Residential Residential

LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 3, C.C. 2):
A DAY AT INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
The Indian Act of 1876 made Indian people wards of the government, which gave the government
control of First Nation, Métis and Inuit affairs. An amendment in 1894 made education
compulsory allowing schools to accept children from other First Nations. There were 120
Residential Schools in Canada over 185 years.
MATERIALS:
• Photo of Thomas Moore
• Video of A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada
(24 minutes but will only watch the first 7:45 here)
• Copies of Residential Schools daily schedule
• Copies of Agenda organizer
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Compare and contrast a day in the life of a student attending an Indian Residential
School with their own school day.
• Apply cause & consequence and perspective thinking to compose an effective
persuasive letter to the Indian Agent.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can explain important similarities and differences between the life of an Indigenous
person at Residential School to my own life.
• I can accurately apply the perspective of a person involved in the Residential Schools.
• I can apply cause/consequence thinking to develop good reasons in my persuasive
letter.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
1. Show the class the picture of Thomas Moore before and after his entrance into Regina
Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan in 1874. Please google "Thomas Moore,
Before and After Image at Residential Schools" to view this image.
2. Ask: What do you notice? Give time for all students to share what they see.
3. Have students discuss the differences in the two photos. This will activate schema
about what the First Nation's experience at Residential Schools may have been like.
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