Educational Resources

Source: Conference Board of Canada

Summary: When educators use a culturally responsive curriculum—one that bridges Indigenous ways of knowing with Western science—Indigenous students are more engaged and perform better.

In recent years, many organizations across Canada have established programs to help Indigenous learners get ahead in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, the effectiveness of these new initiatives is not well understood.

The inventory in Incorporating Indigenous Cultures and Realities in STEM lists more than a 100 different programs in Canada that specifically aim to help Indigenous learners succeed in STEM. These programs can be sorted into eight broad strategies for increasing Indigenous representation in STEM. Each strategy falls into one of three periods in the learner’s life course. Within each strategy, there are initiatives that attempt to address cultural difference.

The primer contains links to examples of every type of program.

Source: University of Toronto – OISE

Summary:  This guide is designed to help Initial Teacher Education students find materials that centre or focus on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit worldviews, experiences, and knowledge for teaching in the K-12 classroom.

Source: Ontario’s Universities

Summary: With a shared commitment towards advancing reconciliation, Ontario’s universities continue to work to better support Indigenous voices and peoples in university environments across the province.

The insights within the sector-driven report, Lighting the Fire: Experiences of Indigenous Faculty in Ontario Universities – the first of its kind in Canada – will serve as an important step towards gaining a deeper understanding into the experiences of Indigenous faculty members at our institutions.

While Indigenization initiatives vary across universities, they help fuel the development of knowledge and skills that will follow individuals beyond university walls.

From inclusion to fundamental transformation, Ontario’s universities are:

• Increasing the number of Indigenous students, faculty and staff in university settings;
• Offering support programs for students;
• Bringing cultural elements into the university space, including practices such as smudging and events such as powwows; and
• Adjusting aspects of university structures and spaces in order to more fully include Indigenous peoples and cultural practices, and more.

Source: Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF)

Summary: You will find valuable information on various organizations, with links to their websites and resources to help you plan your education and professional development.

Please note that these links are provided for informational and educational purposes only. New links to other resources will be added as they become available. We therefore invite you to visit this site often.

The OTF Teacher Resources Tool – Web Resources is provided to assist all teachers.

Source: University of British Columbia

Focus: Elementary Students

Summary: This site provides links to a wide array of lesson plans related to Indigenous Education.

Source: equitableeducation.ca  Greg MacDougall

Summary:  A collection of articles on Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty, rights, resistance, language and culture. In two PDF versions (for either front-to-back reading, or formatted to print doublesided and fold into booklet form).

Source: EdCan Network

Summary: Aboriginal children under age 14 make up 7% of all children in Canada and the Aboriginal population is the fastest growing demographic in this country. Eighty percent of Aboriginal children attend off-reserve provincial schools. In terms of school success, there are significant gaps in learning outcomes and graduation rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.  

Nationally, provincially, and territorially, public school educators are committed to closing these gaps, and some success has been realized. For example, in classrooms where Aboriginal content and perspectives were incorporated into a high quality learning program, Aboriginal student grades increased significantly.

Strong leadership is critical to the development of high quality learning programs designed to provide Aboriginal students with every opportunity to succeed in Canadian public schools.

Source: OISE – University of Toronto, Jean-Paul Restoule

Summary: This set of learning modules has been created to support and inspire educators and future teachers to gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives and an appreciation of how Indigenous knowledge and worldviews can assist all learners in their educational journey. The goal of the modules is to provide an introductory grounding to key issues affecting Indigenous people in Canada as a foundation for further and deeper learning. The modules are meant to work well independent of one another (they are not sequential) but they are also complementary. Please feel free to share these resources and use them in your own work. You can assign them as required or supplementary material supporting your course that students review on their own or you can use them in the classroom. The modules include suggested activities for further application of the concepts. Everything is free and open source.

Source: First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC)

Focus: Intermediate/ Senior students

Summary: First Nations youth who start thinking about and planning for their post-secondary education and career journeys from an early age have more options available to them when they graduate.

The Career Journeys First Nations Career Role Model Program was developed by the First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Schools Association.  It features First Nations Role Models in a variety of career fields, and aims to raise the awareness of First Nations youth and their families about career possibilities, and to show examples of how to navigate education and training pathways to those careers.

The materials are intended for elementary and secondary level students and include video interviews, a teacher resource book, a parent and student guide, and classroom posters.

Source: TVO Teach Ontario

Summary: Teachers, teacher candidates, students, and citizens are ALL lifelong learners. Enhancing your capacity as a teacher begins with assessing where you are today. Coming to know is based on where you are.

“Teachers in particular have a sacred responsibility to ensure that all their children, regardless of their heritage, are able to think about four key questions throughout their education: where do I come from, where am I going, why am I here, and most importantly, who am I?”

— Murray Sinclair, Honourable Senator Justice, Commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission