Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to ActionActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps students grasp the urgency and personal relevance of the TRC Calls to Action by moving beyond abstract facts into tangible, collaborative work. When students analyze specific calls, discuss real-world applications, and create personal responses, they connect emotionally and intellectually to reconciliation, making it more than a historical footnote.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify at least three specific Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission related to education or youth.
- 2Analyze how one selected Call to Action aims to address historical injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada.
- 3Construct a personal action plan detailing two specific ways to contribute to reconciliation based on a chosen Call to Action.
- 4Explain the connection between the Calls to Action and the concept of responsible citizenship in Canada.
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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.
Prepare & details
Identify specific Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Facilitation Tip: During 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.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
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.
Prepare & details
Analyze how the Calls to Action aim to address historical injustices.
Facilitation Tip: In 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.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
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.
Prepare & details
Construct a personal response to a Call to Action, outlining how you can contribute.
Facilitation Tip: For 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.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
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.
Prepare & details
Identify specific Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring the Role-Play Scenarios, watch for students who assume reconciliation is finished once the TRC report is published.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Timeline Mapping activity, watch for students who view residential schools as an isolated historical event.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Jigsaw Protocol, watch for students who believe TRC Calls only apply to Indigenous communities.
Assessment Ideas
After the Jigsaw Protocol, provide students with a prompt: 'Choose one Call your group studied. Write one sentence explaining its purpose and one sentence describing a concrete action you can take to support it.' Collect responses to assess understanding of call purposes and personal relevance.
During the Personal Pledge Workshop, facilitate 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 reference specific calls or pledge ideas shared during the workshop.
After the Timeline Mapping activity, ask 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 and their connections to education.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Students who finish early can research and present on a local Indigenous organization currently working on projects aligned with a TRC Call, then create a short infographic to share with the class.
- Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems or word banks for students struggling to articulate their pledges, such as 'I will…' or 'I can support Call #___ by…'.
- Deeper exploration: Invite a guest speaker, such as a Knowledge Keeper or educator, to discuss how the TRC Calls are implemented in schools today and what remains unfinished.
Key Vocabulary
| Truth and Reconciliation Commission | A Canadian commission established to inform Canadians about the truth of the residential school system and to guide the country toward reconciliation. |
| Calls to Action | Specific recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the ongoing legacy of residential schools and promote reconciliation. |
| Reconciliation | The process of establishing mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. |
| Residential Schools | Government-funded, church-run schools in Canada where Indigenous children were forced to attend from the late 1800s to the 1990s, leading to significant harm and cultural loss. |
| Indigenous Peoples | The first inhabitants of Canada, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, each with distinct cultures, languages, and histories. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Social Studies
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
RubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
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