We left off the school year with unsettling feelings due to the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves from children who attended residential schools in Canada. There were news reports of Canada Day events being cancelled and displays of solidarity being shown through pairs of shoes at the parliament buildings and at local landmarks to remember those children who died tragically.
As we slowly start to gear up for back to school, Orange Shirt Day and the Every Child Matters campaign will be the main theme for my lessons in September. A very useful resource for Orange Shirt Day in French is the Chaque Enfant Compte magazine produced by Histoire Canada. This resource is based on the seven teachings of love, truth, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, and honesty. There are suggested journalling topics as well, to help both you and your students along a journey of reconciliation.
I recommend the story book "I Am Not a Number" by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer as well. This narrative tells the story of a young girl who attended residential school and whose father tried to hide her so that she did not have to return. It details the conditions of the residential schools and tells about how she missed her life back on the reserve. In French the story is called "Je ne suis pas un numéro".
Check out my lesson plans in English and French for this important story. I've included a KWL chart (SVA in French), analysis questions and a teacher's guide.
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