Looking for meaningful Turtle Island activities for your classroom? This bundle combines three complementary resources about Turtle Island, Indigenous storytelling, writing and art.
Students learn that Turtle Island is a name used by some Indigenous Nations and communities for the lands now commonly called North America. They also learn that Turtle Island stories and teachings vary among Nations and should not be presented as one universal Indigenous creation story.
Use the three resources together as a Turtle Island unit or select individual activities for social studies, literacy, art or Indigenous education.
Turtle Island Activities Bundle Includes
1. Turtle Island Lesson and Storytelling Activity
Introduce students to Turtle Island with a five-page lesson about its meaning and the importance of Indigenous oral storytelling.
Students answer reflection questions and complete a creative storytelling activity. The writing component allows them to practise storytelling without copying or claiming the Turtle Island story as their own.
This resource includes:
☘ Five-page Turtle Island lesson
☘ Introduction to Indigenous storytelling
☘ Student reflection questions
☘ Creative storytelling activity
☘ Turtle Island writing craft
☘ Bonus colouring page
2. Turtle Island Art and Writing Activity
Students respond to their learning through a stained-glass-style turtle art project and primary writing craft.
Completed artwork can be displayed with the included Turtle Island bulletin board title.
This resource includes:
☘ Turtle Island lesson
☘ Stained-glass turtle art project
☘ Turtle Island writing craft for primary students
☘ “Caring for Turtle Island” bulletin board title
☘ Student art and writing display
3. Turtle Island Collaborative Posters
Build classroom community with large Turtle Island collaborative posters.
Each student colours one section before the class assembles the pieces into a completed image. English and French poster options are included, making the activity suitable for English, French immersion and bilingual classrooms.
The collaborative poster resource includes:
☘ 25-page collaborative poster
☘ Finished size of approximately 42.5 by 55 inches
☘ “We Live on Turtle Island” design
☘ English and French options
☘ Teacher directions
☘ Assembly guide
☘ Individual student colouring pages
Perfect For
- Turtle Island activities
- Indigenous storytelling lessons
- National Indigenous Peoples Day
- National Indigenous History Month
- Indigenous Peoples Day
- Native American Heritage Month
- Elementary social studies
- English language arts
- Creative writing
- Indigenous art activities
- Collaborative classroom projects
- French immersion classrooms
- Classroom bulletin boards
These Turtle Island activities for students combine learning, storytelling, writing and art in one flexible classroom bundle.
Looking for Only the Turtle Island Lesson?
If you do not need the complete bundle, explore the standalone Turtle Island Lesson and Storytelling Activity. It includes the five-page lesson, reflection questions, creative storytelling activity, writing craft and bonus colouring page.
