Active learning ideas
This topic focuses on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and its 94 Calls to Action. Students study the mandate of the TRC to document the history of residential schools and its role in fostering a new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The Ontario curriculum emphasizes that reconciliation is an ongoing process, not a single event, and that it requires action from all levels of society.
Activity 01
Small groups are assigned a theme from the 94 Calls to Action (e.g., Justice, Health, Education). They use online trackers to see which calls have been 'completed,' 'in progress,' or 'not started,' and present a report card to the class.
What was the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
Activity 02
Students reflect on the difference between 'performative' actions (like a social media post) and 'meaningful' actions (like policy change). They pair up to brainstorm three concrete things their school could do to support reconciliation.
How can individuals and governments implement the Calls to Action?
Activity 03
Stations feature different volumes of the TRC report (e.g., The Survivors' Speak, The Métis Experience). Students rotate to find one key quote or fact that changed their understanding of the residential school legacy.
What does meaningful reconciliation look like?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Reconciliation is just about saying 'sorry.'
Reconciliation requires concrete actions to address systemic inequalities and restore Indigenous rights. Tracking the 94 Calls to Action helps students see that an apology is only the first step in a long process of structural change.
Reconciliation is only the government's responsibility.
The TRC emphasized that reconciliation is a collective responsibility for all Canadians. Peer brainstorming about school-based actions helps students see their own role in the process.
Methods used in this brief
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