Teaching the History and Legacies of Canada’s Residential Schools

In this in-person summer seminar, participants will explore the history and legacies of Canada’s Residential Schools, using primary source texts,  engaging classroom teaching strategies and site- based learning that will equip educators to better understand the devastating history and the long-lasting impact of Canada’s Residential School system, as well as Indigenous communities’ historic and contemporary fight for a promised education.

This course will model an approach to engaging young people in a supported and transformative learning journey. that invites not only academic learning, but also emotional connection, ethical consideration and questions of civic engagement.  Together, we will explore the historical and institutional contexts that created a dehumanizing and assimilatory system of schooling, and bear witness to the testimonies of survivors. We will explore the legacies and responses to the Residential Schools, including the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the work of the Indigenous communities to reclaim educational autonomy.  We will use all these elements to help students connect this history to their own lives and the choices they make individually, and those we can make collectively for justice and reconciliation.

Please fill out the Educator Application at the bottom of this page to apply for the course.

In this course you will:

1. Experience immersive professional learning that is engaging, multimodal and practical; take part as facilitators model how to scaffold learning and invite dialogue, connection and reflection
2. Be guided and supported in your learning by an Elder/survivor and two facilitators 
3. Experience a guided tour of the exterior, and if available, interior spaces, and learn about children’s experiences prior to, and at residential school at the site of the former Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, now Woodland Cultural Centre
4. Explore historical background materials and discuss classroom-ready scholar and survivor videos using participatory teaching strategies and classroom prompts that help students interrogate text, think critically, and discuss controversial issues respectfully
5. Analyze the legacy of the Residential School System, the possibilities for Justice and the steps classrooms can take to respond and reconciliation
6. Enjoy thoughtfully selected meals including one lunch with local, seasonal ingredients prepared by Chef David Jacobs (Six Nations)
7. Receive a free copy of Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools

After this course you will: Become part of the Facing History educator network, with access to a rich slate of educator resources, including unit and lesson plans, study guides, and multimedia.

Who should take this course: 6th - 12th grade Social Studies, Canadian History, Humanities, and English Language Arts teachers and curriculum specialists. Please note due to our funding sources, acceptance priority into this course will be given to Canadian classroom educators.

Timing: This event will occur between 9:00am and 3:30PM EST.

Certificate of Completion: Awarded upon successful completion of the course, for 17 professional development hours.

Accessibility: Facing History is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive educational environment for educators of all abilities. If you have an accessibility need, please contact us at canada [at] facinghistory.org

This event will occur in-person at the Woodland Cultural Centre.
Address: 184 Mohawk St, Brantford ON