Activity 01
Jigsaw: TRC Calls Exploration
Assign small groups one Call to Action relevant to youth or education. Groups research its background, historical context, and goals using provided texts or videos, then create a one-page summary with visuals. Experts teach their peers in a class jigsaw share-out, followed by whole-class discussion on connections.
Identify specific Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Facilitation TipDuring the Jigsaw Protocol, assign each group one or two Calls to Action and provide a graphic organizer with sections for purpose, impact, and youth relevance to structure their findings.
What to look forProvide students with a prompt: 'Choose one Call to Action we discussed. Write one sentence explaining its purpose and one sentence describing a concrete action you can take to support it.'
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Activity 02
Personal Pledge Workshop: My Response
Students select one Call to Action and brainstorm personal actions they can take, such as advocating for Indigenous content in school or learning an Indigenous language phrase. In pairs, they draft and refine pledges, then share via a class commitment wall with sticky notes.
Analyze how the Calls to Action aim to address historical injustices.
Facilitation TipIn the Personal Pledge Workshop, model vulnerability by sharing your own pledge first to create a safe space for students to reflect honestly on their roles.
What to look forFacilitate a class discussion using the question: 'How does understanding the history of residential schools and the Calls to Action connect to our responsibilities as citizens in Canada today?' Encourage students to share specific examples.
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Activity 03
Role-Play Scenarios: Implementing Calls
Divide class into scenarios where students role-play stakeholders (e.g., student, teacher, principal) responding to a Call like curriculum integration. Groups prepare skits showing challenges and solutions, perform for the class, and debrief on effective strategies.
Construct a personal response to a Call to Action, outlining how you can contribute.
Facilitation TipFor Role-Play Scenarios, assign roles that reflect diverse perspectives (e.g., school board member, Indigenous elder, student) and provide role cards with brief background information to guide authentic dialogue.
What to look forAsk students to individually list two Calls to Action relevant to youth and briefly explain the intended outcome for one of them. Review responses to gauge comprehension of the calls' purpose.
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Activity 04
Timeline Mapping: Path to Reconciliation
Individually, students plot key events from residential schools to TRC Calls on a shared timeline. In whole class, add personal future actions, discussing how individual efforts contribute to national progress.
Identify specific Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
What to look forProvide students with a prompt: 'Choose one Call to Action we discussed. Write one sentence explaining its purpose and one sentence describing a concrete action you can take to support it.'
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teachers should prioritize grounding the TRC Calls in lived experiences by using primary sources like survivor testimonies alongside the calls themselves. Avoid reducing reconciliation to a checkbox exercise by emphasizing that progress requires continuous effort and accountability. Research shows that when students engage with multiple perspectives early, they develop deeper empathy and critical thinking about systemic change.
Students will confidently identify key TRC education-focused calls, explain their purpose through examples, and articulate at least one personal commitment to reconciliation. Success is visible when students reference specific calls in discussions and support their ideas with evidence from their work in the activities.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Role-Play Scenarios, watch for students who assume reconciliation is finished once the TRC report is published.
Use the role-play debrief to highlight gaps between policy and practice, asking students to identify what each stakeholder can realistically do next, then compare their ideas to real-world barriers mentioned in the scenarios.
During the Timeline Mapping activity, watch for students who view residential schools as an isolated historical event.
Have students add an intergenerational trauma marker to their timelines and include a note about how trauma affects education today, using survivor testimonies or community stories as evidence.
During the Jigsaw Protocol, watch for students who believe TRC Calls only apply to Indigenous communities.
Methods used in this brief