Social Studies

Visit the Infusing Indigenous Knowledge Into Curriculum website for opportunities within the Alberta Curriculum. The group, led by a team of educators from the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Educational Authority, identified essential learning outcomes (ELOs) by viewing curriculum through the lens of land based learning (LBL), Cree ways of knowing and being (Nehiyaw Ways of Knowing), and the learning needs of students in their communities.

This picture book introduces its readers to the concept of Etuaptmumk, or Two Eyed Seeing, which recognizes the strength of Indigenous ways of knowing and the strength of western ways of knowing and uses both competencies together.

You can purchase the book from the Outdoor Learning Store! 

This innovative and vibrant resource honours the centuries-old healing traditions of Métis women. Christi Belcourt fuses her artwork with Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and western science. The book includes contributions from Métis Elders Rose Richardson and Olive Whitford, as well as key Michif phrases and terminology. 

Many classrooms and schools are using the free ArcGIS online for schools in their teaching and learning.

  • ArcGIS StoryMaps combine interactive maps, text, video, images and more to tell a story.
  • ArcGIS Survey123 turns surveys into maps that can be analyzed and shared with others.
  • ArcGIS Dashboards allow you to make sense of the world through innovative and easy-to-create visualizations of data. 

Visit the website for blog posts by local teachers to get inspired! 

Clothing4Climate is a project-based learning unit that empowers students to learn about where their clothing comes from and make a difference through their choices.

The Canadian Network for Ocean Education provides toolkits for all Grade levels in a variety of subject areas featuring hands on activities and videos. Another resource is Ocean Education Wednesday for Junior High/High School, which provides ready-made slide decks every week as a PDF download, SMARTnotebook file, or Powerpoint presentation.

A searchable database of Indigenous literary texts, designed to assist educators with weaving Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into their teaching and learning, starting with story.

Stories in the Schoolyard (K-4) invites students to step outside and find delight in the ordinary, wonderful ways nature's stories unfold right in their own schoolyard. This active place-responsive program will support students to foster a sense of belonging in nature at the same time as sparking their curiosity to learn more. In this program, we'll become better acquainted with that tree in the corner of the field that's almost been forgotten. We'll also follow along with the adventures of Gary the Goose as he finds courage in face of fear. Program includes: a puppet story, imaginative sensory play, Indigenous connections, group poetry writing, and lots of active movement.

We Can Too! (Gr. 2-4) invites students to notice how nature expresses itself in cycles. We will look for examples of natural cycles in the schoolyard and follow the adventures of Cate the Caterpillar as she transforms from caterpillar to butterfly. This program encourages students to develop a growth mindset and to discover their own unique gifts. Program includes: a puppet story, musical poetry, Indigenous connections, active movement, and a printable growth mindset resource. 

Inside Education offers free environmental & natural resource education in the form of grants, lesson plans, activities, videos, teacher guides, toolkits, classroom and field programs, youth summits, and professional development for all grade levels in a huge variety of topics and subject areas!

The Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education created this climate policy resolution template with support from Schools for Climate Action. Use the template to pass a resolution with your environmental class or club, or student council using the instructions below. 

View the Template

 

Instructions for Using the Policy Template

  1. Download the template here.

  2. Review the template as a team which could be a school club, student council, and/or class with a teacher. Make a copy of it and change it to fit with your school community and local area, making it a message that you understand and are comfortable with. Discuss the changes as a group and ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute

  3. Pass and sign the resolution. Hold a vote with your whole team to pass it. Have all members sign the document (we recommend only signing your initials or first name if you are under 18) and date it. Have a chosen representative(s) sign the document with their contact email. Share a copy of your resolution, and if you’re comfortable with it, a photo with AYLEE by filling out this form.

  4. Action: Create an action plan to use your policy resolution. Include who you will share it with and how, and how you will ensure that your actions will uphold your resolutions.

  5. Follow up: Continue to check in as a team with your progress on the resolution. Share updates with AYLEE and other schools who are passing resolutions.

Note: If at any time of using the instructions for the policy template you have any questions or concerns regarding the steps, please feel free to contact AYLEE through our Youth Program Coordinator at shauna@abcee.org

 

Suggested Timeline 

  • Review: An estimate of a two weeks upon introduction of the policy template as a group, based on a group this time can be lengthened or shortened.
  • Pass and Sign: Set a date and time to hold a vote one week after the time of review.
  • Action: One to two weeks to finalize the action steps, however this is an ongoing process and does not need to be finalized.
  • Follow up: Throughout the use of the template, we encourage actively participating and keeping the resolution accountable through checking in with AYLEE and other schools. This is all dependent on your group's progress and capacity. 

In all, a timeline for using a policy template is flexible, but we believe it is helpful and important to have a timeline or a goal set by your group that you can work towards and change if need be.​