Orange Shirt Day

Grade: Gr. 6 Duration: 30 mins

Relates to ELA, social, and well-being outcomes

Learning Objectives
LO Students will:

Listen to each other

Ask questions

Explore Indigenous history

MATERIALS

Print online stories or bring computer outside

PROCEDURE

Introduction (min.):

Explain that we are going outside to talk about Orange Shirt Day and do a talking circle like in the Notes:
book Touching Spirit Bear as a symbol to connect us to each other, help us to listen better, and
show that we are all equals.

Head outside with expectations to be quiet and get into a circle immediately

Body (min.):

Reinforce that this is an indigenous tradition, to share stories in a circle where our eyes and hearts Notes:
are facing each other and acknowledge that we are on traditional Blackfoot Territory.

-Go around the circle and ask students to share their ancestry if they know it

-What do you already know about residential schools?

-Read about residential schools

https://www.orangeshirtday.org/uploads/7/9/8/7/79871818/new_master_bb_lev.1_no.1-2019-
20.pdf

Pg. 8 – Orange shirt day

Pg. 9 - One child’s story
Pg.16 – the difficult truth about residential schools
Pg. 17 – Life in residential schools
Pg. 18 – intergenerational trauma and reconciliation
Pg. 19 – All Canadians have a role to play

- What does the orange shirt symbolize?

-Recently the government of Canada has said they will invest in housing, education, and child’s
services to help with the prevention of missing indigenous women. This goes to show that some
good things are happening but also that issues that stem from residential schools are not over and
it is important that we push for change and be aware of these issues.
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1559566331686/1559566355192

-This is not something that happened long ago (the last school closed in 1996), and we need to be
aware of this history even if it’s uncomfortable, so we can be sure to not do this to any other
groups of people and treat every human, no matter how different they are than you with respect.

Closure (min.):

- This is a free space to ask questions, does anyone have any questions about residential Notes:
schools, or what might be going with our Indigenous neighbours today?
- If no one is asking, put them into smaller circles to chat about it.
- I do not have the answers, but I can look for them and ask those who have experience to
add to the conversation.