Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Active learning helps students engage deeply with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission because it transforms abstract policies and historical facts into personal, memorable experiences. By participating in role-plays, analyzing primary documents, and collaborating on timelines, students process reconciliation as a lived experience rather than distant policy work.

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

• 40–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 50 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Calls to Action Progress

Divide class into groups, assign each 8-10 Calls to Action. Groups research status using government reports and post summaries, evidence, and one question on wall charts. Students rotate to read, add sticky-note responses, and vote on priority Calls. Debrief with whole-class priorities list.

Summarize the key findings and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, circulate with a clipboard to listen for students making connections between Calls to Action and current events in their provinces.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Choose one Call to Action and identify one specific action taken by a government or organization to implement it. Evaluate the effectiveness of this action.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their findings and justify their evaluations.

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

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: TRC Key Findings

Form expert groups to study report sections like Legacy or Calls summaries. Experts teach home groups through visuals and quotes. Groups then assess one Call's progress collaboratively and report out. Provide TRC summary sheets for reference.

Assess the progress made on implementing the 94 Calls to Action.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from a survivor testimony or a section of the TRC's final report. Ask them to identify the key harm described and connect it to a specific Call to Action. Collect responses to gauge comprehension.

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

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 60 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Reconciliation Summit

Assign roles like government official, survivor, educator, or youth advocate. Groups prepare positions on three Calls, then debate implementation in a simulated summit. Rotate roles midway and vote on action plans. Use rubrics for preparation and participation.

Justify the role of education in advancing reconciliation in Canada.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to write one sentence explaining why education is crucial for reconciliation in Canada, referencing at least one finding or Call to Action from the TRC.

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

Activity 04

• Timeline Challenge
• 40 min · Pairs

Timeline Challenge: Personal Reconciliation Pledge

Individually create timelines of TRC events and personal connections to Calls. Pairs share and refine, then contribute to class mural. End with pledges for school-based actions like language weeks. Supply timeline templates.

Summarize the key findings and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Choose one Call to Action and identify one specific action taken by a government or organization to implement it. Evaluate the effectiveness of this action.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their findings and justify their evaluations.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with care and clarity. Avoid overwhelming students with heavy content by breaking lessons into manageable segments and pairing discussions with structured activities. Research shows that students retain information better when they apply knowledge through role-play or timelines rather than passive listening.

Successful learning looks like students confidently connecting survivor testimonies to specific Calls to Action, identifying gaps in implementation, and articulating their personal role in reconciliation. You will see evidence of critical thinking when students debate implementation progress and propose actionable next steps based on their research.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Timeline: Personal Reconciliation Pledge activity, watch for students suggesting the 2008 apology fully resolved reconciliation.

  Use the timeline cards to map the apology alongside the 94 Calls to Action, prompting students to mark which calls had no progress or were only partially addressed by 2023.

• During the Gallery Walk: Calls to Action Progress activity, watch for students assuming most calls have been fully implemented.

  Have students tally completed, in-progress, and not started calls on sticky notes, then analyze why certain sectors lag in implementation during the gallery walk debrief.

• During the Role-Play: Reconciliation Summit activity, watch for students viewing reconciliation as only relevant to Indigenous communities.

  Assign diverse stakeholder roles including educators, health workers, and policymakers, and require each group to propose actions that address a Call to Action affecting their sector.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Jigsaw
• Timeline Challenge