First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Environmental Stewardship and Resource Development

This topic explores the intersection of Indigenous environmental stewardship and modern resource development. Students examine how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) informs Indigenous approaches to land management and how this often contrasts with industrial goals. The Ontario curriculum focuses on the 'duty to consult' and the ways Indigenous communities balance economic needs with the responsibility to protect the land for future generations.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• C3.2 Evaluate the impact of resource development on Indigenous lands
• D3.2 Explain the importance of traditional ecological knowledge

• 25–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 60 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Resource Development Hearing

Students role-play a community hearing for a proposed mine. Roles include Indigenous Elders, environmental scientists, mining company executives, and local youth. They must present their perspectives on the project's impact on the land and the local economy.

How do Indigenous communities balance economic development with environmental protection?

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

Small groups research a specific example of TEK, such as controlled burns or salmon management. They create a presentation explaining how this knowledge is scientific, sustainable, and different from Western industrial approaches.

What is the duty to consult?

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Rights of Nature

Students read about Indigenous legal frameworks that grant 'rights' to rivers or forests. They pair up to discuss how Canadian law would change if a river had the same legal standing as a person or a corporation.

How do traditional ecological knowledges inform modern environmentalism?

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Indigenous people are 'anti-development.'

  Many Indigenous communities engage in resource development but insist it must be done sustainably and with their full consent and participation. Simulations help students see the nuance in seeking 'sustainable' rather than 'no' development.

• Traditional knowledge is just 'folklore' and not relevant to modern science.

  TEK is a rigorous, observation-based system that often provides data that Western science misses. Collaborative investigations into TEK help students see its practical value in climate change adaptation and conservation.

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Methods used in this brief

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