Unit Plan: Orange Shirt Day

Social Studies / Grade 8-12

Big Ideas

Social Studies 8

  • Contacts and conflicts between peoples stimulated significant cultural, social, political change.
  • Exploration, expansion, and colonization had varying consequences for different groups.

Social Studies 9

  • Disparities in power alter the balance of relationships between individuals and between societies.

Social Studies 10

  • Worldviews lead to different perspectives and ideas about developments in Canadian society.

BC First Peoples 12

  • The impact of contact and colonialism continues to affect the political, social, and economic lives of BC First Peoples.

Comparative Cultures 12

  • Understanding the diversity and complexity of cultural expressions in one culture enhances our understanding of other cultures.
  • Interactions between belief systems, social organization, and language influence artistic expressions of culture.

Contemporary Indigenous Studies

  • Indigenous peoples are reclaiming mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being despite the continuing effects of colonialism.
  • Indigenous peoples continue to advocate and assert rights to self-determination.

Comparative World Religions

  • Comparing beliefs provides insights and understanding of diverse global cultures and peoples.

Law Studies

  • Understanding legal rights and responsibilities allows citizens to participate more fully in society.
  • Laws can maintain the status quo and can also be a force for change.
  • A society’s laws and legal framework affects many aspects of people’s daily lives.

Social Justice

  • The causes of social injustice are complex and have lasting impacts on society.

Concepts:

  • Identity
  • Human Rights
Essential Questions

Students will keep considering…

  • Why does it matter to learn about Orange Shirt Day?
Evaluative Criteria

N/A

Monitoring Progress

Teacher will monitor progress:
Teachers can monitor progress through ongoing formative assessment including but not limited to:

  • Class discussion
  • Engagement with Material
Reflection

How will teachers and their students reflect on and evaluate the completed project?

Teacher Reflection

  • What aspects of the unit went well?
  • What did students struggle with?
  • What did you struggle with?
  • What would you add/revise the next time you taught this unit?
  • Were there any unintended outcomes?
  • Were students engaged?

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Big Ideas
  • Contacts and conflicts between peoples stimulated significant cultural, social, political change. (Social Studies 8)
  •  Exploration, expansion, and colonization had varying consequences for different groups. (Social Studies 8)
  •  Disparities in power alter the balance of relationships between individuals and between societies. (Social Studies 9)
  • Worldviews lead to different perspectives and ideas about developments in Canadian society. (Social Studies 10)
  • The impact of contact and colonialism continues to affect the political, social, and economic lives of BC First Peoples. (BC First Peoples 12)
  • Understanding the diversity and complexity of cultural expressions in one culture enhances our understanding of other cultures. (Comparative Cultures 12)
  • Interactions between belief systems, social organization, and language influence artistic expressions of culture. (Comparative Cultures 12)
  • Indigenous peoples are reclaiming mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being despite the continuing effects of colonialism.
    Indigenous peoples continue to advocate and assert rights to self-determination. (Contemporary Indigenous Studies)
  • Comparing beliefs provides insights and understanding of diverse global cultures and peoples. (Comparative World Religions)
  • Understanding legal rights and responsibilities allows citizens to participate more fully in society. (Law Studies)
  • Laws can maintain the status quo and can also be a force for change. (Law Studies)
  • A society’s laws and legal framework affects many aspects of people’s daily lives. (Law Studies)
  • The causes of social injustice are complex and have lasting impacts on society. (Social Justice)

 

Concepts:

  • Identity
  • Human Rights
Transfer Goals

Students will be able to independently use their learning to…

  • Students will be able to personally identify why it matters to  learn about Orange Shirt Day as an individual, community and a nation.
Meaning

UNIT UNDERSTANDINGS:

Students will understand that…

  • N/A

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

Students will keep considering…

  • Why does it matter to learn about Orange Shirt Day?

