Looking for a meaningful Medicine Wheel craft that combines Indigenous education, personal growth and social-emotional learning? This hands-on activity introduces students to Medicine Wheel teachings before inviting them to reflect on their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellness.
Students use a baby photo and a current photo to represent their personal life journey. They reflect on how they have grown and changed before creating a Medicine Wheel craft featuring their photos and written responses.
Medicine Wheel Craft and Lesson Include
♡ Teacher lesson plan
♡ Two-page introduction to the Medicine Wheel
♡ Cultural context and background information
♡ Four aspects of wellness
♡ Emotional wellness reflection
♡ Mental wellness reflection
♡ Physical wellness reflection
♡ Spiritual wellness reflection
♡ Personal growth and life journey activity
♡ Medicine Wheel photo craft
Learn About Medicine Wheel Teachings
Medicine Wheel teachings are used by many Indigenous Nations and communities across Turtle Island. They can represent balance, interconnectedness, cycles and the relationships between different aspects of life.
The meanings, colours, directions and teachings connected to Medicine Wheels vary among Nations, communities and Knowledge Keepers. There is no single Medicine Wheel teaching that represents all Indigenous Peoples.
This resource focuses on one common teaching connected to four aspects of wellness:
♡ Mental
♡ Emotional
♡ Physical
♡ Spiritual
Students learn that these areas are connected and that caring for each one can contribute to holistic well-being.
Explore the Four Aspects of Wellness
This Medicine Wheel wellness activity helps students consider wellness as more than physical health.
Students reflect on:
- How they care for their bodies
- How they understand and express emotions
- How they learn, think and solve problems
- What gives them meaning, connection or a sense of belonging
The activity can support classroom conversations about balance, self-awareness and the different ways people care for themselves.
Reflect on Personal Growth
Students compare a baby photo with a current photo and consider how they have grown physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Their photos become part of the completed Medicine Wheel craft, creating a visual representation of their life journey from early childhood to the present.
This personal growth activity gives students an opportunity to recognize changes, celebrate their development and think about the person they are continuing to become.
A Meaningful SEL and Indigenous Education Activity
This resource brings together a Medicine Wheel lesson, social-emotional learning and creative reflection.
It can be used during:
♡ Indigenous education lessons
♡ Social-emotional learning
♡ Health and wellness units
♡ Personal growth lessons
♡ Identity units
♡ Beginning-of-year reflection
♡ End-of-year reflection
♡ National Indigenous History Month
♡ Indigenous Peoples Day learning
♡ Art and social studies integration
♡ Classroom community building
The completed Medicine Wheels can be displayed together to create a meaningful classroom display about wellness, identity and personal growth.
This Medicine Wheel craft gives students a creative way to learn about holistic wellness while reflecting on how they have grown throughout their lives.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The resources provided here are designed to support the teaching of Indigenous cultures, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. It is important to recognize that these communities are not monolithic; beliefs, traditions, and practices vary greatly from Nation to Nation, and even from community to community. The content shared in these materials reflects my own lived experience and understanding of Indigenous cultures, but it does not encompass the full diversity or richness of these traditions.
I encourage educators to approach these resources with respect, sensitivity, and openness to learning. When possible, please engage with local Indigenous communities or cultural experts to ensure that the information shared is accurate and culturally appropriate for the specific Nations or groups you are teaching about.
These resources are intended to foster understanding and appreciation for Indigenous people.
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