Orange Shirt Day Activities for Intermediate Students – 5 Resource Bundle

Looking for meaningful Orange Shirt Day activities for intermediate students? This comprehensive five-resource bundle includes lessons, research projects, reading responses and reflection activities designed to support thoughtful learning about Orange Shirt Day, residential schools and Truth and Reconciliation.

The resources can be used individually or combined to create several days of learning for upper-elementary and middle-school students. Instead of relying on a single Orange Shirt Day worksheet or craft, students engage with important topics through reading, research, writing, discussion and personal reflection.

Five Orange Shirt Day Lessons and Activities

1. Orange Shirt Day Lesson

Help students learn about the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools with a comprehensive six-page student handout. Reflection questions encourage students to think more deeply about what they have learned, while the included answer key supports teachers in guiding classroom discussion.

2. When We Were Alone Reading Response

Extend your reading of When We Were Alone with thoughtful reading-response questions and a student reflection activity. Students explore important themes connected to identity, family, culture and the experiences of children who attended residential schools.

3. Land Acknowledgement Activity

Help students understand that a land acknowledgement should be more than a statement that is repeated without reflection. Students learn about the purpose of land acknowledgements, explore the lands where they live and learn, and consider the responsibilities that accompany acknowledgement.

4. 94 Calls to Action Research Project

Introduce students to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action through an engaging research project. Students select and investigate Calls to Action while learning about their purpose, importance and progress.

5. Residential School Research Project

Students research a residential school and honour the children who attended. The completed research and reflection activities can be displayed together to create a meaningful Orange Shirt Day bulletin board or classroom display.

Orange Shirt Day Activities for Middle School and Intermediate Classrooms

This bundle is ideal for educators who want to move beyond a single Orange Shirt Day activity. The variety of resources makes it easy to choose activities that work for your students, available class time and existing Indigenous education plans.

Use the complete bundle during the days or weeks leading up to September 30, or use the included lessons throughout the school year as part of broader learning about Indigenous histories, residential schools and reconciliation.

This Orange Shirt Day Bundle Is Perfect For:

♡ Orange Shirt Day activities for intermediate students
♡ Orange Shirt Day activities for middle school
♡ National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
♡ Truth and Reconciliation Week
♡ Residential schools lessons
♡ Indigenous education
♡ Canadian history and social studies
♡ September classroom activities
♡ Reading-response activities
♡ Student research projects
♡ Meaningful classroom displays

With five complementary resources, this Orange Shirt Day activity bundle provides teachers with flexible, ready-to-use learning experiences that encourage students to investigate, reflect and respond with greater understanding.

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.