> Click here to learn more about Essential Questions

Acquisition

CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES

Students will be skilled at…

  • Make ethical judgements about the past events, decisions or actions and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from the past (ethical judgement). (Social Studies 8)
  • Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments, and compare varying perspectives on their significance at particular times and places, and from group to group (significance). (Social Studies 9). 
  • Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments, and compare varying perspectives on their significance at particular times and places, and from group to group (significance). (Social Studies 10) 
  • Explain and infer different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events by considering prevailing norms, values, worldviews, and beliefs (perspective). (Social Studies 10)
  • Make reasoned ethical judgments about actions in the past and present, and determine appropriate ways to remember and respond (ethical judgment). (Social Studies 10).
  • Compare and contrast continuities and changes for different groups in different time periods and places (continuity and change). (BC First Peoples 12).
  • Determine and assess the long- and-short term causes and consequences, and the intended and  unintended consequences, of an event, decision, or development (cause and consequence). (BC First Peoples 12).
  • Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, and events, and distinguish between worldviews of today and the past (perspective). (BC First Peoples 12).
  • Make reasoned ethical claims about actions in the past and present after considering the context and values of the times (ethical judgment) (BC First Peoples 12).
  • Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions. (Comparative Cultures 12).
  • Explain different perspectives on past and present cultures (perspective). (Comparative Cultures 12)
  • Recognize implicit and explicit ethical judgments in a variety of sources (ethical judgment). (Comparative Cultures 12).
  • Recognize the consequences of our actions (cause and consequence). (Contemporary Indigenous Studies).
  • Determine and assess the long- and short-term causes and consequences, and the intended and unintended consequences of an event, decision, or development (cause and consequence). (Contemporary Indigenous Studies).
  • Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, and events, and distinguish between worldviews of today and the past (perspective). (Contemporary Indigenous Studies).
  • Recognize implicit and explicit ethical claims in a variety of sources (ethical judgment). (Contemporary Indigenous Studies).
  • Make reasoned ethical claims about actions in the past and present after considering the context and values of the times (ethical judgment) (Contemporary Indigenous Studies).
  • Explain the significance of texts, philosophies, events, or developments at particular times and places within various belief systems (significance). (Comparative World Religions).
  • Assess and compare the significance and impact of legal systems and codes (significance). (Law Studies)
  • Analyze continuities and changes in legal systems and thought during different time periods and across jurisdictions (continuity and change). (Law Studies)
  • Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, and events by considering prevailing norms, values, worldviews, and beliefs (perspective). (Law Studies)
  • Recognize implicit and explicit ethical judgments in a variety of sources (ethical judgment). (Law Studies).
  • Make reasoned ethical judgments about controversial decisions, legislation, or policy (ethical judgment). (Law Studies).
  • Assess and compare the significance of people, places, events, or developments at particular times and places, and determine what is revealed about issues of social justice in the past and present (significance). (Social Justice) 
  • Determine and assess the long- and short-term causes and consequences, and the intended and unintended consequences, of an event, legislative and judicial decision, development, policy, and movement (cause and consequence). (Social Justice)
  • Recognize implicit and explicit ethical judgments in a variety of sources (ethical judgment). (Social Justice)
  • Make reasoned ethical judgments about controversial actions in the past or present after considering the context and standards of right and wrong (ethical judgment). (Social Justice).

 

CONTENT

Students will know…

  • Exploration, expansion, and colonization (Social Studies 8)
  • The continuing effects of imperialism and colonialism on indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world. (Social Studies 9)
  • Discriminatory policies, attitudes, and historical wrongs (Social Studies 9)
  • The development, structure, and function of Canadian and other political institutions, including First Peoples governance affect people’s sense of identity (Social Studies 10)
  • Provincial and federal governmental policies and practices that have affected, and continue to affect, BC First Peoples responses to colonialism. (BC First Peoples 12)
  • The resistance of BC First Peoples to colonialism (BC First Peoples 12)
  • Contemporary challenges facing BC First Peoples, including legacies of colonialism (BC First Peoples 12)
  • Systems of power, authority, and governance (Comparative Cultures 12)
  • Role of value systems and belief systems in the development of cultures (Comparative Cultures 12)
  • Interactions and exchanges between cultures (Comparative Cultures 12)
  • The resilience and survival of indigenous peoples in the face of colonialism (Contemporary Indigenous Studies)
  • Responses to inequities in the relationships of indigenous peoples with governments in Canada and around the world. (Contemporary Indigenous Studies)
  • Restoring balance through truth, healing, and reconciliation in Canada and around the world. (Contemporary Indigenous Studies) 
  • Approaches to doctrines or belief systems (Comparative World Religions)
  • Institutional and social structures (Comparative World Religions)
  • The Constitution of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Law Studies)
  • Legislation concerning First Peoples (Law Studies)
  • Connections between self-identity and an individual’s relationship to others in society (Social Justice)
  • Connections between social justice issues (Social Justice)
  • Past and present social injustices in Canada and in the world, their possible causes, and their lasting impact on individuals, groups, and society (Social Justice)

 

CORE COMPETENCIES

Which Core Competencies will be integrated into the unit?

Positive Personal & Cultural Identity 

  • Awareness, understanding, and appreciation of all the facets that contribute to a healthy sense of oneself. It includes awareness and understanding of one’s family background, heritage(s), language(s), beliefs, and perspectives in a pluralistic society.

Communication

  • Acquire, interpret, and present information (includes inquiries)

Thinking and Critical Thinking

The following resources are made available through the British Columbia Ministry of Education. For more information, please visit BC’s New Curriculum.

Big Ideas

The Big Ideas consist of generalizations and principles and the key concepts important in an area of learning. The Big Ideas represent what students will understand at the completion of the curriculum for their grade. They are intended to endure beyond a single grade and contribute to future understanding.


Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

Core Competencies

orangecommunicationCommunications Competency

The set of abilities that students use to impart and exchange information, experiences and ideas, to explore the world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media

bluethinkingThinking Competency

The knowledge, skills and processes we associate with intellectual development

greensocialSocial Competency

The set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society


Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

Curricular Competencies & Content

Curricular Competencies are the skills, strategies, and processes that students develop over time. They reflect the “Do” in the Know-Do-Understand model of curriculum. The Curricular Competencies are built on the thinking, communicating, and personal and social competencies relevant to disciplines that make up an area of learning.


Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

Additional Resources

First People's Principles of Learning

To read more about First People’s Principles of Learning, please click here.

For classroom resources, please visit the First Nations Education Steering Committee.