An inquiry-based project to map the land in your community. The key concepts in this unit are grounded in Indigenous beliefs of interconnectedness, connectedness, and respect for all things.

The driving inquiry questions for this unit are:
1. How can respect for the land be shown?
2. What do we look for when setting up a camp?
3. What stories or teachings are connected to key locations in and around our community?
4. How has the land around our community changed over time?
5. Who do we share our community’s lands with?

Students in grades 4-6 engage in a series of activities (both inside and outside the classroom) designed to inspire a sense of environmental stewardship. Each of the activities is intended to have children explore their profound connection to nature and experience the power of individual and collective action.

Students explore the daily choices, they, their families, their school and their communities make; the impact of those choices on nature; and the role they and others may take in protecting nature.

The activities are fun, hands-on, and thought provoking. Students have opportunities to share what they are learning with their fellow students, family, and community and to create their own “class foundation” to collectively act on their concerns and passions.

The resource consists of 16 cross-curricular lessons on a range of issues from which teachers may select according to the dictates of their time and curriculum.

This resource aims to support educators, school administrators, and community members facilitate more culture-based learning on the land. It was created by four Dene and Metis education resource developers, hired by the Dene Nation in summer 2020.

The lessons in this document can be used as stand-alone activities to bring more cultural learning into classrooms and to get students learning outdoors during the regular school day. However, in order for students to build deeper connections with the land, culture and language, the ideal practice would be to bring them out on the land for more extended experiences. The lessons in this document can be used as part of multi-day culture camps, for example, or other outdoor excursions.

The “Camp Logistics” section of this document aims to facilitate this type of extended on-the-land learning. It provides sample gear lists, safety protocol suggestions for organizing a camp. Section A of the appendix also includes sample schedules or organization materials to help with this.

Lessons in this document can be used as starting points for a whole week of activities on the land, for example. Since each community is different, we encourage educators to reach out to cultural knowledge holders in their own community, to explore other activities that would connect with the ones described here. For example, the lessons on Labrador tea and sweetgrass in this document could turn into a week-long medicine camp, in which students learn about the protocol around harvesting and processing several different types of plant medicines with the guidance of local Elders.

Visit this Saskatchewan based site that offers lots of great lessons/units that focus mainly on integrating Aboriginal science and technology with the provincial science curriculum.

The CCSTU project has produced:
- strategies for teaching and assessing students (illustrated in the materials produced)
- 6 exemplary curriculum units (Wild Rice, Trapping, Snowshoes, Nature's Hidden Gifts, The Night Sky, Survival in Our Land)
- a prototype process for adapting any curriculum material to suit the local culture
- " Teacher Guide" for CCSTU
- "Stories from the field", a guide to involving community people.

The main site can be accessed at https://education.usask.ca/ccstu/main_menu.html

Resources for Rethinking. provides immediate access to more than 1200 quality classroom resources.

Developed by Learning for a Sustainable Future, R4R.ca connects teachers to lesson plans, books, videos and other materials that explore the environmental, social and economic dimensions of important issues and events unfolding in our world today. R4R resources have been reviewed by experienced classroom teachers and matched to relevant curriculum outcomes for each province and territory. Use the search engine to find resources and read the reviews. Most of these materials can be downloaded immediately.

To begin: Select your province on the right side of the screen. Add any other filters you wish to explore to narrow your search and have fun exploring the amazing resources!

Based on the book Roots by Brie Philips, Sun West School Division created this bundle of resources to help guide the infusion of Indigenous perspectives into early years classrooms.  The Roots bundle encourages students to learn about the land they are on and form personal connections to the natural world around them through literacy, exploration, and play.

SaskOutdoors (Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association) encourages educators and people who participate in outdoor recreation to practice and teach environmental responsibility.

The Trans-Canadian Research and Environmental Education (TREE) project is a citizen science program where students from across Canada join with researchers from the Mistik Askîwin Dendrochronology Lab (MAD Lab) to learn about the stories trembling aspen trees tell and how a synchrotron can be a tool to tell that story. Join us as we explore this new area in research and learn about environments across Canada!

From a scientific perspective with TREE, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) are a species of tree that is abundant throughout most of Canada. They also tolerate, even thrive, with much higher levels of toxins in their soil than most other species of trees and can potentially be used to remediate contaminated sites.

From an educational perspective, learning about the life and nutrient cycles of trees, nutrients in soil, and tracking effects on trees over time provides a wealth of opportunity for student education. The TREE program connects with curriculum across several subject areas and grade levels. It provides an interdisciplinary learning experience for students, including local Indigenous knowledge related to the trees, history, and the environment.