Teaching the History and Legacies of Canada’s Residential Schools | Facing History & Ourselves
Cover of "Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools."
Professional Learning

Teaching the History and Legacies of Canada’s Residential Schools

In this interactive, facilitated online course, participants join a virtual community to explore the history and legacies of Canada’s Residential Schools, using primary source texts, survivors’ personal testimonies and live online learning classes that will equip educators to better understand the devastating history and the long-lasting impact of the Indian Residential School system, as well as Indigenous communities’ historic and contemporary fight for a promised education.

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About this event:

Multi-Session

Our multi-session professional learning series are designed for in-depth exploration of themes and topics that help educators strengthen their skills and competencies. Session information is included in the event details.

Instructor-Led & Self-Paced

This professional learning event will be led by Facing History staff and also contains portions that are self-paced and delivered virtually. When you register, you will receive instructions for how access and participate in the event.

This event qualifies for Certificate of Completion.

Awarded upon successful completion of the course, for 20 professional development hours.

Democracy & Civic Engagement Culture & Identity Genocide Human & Civil Rights
Equity Education

In this interactive, facilitated online course, participants join a virtual community to explore the history and legacies of Canada’s Residential Schools, using primary source texts, survivors’ personal testimonies and live online learning classes that will equip educators to better understand the devastating history and the long-lasting impact of the Indian 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 apologies given by government and churches, the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the work of the Indigenous communities to reclaim educational sovereignty.  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 online course you will:

  1. Gather as a community through live online learning classes that will be supported with ceremony and teachings led by facilitators and Anishinaabe grandmother Geraldine Shingoose
  2. Receive historical background materials, classroom-ready scholar and survivor videos and participatory teaching strategies to engage secondary school students and adult learners in examining Canada’s Residential Schools
  3. Discover online and in-person teaching strategies that help students interrogate text, think critically, and discuss controversial issues respectfully
  4. Engage with survivor testimony through text, recorded interview, and live during an online learning class 
  5. Analyze the legacy of the Residential School System, the role of apology, and steps non-Indigenous people can take toward meaningful reconciliation
  6. Receive a free copy of Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools.

After this online 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.

At-a-Glance:

Who should take this course: 8th - 12th grade 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.

Duration: 6 weeks. There is a new session each week. The first week's session is designed to welcome you to the course, introduce you to Facing History and Ourselves, your course facilitators, Elder Shingoose, and will connect you with other educators in the course. Weeks two through six are designed so that you will engage with course-related readings, videos, and other resources and leave with concrete strategies and lesson plan ideas to implement in your classroom. Sessions begin on Thursday and end on the following Wednesday. (No new content or module would be introduced the weeks Mar13-24.)

Time Commitment: Approximately 1 hour for week 1. Approximately 4.5 hours per week for weeks 2 through 6.

Format: 3 hours of weekly self-paced, asynchronous online work via Canvas and weekly facilitated, synchronous Zoom online classes:

  • Opening and Welcome (Wed. Feb 15, 7-8:15pm ET)
  • The Indian Act (Wed. March 1, 7-8:15pm ET)
  • Survivor Testimony (Wed. March 29, 7-8:15pm ET)
  • Current Issues and Closing Call (Tuesday. April 4, 7-8:15pm ET)

Details for joining the Canvas and the Zoom sessions will be shared by email prior to the event.

ASL-English Interpretation is available upon request. Please email jasmine_wong [at] facinghistory.org  no later than 12th December 2022.

Certificate of Completion: Awarded upon successful completion of the course, for 20 professional development hours.

About the Facilitators and Guests:

Lorrie Gallant (Facilitator)

Lindsay Hutchison (Facilitator)

Gramma Geraldine Shingoose (Elder):

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