Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

Active learning works for this topic because it transforms an abstract human rights crisis into tangible, student-led exploration. Students confront systemic oppression not as distant facts but as interconnected patterns requiring their analysis and action.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada since 1982 - Grade 10
• ON: Social, Economic, and Political Context - Grade 10

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Systemic Factors

Divide class into expert groups on factors like racism, poverty, and child welfare. Each group researches one factor using inquiry report excerpts, then reforms into mixed groups to teach peers and co-create a vulnerability map. Conclude with whole-class synthesis.

Explain why MMIWG is recognized as a national human rights crisis.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw Protocol, assign each expert group a specific systemic factor from the Inquiry report and require them to prepare a one-minute summary using plain language before teaching their peers.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Based on the Inquiry's findings, what are the top three systemic factors that most significantly increase the vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls?' Have students discuss in small groups, justifying their choices with evidence from the Inquiry's reports or other course materials.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Calls for Justice

Post 10 Calls for Justice around the room with prompts. Pairs visit each station, note government responses, and add sticky notes with analysis. Regroup to prioritize three calls and draft a class action plan.

Analyze the systemic factors contributing to the vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, post Calls for Justice statements at eye level and place student-generated responses on sticky notes directly beside them to create visible dialogue between evidence and interpretation.

What to look for

Ask students to write a brief response to: 'Identify one Call for Justice from the National Inquiry and explain one specific action a government or police service could take to implement it.'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Fishbowl Discussion
• 40 min · Small Groups

Fishbowl Discussion: Police Accountability

One small group discusses inquiry findings on policing in the center circle while others observe and note key points. Rotate roles twice, then debrief as a whole class on systemic reforms needed.

Assess the government's and police's response to the National Inquiry's findings.

Facilitation Tip

Structure the Fishbowl Discussion with a clear circle of discussants and an outer circle that rotates every five minutes, ensuring all students participate in both roles and hear diverse perspectives.

What to look for

Present students with a short case study describing a scenario involving an Indigenous woman or girl. Ask them to identify which systemic factors discussed in class are at play and how they contribute to vulnerability.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Socratic Seminar
• 35 min · Individual

Timeline Mapping: Crisis Response

Individuals or pairs create timelines of MMIWG events from 1980s reports to 2023 updates, plotting government actions. Share in a whole-class digital map, assessing progress gaps.

Explain why MMIWG is recognized as a national human rights crisis.

Facilitation Tip

Use the Timeline Mapping activity to have students physically place key events on a large shared timeline, allowing them to see gaps in crisis response and recognize historical patterns they might otherwise miss.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Based on the Inquiry's findings, what are the top three systemic factors that most significantly increase the vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls?' Have students discuss in small groups, justifying their choices with evidence from the Inquiry's reports or other course materials.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with care and intention, avoiding sensationalism while maintaining academic rigor. Balance emotional engagement with critical analysis by grounding discussions in evidence from the Inquiry report rather than graphic individual cases. Research shows students learn best when they see themselves as part of the solution, so design activities that move from understanding to actionable response.

Successful learning looks like students moving beyond sympathy to identify root causes, challenge misinformation, and propose accountable responses. They should connect personal stories to structural analysis, then translate that understanding into realistic advocacy or systemic change ideas.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Jigsaw Protocol, watch for students treating cases as isolated incidents.

  Use the Jigsaw Protocol to require students to explicitly connect their assigned systemic factor to real cases from the Inquiry report, forcing them to see patterns rather than individual stories.

• During the Gallery Walk, expect students to assume the government has fully addressed the crisis.

  Use the Gallery Walk materials to have students annotate the Calls for Justice with evidence of partial implementation, gaps in funding, or unmet commitments they identify in news articles or government reports.

• During the Timeline Mapping activity, anticipate students thinking the crisis only affects remote communities.

  Have students use the timeline to plot cases from urban, rural, and northern communities, then analyze geographic distribution to recognize the national scope of the crisis.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Gallery Walk
• Fishbowl Discussion
• Socratic Seminar