Canadian & World Studies · Grade 11

Active learning ideas

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Active learning works for this topic because the TRC’s mandate requires students to engage with complex emotions and ethical questions, not just facts. By moving beyond lectures into collaborative tasks like tracking Calls to Action or simulating reconciliation circles, students confront the legacy of Residential Schools in a way that honors both truth and respect.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice - Grade 12
• ON: Social Justice and Personal Action - Grade 11

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 60 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Calls to Action Tracker

Groups are assigned a 'category' of the 94 Calls to Action (e.g., Education, Health, Justice). They must research what has been done since 2015 and present a 'Progress Report' to the class, identifying the biggest 'barriers' to success.

Explain the significance of 'Truth' before 'Reconciliation' in the TRC's mandate.

Facilitation Tip

During the Calls to Action Tracker, assign each group a specific Call to Action to research so they bring back concrete examples to the class.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'The TRC's mandate was 'Truth' before 'Reconciliation.' Why is this order significant? What does 'truth' mean in this context, and what are the challenges in establishing it?' Encourage students to reference historical facts and survivor testimonies.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Reconciliation Circle

Students act as members of a community (Indigenous elders, youth, government officials, teachers) and must brainstorm a 'local' reconciliation project (e.g., a new curriculum, a monument, or a land-sharing agreement). They must find a 'consensus' on the best way to move forward.

Analyze how the legacy of Residential Schools has affected intergenerational health.

Facilitation Tip

In the Reconciliation Circle simulation, provide sentence stems and protocols for speaking to model respectful communication.

What to look for

Provide students with a graphic organizer listing 3-4 of the TRC's Calls to Action (e.g., Calls related to child welfare, education, or justice). Ask them to research and briefly summarize one specific action taken (or not taken) by a government or institution in response to that Call to Action.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Truth Before Reconciliation

Pairs discuss why the word 'Truth' comes before 'Reconciliation.' They brainstorm why it's impossible to 'make things right' without first 'acknowledging what went wrong' and share their 'reflections' on the importance of history.

Evaluate the progress made on the Calls to Action and remaining challenges.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share prompt, give students 2 minutes to reflect individually before discussing with a partner to ensure everyone contributes.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to write one sentence explaining how the legacy of Residential Schools has affected intergenerational health, and one sentence proposing a concrete step a non-Indigenous Canadian could take towards reconciliation.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by centering Indigenous voices and survivor testimonies, using primary sources to humanize the history. Avoid framing reconciliation as a finished process or something that can be 'fixed' quickly. Instead, model critical thinking by asking students to analyze gaps between the TRC’s Calls to Action and government responses. Research suggests students need structured reflection time to process emotional content, so build in journal prompts or exit tickets regularly.

Successful learning looks like students making direct connections between historical policies and their ongoing effects on Indigenous communities. They should articulate how truth-telling differs from reconciliation and identify at least one personal or collective action they can take. Evidence of this understanding will appear in their discussions, reflections, and responses to the Calls to Action.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Calls to Action Tracker, watch for students who minimize the timeline. Redirect them by asking them to add the closing year of the last school (1996) to their timeline and compare it to modern events they know.

  Use the tracker’s research phase to have students compare the timeline of Residential Schools to recent policies like Jordan’s Principle or the MMIWG inquiry to highlight how recent this history is.

• During the Personal Pledge activity, watch for students who frame reconciliation as solely a government task. Redirect them by having them reflect on how their own families or communities could contribute.

  During the Personal Pledge activity, ask students to share their pledges in small groups and discuss which actions are within their immediate control, such as learning a greeting in an Indigenous language or attending a local event.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share