with economic and legal changes.

Analyze how the effects of residential schools continue to manifest in contemporary Indigenous communities.

Facilitation Tip

During the Structured Debate, use a timer for each speaker's turn and provide a visible pro/con chart to keep the discussion grounded in evidence from the TRC report.

What to look for

Present students with three short case studies, each describing a different contemporary issue in an Indigenous community (e.g., a health disparity, an educational challenge, a family dynamic). Ask students to identify which aspects of the case study could be linked to intergenerational trauma and explain their reasoning in 2-3 sentences.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: What Does Reconciliation Mean to You?

After reading the TRC's definition of reconciliation, students reflect individually on what it looks like in their own lives or school. They share their ideas with a partner and then contribute to a class 'reconciliation wall' of actionable ideas.

Predict the long-term societal impacts if intergenerational trauma is not addressed.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, ask students to revisit their initial responses after the debate to notice how their perspectives may have shifted.

What to look for

Ask students to write one sentence defining intergenerational trauma in their own words and one sentence predicting a positive societal change that could occur if this trauma is effectively addressed.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with clear structure and emotional safety. Start with the TRC's mandate to frame why survivors' testimonies matter more than abstract theories. Avoid rushing to solutions; instead, have students sit with the discomfort of unresolved harm. Research shows that when students analyze primary sources like survivor statements, their understanding of trauma becomes more nuanced and less prone to oversimplification.

Successful learning looks like students recognizing the difference between symbolic gestures and systemic change, applying the TRC's framework to contemporary issues, and articulating personal or societal commitments to reconciliation. Students should leave able to explain how intergenerational trauma persists and why redress matters beyond apologies.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation of the 94 Calls to Action, watch for students who equate reconciliation with verbal apologies.

  Use the Calls to Action themselves as evidence. Have students categorize each call as either symbolic (e.g., apologies) or systemic (e.g., policy changes) on a T-chart, then discuss why systemic actions are required to create lasting change.

• During the Structured Debate on education's role, watch for students who claim the TRC had the authority to punish individuals.

  Refer students to the TRC's final report introduction, which explicitly states its truth-seeking mandate. Ask them to compare this to a court's role in sentencing, then discuss why punishment was not the TRC's goal.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Formal Debate
• Think-Pair-Share