Perspectives on Reconciliation

Active learning works for this topic because reconciliation demands more than passive reading. Students need to engage with the TRC’s Calls to Action as living documents, not historical artifacts. Collaborative analysis and role play build the empathy and critical thinking required to understand how national trauma is communicated and addressed.

• Grade 11
• Language Arts
• 3 activities
• 25 min–90 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the rhetorical strategies, including appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos, employed in speeches and essays on Indigenous reconciliation in Canada.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of personal testimony in advocating for national policy change related to the Truth and Reconciliation process.
3. Compare and contrast the impact of different media (e.g., written essays, oral speeches, official reports) on conveying the urgency of social justice messages.
4. Synthesize information from multiple non-fiction texts to articulate a personal understanding of the relationship between historical trauma and contemporary reconciliation efforts.
5. Critique the ways in which diverse audiences are addressed within texts concerning the TRC's Calls to Action.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 90 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Calls to Action

Groups are assigned one sector of the TRC Calls to Action (e.g., Health, Education, Justice). They must research the current progress of these calls and create a 'status report' poster to present to the class, evaluating the language used in the original document.

Prepare & details

How do rhetoricians use emotional appeals to foster empathy in a diverse audience?

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Investigation: The Calls to Action, assign each group one Call to Action that relates to education or youth, as students can most easily connect to these.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

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

Role Play

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Role Play: The Editorial Board

Students act as an editorial board for a major Canadian newspaper. They must decide which parts of a reconciliation speech to highlight in a headline and lead paragraph, discussing how their choices affect the public's perception of the urgency of the issue.

Prepare & details

What is the relationship between personal testimony and national policy change?

Facilitation Tip: For Role Play: The Editorial Board, provide a sample editorial with biased language to model how tone and framing influence public perception.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Analyzing Testimony

Students read a short excerpt of survivor testimony. They identify the primary rhetorical appeal used (pathos, ethos, or logos) and discuss with a partner why that specific appeal is necessary for the goal of reconciliation.

Prepare & details

How does the choice of medium affect the urgency of a social justice message?

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share: Analyzing Testimony, ask students to focus first on identifying emotional appeals before moving to logical arguments to build confidence.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by grounding abstract concepts in concrete, student-centered tasks. Avoid rushing through the historical context—give students time to sit with the emotional weight of testimonies before asking them to analyze rhetoric. Use small-group work to reduce the isolation students may feel when confronting difficult truths. Research shows that when students see their own voices reflected in the material, they engage more deeply with the ideas of justice and responsibility.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how rhetorical strategies in TRC texts connect to specific Calls to Action. They should be able to articulate their own role in reconciliation and justify their position using evidence from personal testimonies or speeches. Participation in discussions and peer feedback should demonstrate growing awareness of collective responsibility.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: The Calls to Action, watch for students assuming that all Calls to Action have been fully addressed. Redirect by asking them to check the current status of their assigned Call using the TRC’s final report or official updates.

What to Teach Instead

Assign students to research the status of their Call to Action and present a brief update to the class, emphasizing the ongoing nature of reconciliation.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Analyzing Testimony, watch for students believing that reconciliation is only the responsibility of Indigenous communities. Redirect by asking them to identify which Calls to Action address non-Indigenous Canadians and how personal testimony strengthens those calls.

What to Teach Instead

Have students highlight examples in the testimonies where non-Indigenous Canadians are directly addressed or called to action, then discuss in pairs how this shifts responsibility.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share: Analyzing Testimony, facilitate a small group discussion using the prompt: 'Select one of the TRC's Calls to Action. How does the personal testimony you've read or heard strengthen the argument for this specific action? What emotional appeals are most effective in persuading you?' Assess students' ability to connect testimony to the Calls to Action and identify rhetorical strategies.

Quick Check

During Role Play: The Editorial Board, present students with a short excerpt from a speech or essay on reconciliation. Ask them to identify one rhetorical device (ethos, pathos, logos) used and explain in one sentence how it functions to persuade the audience. Collect responses to assess their understanding of persuasive strategies.

Peer Assessment

After Collaborative Investigation: The Calls to Action, have students draft a brief response to a specific Call to Action, incorporating elements of personal testimony or rhetorical appeals. They then exchange drafts with a partner, providing feedback on the clarity of the message and the effectiveness of the persuasive strategies used. Assess the drafts and feedback for evidence of critical analysis and empathy.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to draft a letter to a local representative advocating for one of the Calls to Action, incorporating rhetorical appeals studied in class.
• For students who struggle, provide sentence stems for the Think-Pair-Share activity to scaffold their analysis of testimony.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a guest speaker from a local Indigenous organization to discuss how reconciliation efforts are implemented in the community, connecting the Calls to Action to real-world action.

Key Vocabulary

Reconciliation	The process of establishing a mutually acceptable relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, involving addressing historical injustices and building a new relationship based on respect and understanding.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)	A Canadian commission established to document the experiences of Indigenous peoples in residential schools and to guide the process of reconciliation.
Calls to Action	The 94 specific recommendations issued by the TRC of Canada in its final report, aimed at redressing the legacy of residential schools and advancing reconciliation.
Residential Schools	A system of boarding schools for Indigenous children in Canada, established by the Canadian government and various churches, intended to assimilate them into mainstream society; they are now recognized as a site of immense trauma and cultural loss.
Personal Testimony	Firsthand accounts or statements from individuals about their lived experiences, often used to illustrate broader social or historical issues and to advocate for change.