First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

Creation Stories and Worldviews

This topic introduces students to the foundational narratives that shape First Nations, Métis, and Inuit identities. By exploring diverse creation stories, students learn how these oral traditions establish a profound connection to the land and define the responsibilities of human beings within the natural world. This study aligns with Ontario Curriculum expectations by helping students recognize that Indigenous worldviews are diverse, sophisticated, and rooted in specific geographic territories.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• NAC1O A1.1
• NAC1O A1.2

• 20–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 60 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Land-Based Story Mapping

In small groups, students research a specific Indigenous nation's creation story and create a visual map that links narrative events to specific geographic features of Turtle Island. They present their maps to the class, explaining how the local environment (e.g., the Shield, the Arctic, the Plains) is reflected in the story's themes.

What do creation stories teach us about relationships with the land?

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

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Worldview Comparison

Students read two short excerpts from different Indigenous creation stories and individually note three core values expressed in each. They then pair up to discuss how these values differ from Western anthropocentric views before sharing their conclusions with the whole class.

How do worldviews shape cultural identity?

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Oral Tradition Elements

Set up stations featuring audio recordings of Elders, written transcripts, and visual art representing creation stories. At each station, students identify specific symbols or recurring motifs, recording their findings in a shared digital document to build a class database of Indigenous symbolism.

What are the commonalities and differences among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit worldviews?

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Indigenous creation stories are just 'myths' or 'fables' for children.

  These stories are sophisticated oral histories and legal frameworks that dictate how people should live and interact with the land. Using peer discussion to analyze the complex laws embedded in these stories helps students see them as foundational constitutional documents.

• All Indigenous peoples in Canada share the same creation story.

  There is immense diversity based on geography and culture. Hands-on mapping activities help students visually connect specific stories to distinct territories, highlighting the unique nature of each nation's worldview.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share
• Stations Rotation