Looking for meaningful Indigenous education activities for elementary students? This four-resource bundle provides a ready-to-use introduction to land acknowledgements, Turtle Island, Medicine Wheel teachings and First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples in Canada.
Students learn through reading, writing, storytelling, research, reflection and creative activities. Each resource includes the cultural learning that should come before the activity, helping teachers move beyond disconnected crafts and introduce important topics with greater context and care.
These Indigenous education resources can be used together as an introductory unit or separately throughout the school year.
Indigenous Education Activities Bundle Includes
♡ Land acknowledgement lesson and activities
♡ Land acknowledgement writing checklist
♡ Individual land acknowledgement activity
♡ “Learning From the Land” bulletin board
♡ Five-page Turtle Island lesson
♡ Turtle Island reflection questions
♡ Creative storytelling activity
♡ Turtle Island writing craft
♡ Medicine Wheel lesson
♡ Wellness and goal-setting activity
♡ Medicine Wheel craft
♡ Indigenous Peoples in Canada lesson
♡ Student handout
♡ Brainstorming activities
♡ Student worksheets and answer keys
♡ No-prep, print-and-go format
Land Acknowledgement Activity
Help students understand that a land acknowledgement should be more than a statement they repeat without reflection.
Students learn why land acknowledgements matter, investigate the lands where they live and consider the responsibilities that can accompany acknowledgement.
The land acknowledgement resource includes:
♡ Introduction to land acknowledgements
♡ Why land acknowledgements matter
♡ Important elements to include
♡ Learning about the land where students live and learn
♡ Land acknowledgement writing checklist
♡ Individual land acknowledgement activity
♡ Student reflection questions
♡ “We Live On…” colouring page
♡ Collaborative classroom display
Learning From the Land Bulletin Board
Display student learning with the included land acknowledgement bulletin board.
The bulletin board kit includes:
♡ “Learning From the Land” title
♡ Watercolour nature pieces
♡ Space for student acknowledgements
♡ Materials for creating a collaborative classroom display
The finished display keeps local lands, Indigenous Nations and student responsibilities visible beyond a single lesson.
Turtle Island Lesson and Activity
Introduce students to Turtle Island through a five-page lesson, reflection questions and creative storytelling.
Students learn that Turtle Island is a name used by some Indigenous Peoples for the lands now commonly called North America. Stories about Turtle Island vary among Nations and communities, so the resource should be used as an introduction rather than as one universal Indigenous creation story.
The Turtle Island activity includes:
♡ Five-page Turtle Island lesson
♡ Introduction to Indigenous oral storytelling
♡ Student reflection questions
♡ Creative storytelling activity
♡ Turtle Island writing craft
♡ Art and writing connection
Students respond to what they have learned before creating a written and artistic representation connected to the story.
Medicine Wheel Lesson and Activity
Students learn about Medicine Wheel teachings while exploring balance, wellness and personal goal setting.
The Medicine Wheel activity focuses on four connected areas of well-being:
♡ Mental
♡ Emotional
♡ Physical
♡ Spiritual
Students reflect on each area, set personal goals and create a Medicine Wheel craft representing their learning.
Teachings, colours, directions and meanings connected to Medicine Wheels vary among Indigenous Nations and Knowledge Keepers. This resource presents one commonly shared wellness interpretation and should not be presented as universal.
The Medicine Wheel resource includes:
♡ Introduction to the Medicine Wheel
♡ Cultural context
♡ Four areas of holistic wellness
♡ Personal reflection
♡ Goal-setting activity
♡ Medicine Wheel craft
♡ Self-care and personal growth connections
Indigenous Peoples in Canada Lesson and Activities
Introduce students to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples with a ready-to-use lesson and student activities.
Students begin learning that Indigenous Peoples in Canada are diverse, present-day Peoples with distinct cultures, histories, languages, communities and identities.
The resource includes:
♡ Teacher lesson plan
♡ Indigenous Peoples in Canada student handout
♡ Two brainstorming activities
♡ Fill-in-the-blanks activity
♡ Fill-in-the-blanks answer key
♡ Student questions worksheet
♡ Questions worksheet answer key
♡ Print-and-go format
This introductory lesson helps establish foundational understanding before students move into more specific, Nation-based learning.
Four Resources for Year-Round Learning
This bundle can be used during a focused Indigenous education unit, but the lessons do not need to be taught all at once.
Use individual resources throughout the year for:
♡ Indigenous education
♡ Elementary social studies
♡ Truth and Reconciliation learning
♡ Orange Shirt Day
♡ National Indigenous Peoples Day
♡ National Indigenous History Month
♡ Land-based learning
♡ Social-emotional learning
♡ Storytelling and writing
♡ Classroom community building
♡ Art and social studies integration
Start Broad, Then Continue Locally
These Indigenous education activities provide an accessible starting point, but broad introductory resources do not replace local learning.
Whenever possible, connect the lessons to:
♡ The Indigenous Nation or Nations connected to your local area
♡ Official Nation and Tribal Council websites
♡ Local Indigenous authors, artists and educators
♡ Present-day Indigenous voices
♡ Community-approved language and cultural resources
This helps students understand that Indigenous Peoples are not one group and that cultures, teachings, stories and experiences vary among First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.
Created by a First Nations educator, this Indigenous education activities bundle gives teachers four thoughtful, ready-to-use resources for introducing important topics through learning, creativity and reflection.
