Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Origins of Residential Schools

Active learning transforms this difficult history from abstract facts into human experience. Students engage directly with primary documents, survivor voices, and policy artifacts, which builds empathy and deepens understanding in ways passive reading cannot. Movement, collaboration, and reflection help students process complex emotions while grounding their learning in evidence.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada, 1914–1929 - Grade 10
• ON: Interactions and Interdependence - Grade 10

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Davin Report

Students work in small groups to analyze excerpts from the 1879 Davin Report, which recommended the creation of residential schools. They identify the specific language used to justify the system and compare it to the actual experiences of children as told by survivors.

Explain the historical context and motivations behind the creation of residential schools.

Facilitation Tip

During the Davin Report investigation, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'What words in this document reveal the government's true intent?' to keep students focused on evidence of assimilation.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Based on the Davin Report and survivor testimonies, what were the primary motivations for establishing residential schools, and how did these motivations conflict with the lived experiences of the children?' Guide students to cite specific evidence from their readings.

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

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Individual

Gallery Walk: Survivor Testimony

Set up stations with short, age-appropriate quotes or video clips from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's survivor archives. Students move silently through the room, recording their reflections on the impact of the schools on identity and family.

Analyze the stated goals versus the actual outcomes of the residential school system.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, provide sentence stems on index cards at each station to help students frame their responses to survivor testimonies before discussing as a group.

What to look for

Ask students to write two sentences explaining the role of the Indian Act in the residential school system and one sentence describing a specific negative outcome for Indigenous families. Collect and review for comprehension of key concepts.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Indian Act and Education

Students read the sections of the Indian Act that made residential school attendance compulsory. They discuss with a partner how these laws removed parental rights and what that reveals about the government's view of Indigenous families.

Critique the role of government and religious institutions in establishing these schools.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share on the Indian Act, assign pairs based on prior knowledge to ensure mixed readiness levels and encourage peer teaching during the discussion.

What to look for

Present students with three short statements about the goals or impacts of residential schools. Ask them to label each statement as 'Stated Goal' or 'Actual Outcome' and provide a one-sentence justification for their choice.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic with both clarity and sensitivity, balancing factual rigor with emotional safety. It is important to frame the content as part of a broader system of colonial oppression, not as isolated incidents. Avoid framing the topic as 'history' without connecting it to present-day impacts. Research shows that structured reflection after emotionally intense activities prevents overwhelm and deepens learning.

Students will connect the stated goals of assimilation to the lived experiences of Indigenous children and families. They will analyze documents and testimonies to identify contradictions between policy and practice. By the end, they should articulate how residential schools were part of a systematic effort to erase Indigenous cultures, not simply isolated failures of individual schools.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation of the Davin Report, watch for comments that minimize the schools' purpose, such as 'They were just trying to give kids a better education.' Redirect students to the report's language about 'aggressive assimilation' and ask them to find evidence in the text that contradicts the idea of education as the primary goal.

  During the Gallery Walk, correct the misconception that 'Residential schools happened a long time ago and don't affect people today' by pointing students to the timeline of closures (the last school closed in 1996) and the personal stories in the testimonies. Ask them to share a detail from the testimonies that shows how recent the harm still is for families.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share