Social Studies 2: Heritage

Use this deck of Alphabet AniMoves to help explore fun and creative movements while learning the names of animals in Blackfoot, Cree, and Stoney Nakoda. There are cues for movement on the back of each card.

A Blackfoot Creation Story that gets learners up and moving the actions of the story

Anishinaabe Fancy Dancer Joshua shows Janaye how Fancy Dancing is done!

A 2.5 minute animated video from CBC Kids News that explains what the word Indigenous means and how we use it.

Explore the audio stories recorded by children as you learn about the wildlife and culture or the Kainai people.

In this short video depicting a scene from Canadian history, a family of Attikamek First Nations show a French Canadian family how to harvest the syrup of the sugar maple (1710).

Acosia Red Elk introduces viewers to the basic steps of dancing powwow.

Indigenous Storybooks are free e-books. Stories are available in Indigenous languages as well as English, French, and the most widely spoken immigrant and refugee languages of Canada.

Isaac, from the Anishinabek Nation, talks about the sacredness of wampum.

Isaac, from the Anishinabek Nation, talks about the agreements that wampum is used to document.

Tradition indigenous culture and values are linked with physical education activities for kids.

Well before hip-hops fads like the dab and twerking were even a thing - pow-wow dancers have been rocking the beat for hundreds of years.

An interactive site where you will hear from Indigenous children across Canada and complete special quests.

A video about the traditional harvesting of sweetgrass that was produced by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

This web series follows a young Indigenous boy on a rite of passage—a vision quest—where he learns about the Seven Sacred Laws. Available in English, French, and Anishinaabemowin.

Get to know the story of the Three Sisters, and what we can learn about sustainably growing food from Indigenous practices. Related Lesson

A teaching resource from Minecraft. Students will be part of an indigenous clan living prior to the 1700s. Their clan is tasked with building a traditional house.

Kevin Noble Maillard reads his book Fry Bread and shares the significance of a dish in a modern Indigenous family.

In this video, you'll learn about wampum which is a type of picture used to help people remember rules they make. Wampum has been used in Canada for a very long time!

First Nations knowledge keeper Patrick Nadjiwon shares teachings from his ancestors to answer the questions: What is pemmican and how is it made?

A story of young brother and sister learning from their grandfather about the skill and knowledge it takes to build an igloo, and how the structure is central to their Inuit culture.

The flag of Nunavut has one on it and if you visit northern Canada, you’ll probably run into quite a few of them. It's an inukshuk (say i-NOOK-shook) and you might be surprised at the many uses Inuit people have for them.

In addition to their cultural dimension, Inuit games are a crucial component of land survival and allow Inuit to maintain strength and endurance.

In this short video, an RCMP officer watches an Inuit family build the Northern landmark (an inukshuk), a sign of human activity on the vast arctic landscape (1931).

13 short films that tell traditional Inuit stories

An animated Ted Ed video that explains the way that snow can be used to keep you warm in the winter.

These lesson plans, built around the first-person narrative of a 12-year-old Inuk boy, will help teachers and students appreciate life in the Inuit community of Salluit. Designed for students from 9 to 12 years of age but can adapted for other grades

This collection of films from the National Film Board provide a portrait of the Inuit experience, past and present, in animated shorts and documentaries.

A map of Canada overlaid with the names and locations of Indigenous peoples

A digital map of treaty areas and traditional lands of Indigenous peoples around the world.

An extremely useful map that informs viewers of whose traditional lands they are in, which treaty was signed in the area, existing Indigenous communities in the area, which indigenous businesses are nearby, and tells the stories of local Indigenous leaders.

Often referred to as the Father of Manitoba, Louis Riel, the leader of the Métis people of the Canadian Prairies, sought to preserve Métis rights and culture during a turbulent time in Canadian history.

Two videos that introduce Métis jigging to students.

Brianna a Métis fiddler, shares her knowledge on the history behind the Métis fiddle and its importance to Métis culture and traditions.

This site documents the history of Métis people in Western Canada generally and specifically in Alberta.

Do you enjoy dancing? Have you tried the Red River Jig? Learn more about the Red River Jig, and how to dance from Brigid an Interpreter from Métis Crossing accompanied by Fiddler Brianna!

A video that discusses the Métis sash which is worn by Métis people. What is it used for? Why do they wear it?

On this site you can access two seasons of videos featuring Leah Dorian reading her own books that express the Métis culture.

This video explains who the Métis people are. It was produced by the Métis Nation of Alberta and Rupertsland Institute.

This site allows students to explore the history of Alberta's francophone heritage. The content, which includes a timeline and teaching resources, was developed in partnership with Société historique francophone de l’Alberta.

Learn about Carnaval, the winter festival in Quebec, and its iconic mascot, Bonhomme.

Learn about French food, traditions, and culture. Experience life in France through the eyes of French people! Our videos are made for kids

Students can see a traditional French-Canadian folk dance performed at a festival.

Learn some facts about French-speaking people in Canada

This map representing the French language across the provinces and territories of Canada comes from the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie.

Brandy Yanchyk visits Quebec City, Île d’Orléans and Wendake in the province of Quebec.

Learn some surprising facts about people who speak French.

The Alberta's Francophone Heritage Website tells the individual and community stories from the era of the fur trade to contemporary Francophone communities confidently embracing the future.

This Edukit explores the history of Francophones across the prairie province. Students are invited to learn more about the French-speaking community through a number of interactive and educational features, which include a crossword puzzle, quiz, and word search.

An elementary lesson plan that incorporates Indigenous perspectives

This blog post from the National Film Board describes 5 NFB films that explore La Francophonie. Each film description will provide tips for grade levels and how to discuss the film with your students.

Historical and contemporary objects, images, and documents express the cultural diversity and endurance of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

This introduction to the Seven Sacred Teachings features nine mini lessons for Grades 1-2 and Grades 3-6 to complete over a two-week period. Each lesson includes discussion questions and a short activity.

This site is designed to serve as a resource for students and educators to learn about Inuit culture. Find video podcasts, photo gallery, and teaching resources.

The Learning Circle is a resource elementary-level learning exercises about First Nations knowledge and culture. You will find lesson plans focused on Indigenous storytelling, the use of colours, and seasons.

Central to this resource is The Fisher Story as shared by Isaac Murdoch. Throughout the story, many lessons are learned in regards to our conduct as well as our roles and responsibilities.

Students will share heir learning about trees and their local place through story

This guide includes detailed instructions on how to use Native Land in the classroom. The Guide discusses the pros and cons of the map itself and provides resources for teachers to learn more.

Listed below are an abundance of easy place-based lessons that you can do daily, weekly, or seasonally

A selection from the exhibit of 36 photographs taken by Norman Hallendy showing extraordinary places and objects (including inuksuit) in the Canadian Arctic revealed to him by Inuit elders.

A lesson plan for K-4 students that uses Bannock as the medium for exploring Métis ideas of identity and community

A lesson plan for early elementary students from the Rupertsland Institute that explores Métis ideas of identity and community

This lesson explores the importance of listening to stories, the issues of appropriation of Indigenous stories, and the protocols around telling a story.

The Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association and the Be Fit For Life Network collaborated on this
project to share traditional games with our partners in Alberta.