Teacher Zone

Teacher Information

There has been little mention of the successes and contributions of First Nations peoples to Canadian society. Thus, many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth are unaware of the contributions that many Aboriginal individuals have made throughout history. Mainstream media, texts and education curricula have all largely ignored the successes of many First Nations people. The intent of this lesson is to educate students on the variety of contributions that successful First Nations individuals have made from the late 1800’s to present day. Many of the stories of First Nations contributions may seem insignificant to the non-Aboriginal student when in fact the actions and contributions of these individuals have had tremendous impact on the lives of First Nations people. It is important and that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth are able to identify, using a time line template, the contributions of First Nations men and women. Students will also be responsible for researching or developing a personal perspective/theory on why they think the contributions made by those individuals on their time line have impacted First Nations people as a community or as a whole.

Introductory Activity

Students will make a personal time line of their own life history. They must include at least 5 important events on their time line as well as a minimum of 2 pictures.

The purpose of this activity is to give students an opportunity to create a time line, recognize significant events, and see the value of a time line in understanding history.