Canadian Studies · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

Indigenous Land Stewardship

Active learning works for this topic because students need to grasp complex relationships between culture, language, and land. By engaging in role-play and discussions, they move beyond abstract definitions to personalize stewardship values in ways that stick.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: B2.6. Describe the spiritual and cultural significance of the land for Indigenous peoples in Canada.
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C2.4. Describe some key resource management strategies developed by Indigenous peoples in Canada.
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C2.5. Explain the importance of stewardship in resource management.

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

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Stewardship vs. Ownership

Students jot individual notes on stewardship and ownership definitions from readings. In pairs, they compare ideas and create a Venn diagram highlighting differences. Pairs share one key insight with the whole class for collective discussion.

Differentiate between Indigenous concepts of 'stewardship' and Western concepts of 'ownership' of land.

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence stems to help students frame stewardship vs. ownership comparisons.

What to look for

Pose the following question to students: 'Imagine you are advising a government official on a new development project proposed for an area with significant Indigenous cultural heritage. What key questions would you ask to ensure Indigenous stewardship principles are respected and integrated into the decision-making process?'

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

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Language-Land Connections

Small groups research and poster local Indigenous terms for land features, like rivers or berries. Groups place posters around the room. Class members walk the gallery, noting connections and asking poster creators questions.

Analyze how Indigenous languages and cultural practices are deeply connected to specific local environments.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, assign small groups to curate one language-land connection poster each, ensuring all voices contribute.

What to look for

Provide students with a short case study describing a historical or contemporary conflict between industrial development and Indigenous land use. Ask them to identify one specific impact on traditional practices and one way Indigenous stewardship principles could have offered an alternative approach.

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

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Industrial Impacts

Assign small groups specific cases, like a pipeline project. Groups analyze effects on stewardship using provided sources. Experts from each group teach their case to new jigsaw groups for broader understanding.

Critique the impact of industrial development on traditional Indigenous land use and cultural practices.

Facilitation Tip

In the Case Study Jigsaw, require each group to present both the industrial impact and a proposed Indigenous alternative.

What to look for

On an index card, students should write down one word that represents an Indigenous concept of land relationship and one word that represents a Western concept of land relationship. Then, they should write one sentence explaining the fundamental difference between these two concepts.

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

Activity 04

• Socratic Seminar
• 30 min · Individual

Personal Land Acknowledgment

Individually, students reflect on their school's location and draft a land acknowledgment incorporating stewardship principles. They revise based on peer feedback, then read aloud in a class circle.

Differentiate between Indigenous concepts of 'stewardship' and Western concepts of 'ownership' of land.

Facilitation Tip

For the Personal Land Acknowledgment, give students a template with Indigenous terms from local nations to model respectful language.

What to look for

Pose the following question to students: 'Imagine you are advising a government official on a new development project proposed for an area with significant Indigenous cultural heritage. What key questions would you ask to ensure Indigenous stewardship principles are respected and integrated into the decision-making process?'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by grounding discussions in local Indigenous knowledge systems before introducing broader comparisons. Avoid framing Indigenous stewardship as a historical concept by connecting it to current land back movements and youth-led initiatives. Research shows that combining linguistic analysis with role-play builds deeper understanding of reciprocity than lectures alone.

Successful learning looks like students articulating specific Indigenous terms tied to ecosystems, debating trade-offs in development decisions, and writing personal acknowledgments that reflect relational land views. They should move from broad ideas to concrete applications.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Think-Pair-Share activity, watch for students claiming Indigenous stewardship means no human use of land.

  Redirect them to the role-play instructions, which explicitly ask them to balance harvesting needs with ecosystem health. Have them revise their examples to show reciprocity, like seasonal hunting limits or rotational burning.

• During the Case Study Jigsaw activity, watch for students assuming all Indigenous nations share identical land relationships.

  Use the jigsaw structure to assign each group a different Indigenous nation’s case study. Require them to present both similarities and differences in their stewardship approaches before debating solutions.

• During the Gallery Walk activity, watch for students applying Western ownership concepts to Indigenous land relationships.

  Ask them to compare the Indigenous terms on their posters with Western legal terms. Have pairs debate which model better supports sustainability, using evidence from their examples.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk
• Jigsaw
• Socratic Seminar