Canadian and Indigenous culture & history

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has developed an educational toolkit - It’s Our Time - comprised of 22 learning modules. The modules "have been designed to enhance the understanding of important First Nations topics to ensure both students and teachers are learning in and out of the classroom." The modules are available In French and English across numerous devices and in various formats. Resources for educators, user guides for each module and unit plans, are also available.  

Copyrighted. PDF files are available. Materials are also available on Apple Books.

Level - Targeting youth in middle and secondary school but most content can be readily used with adults.

Here is a description from the site. "Heritage Minutes are dramatic interpretations of pivotal events in Canada’s history. These 60-second short films commemorate notable Canadians, achievements in innovation, and instances of perseverance and bravery. They are intended to entertain, educate and encourage further research into our nation’s past. Classroom resources, including background information for each Minute and select lesson plans, can be found at www.historicacanada.ca." 

• 101 episodes on Historica Canada site

• You Tube playlist

Copyrighted - As a teacher, you can use the videos for educational purposes as long as the uses are not for profit. This means you can share the content in Google Classroom, Moodle and on other educational platforms. More information is here.

Historica Canada has developed "more than 40 education guides, produced in both official languages, in consultation with Canadian academic and subject experts."  They are available in an e-magazine format and can be downloaded, printed and shared. Guides that cover general history and citizenship include the following:

Canada Past & Present

Civics Education Guide

Black History in Canada Education Guide

A History of Multiculturalism in Canada

Citizenship Challenge - Voting Rights in Canada Learning Tool

Critical Digital Literacy Education Guide

Indigenous Perspectives Education Guide

Copyrighted - As a teacher, you can use the guides for educational purposes as long as the uses are not for profit. This means you can share the content in Google Classroom, Moodle and on other educational platforms. More information is available here.

Access 52 online quizzes to support students learning history, geography and citizenship. The quizzes align with articles in the encyclopedia. Many articles are available as plain language versions. Here is an example:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Plain-Language Summary)

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Quiz

Copyrighted - As a teacher, you can use and share the quizzes.

CBC Curio is a curated collection of educational content in English and French from CBC/Radio Canada that can be accessed through school boards, colleges and public libraries. At the bottom of the About us page you can check to see if you have access. Content covers all grade levels and subject areas. Instructional guides are also available. If you have access as an employee or volunteer through an educational institution or as an individual through the public library, you can create an account to save playlists and share with others.

Copyrighted. Create an account to save and share materials.

Level - Targeting youth in middle and secondary school, but most content can be readily used with adults.

Centennial College has produced an interactive open education textbook Our Stories: First Peoples in Canada that "allows the reader to engage with Indigenous histories, culture, and knowledge in a unique format that includes videos, podcasts, interactive tools, and more."  

Note: We had difficulty using the interactive elements in the PDF, Apple Books and ePub formats. But all elements are available in Pressbooks. 

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

Level - Targeting senior secondary and college students.

The site Four Directions Teachings contains activities that introduce cultural practices, ceremonies and knowledge of five First Nations (Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk and Mi'kmaq). Lessons are available at the junior, intermediate and senior levels. All content and learning activities can be readily used with adults.  A collection of images, video and audio files are also available. Many links to other resources have not been updated. Content is available in English and French.

Copyrighted. Available in PDF and HTML formats.

Level - Targeting youth in middle and secondary school but most content can be readily used with adults.

Turtle Island Conservation Teacher Resources are available through the Toronto Zoo learning portal. "Turtle Island Conservation (TIC) is a conservation programme that utilizes a First Nations cultural lens in the commitment to preserve water, and the biodiversity of wetlands creatures that inhabit these sacred spaces and places." Here is an overview of the aims of the program and educational resources. Most resources are PDFs. 

Copyrighted. PDF files are available.

Level - Targeting youth in middle and secondary school but most content can be readily used with adults.

The Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC) has produced a comprehensive and engaging toolkit to "provide understanding of Indigenous world views and promote cultural consciousness." The Indigenous Cultural Education Toolkit is filled with activities you can use with learners and as part of your own professional learning. To access the free resource, you will need to order it through Turtle's Back Publishing. Once you sign in, you will get immediate access to a file to download. There is no cost.

Copyrighted. The PDF file is available for free through Turtle's Back Publishing.

Facing History and Ourselves is a US based organization that "uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate." They offer in-person and virtual training to teachers in addition to extensive teaching materials. The main site is featured on this collection. The Canadian site features an online resource on the Indian Residential Schools and their long-lasting effects on Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.  

Copyrighted. PDF files are available for download in your Google Drive.

For the Record is a collection of media awareness activities from Torstar's Classroom Connection program. Activity topics address fake news and fact-checking, creating content, reading the news and conducting research. All activities are available as downloadable PDFs and include some interactive elements.

Copyrighted. PDF files are available.

Level - Targeting youth but most content can be readily used with adults.