Every teacher knows the student who groans at the mention of a writing task, then spends twenty minutes happily filling a page with speech bubbles, sound effects, and a very dramatic villain. Comics have a way of pulling in kids who don’t always see themselves as writers.

National Comic Book Day falls on September 25, and it’s a great excuse to bring comics into your classroom. It’s early enough in the school year to build some excitement, and it works just as well as a fun Friday activity as it does a full mini unit.

Why comics belong in your writing block

Making a comic asks students to do a lot of the same things we ask of them in any writing task. They have to plan a beginning, middle, and end. They have to think about characters and setting. They have to decide what the reader really needs to know and how to say it in just a few words. The difference is that the pictures give students a way in, and the small spaces of a panel make writing feel less overwhelming.

Comics also give you a natural way to talk about how text and images work together, which is a skill worth building no matter what else you’re teaching.

A few ways to celebrate in your classroom

Start with the parts of a comic. Panels, speech bubbles, thought bubbles, captions, and sound effects all have a job. A quick look at how they work gives students the vocabulary they need before they start creating.

Read or watch something comic-related. Share a favourite comic from your class library, or play a meet-the-author video with a comic creator. Hearing how a real author comes up with ideas can spark a few of their own.

Let students choose their own template. A little choice goes a long way. Some students want a simple strip, and others want a full page with lots of panels. Offering a few layouts lets everyone find one that fits their story.

Keep a comic bin for early finishers. Print a few extra copies of each template and keep them in a bin. Kids love creating comics, and it makes a great go-to activity for students who finish early.

Pair it with a read aloud. Students can retell a scene from the class novel as a comic, or draw what happens next. It’s a fun way to bring a story to life.

Assess it, or don’t. If you’d like to mark the comics, a rubric is included. If you’d rather keep things low pressure, let students create just for the fun of it.

Your free All About Writing Comics mini unit

We put together a mini unit to make this easy, so you don’t have to spend your evening making templates. It’s free, and it’s ready to use for National Comic Book Day or any time of the year.

What’s inside:

• 16 blank comic templates in a variety of layouts, ready to print
• An instructional Google Slides presentation that introduces students to comics and their common features
• A comic rubric, if you’d like to use it

The resource comes as a PDF and Google Slides, and it’s made for a wide range of grades, from Grade 3 to 8. It’s about 18 pages plus 10 slides, so you can teach the intro in one sitting and give students time to create over the rest of your lesson.

Get the Free Comic Writing Mini Unit

Happy National Comic Book Day, and happy creating!

Teacher Resource Cabin

The post Celebrate National Comic Book Day with a Free Comic Writing Mini Unit appeared first on Teacher Resource Cabin.

In this fun and lighthearted activity, your students will read about three fascinating scents and “scratch and sniff” their way through the adventure. The twist? They’re not actually smelling anything (except maybe a little paper!), but the experience will be so realistic that they’ll be convinced otherwise.

Here’s how you can pull off this April Fools’ joke in your classroom:

Step-by-Step Guide to Pulling Off the Perfect April Fools’ Joke

1. Introduce the Activity with Excitement
   Start by building some excitement around the activity. Tell your students that they’re about to explore some very unique and fascinating scents that will take them on a sensory adventure. Explain that they’ll be doing something special today: a “scratch and sniff” challenge, with special worksheets that have scratch and sniff spots. You can demonstrate scratching and sniffing one of spots. Pretend like you’re smelling something really unique!
   
   
2. Engage Their Imaginations
   The key to making this activity believable is to get your students to imagine they’re actually smelling the scents. As they scratch and sniff the paper, encourage them to close their eyes and think of the scents described in the text. If they begin to say they can’t smell anything, tell them to re-read the scent description and try again!
   
   
3. Share the Scent Stories
   Students will read through the text about the three different scents. Your students will be intrigued by the thought of smelling things like petrichor (the smell of rain), saffron (a rare and expensive spice), and ginkgo fruit (an ancient and unique autumn scent). Make sure to encourage them to take their time and really experience these smells.
   
   
4. Keep the Fun Going with Questions
   After they’ve scratched and “sniffed,” have them answer the follow-up questions. The fun part comes when they start to think about what they just experienced! You can ask them about which scent they liked the best.
   
   
5. The Big Reveal!
   After everyone has had time to reflect on the scents, don’t forget to say, “April Fools!”

Ready to Give It a Try?

If you’re ready to bring some playful fun to your classroom, you can download the full “scratch and sniff” April Fools’ Day worksheet for free! Just click the link below and get started:

Download the Scratch-and-Sniff April Fools’ Day Worksheet for Free!

The post Fool Your Students with a Free Scratch-and-Sniff April Fools’ Day Activity! appeared first on Teacher Resource Cabin.

What is This New Resource?

Our Winter Poems and Activities resource includes ten simple poems, each with a unique winter theme like snowflakes, skiing, and snowmen. Designed for beginner readers, each poem uses simple words and rhyme to help students practice fluency and understand poetic rhythm. Weekly comprehension worksheets (with an included answer key) prompt students to reflect on details, fostering both enjoyment and deeper learning. Plus, we’ve included poetry writing templates to encourage students to create their own winter-inspired poetry!

Benefits of Incorporating Poetry into the Classroom:

1. Enhanced Reading Fluency
   Reading poetry aloud is an excellent way for students to practice fluency. The rhythmic and repetitive patterns in poetry help students develop a sense of timing, pace, and expression as they read.
2. Boosted Comprehension Skills
   Poetry encourages young learners to make connections, understand sequence, and recognize key details, all of which are vital for comprehension. Our comprehension worksheets complement each poem, guiding students to think critically and connect with what they’ve read.
3. A Fun, Engaging Way to Learn Language
   Poetry introduces language concepts in an enjoyable, memorable way. The seasonal themes and language in each poem make learning fresh and exciting, helping students relate language skills to experiences outside the classroom.
4. Creative Expression and Writing Practice
   Our resource includes 30 poetry-writing templates, which invite students to try their hand at creating their own winter poems. Writing poetry allows young learners to experiment with words and structures, building confidence and excitement around writing.

Incorporating poetry into the classroom can transform language lessons into something truly magical. Winter Poems and Activities for Grades 1/2 provides teachers with ready-to-use resources that will keep students engaged, learning, and inspired. Let’s help students build literacy skills while exploring the wonder of winter through poetry!

Ready to Bring Winter Poetry Into Your Classroom?
Explore Winter Poems and Activities for Grades 1/2 today and watch your students’ love for reading and writing grow this winter season!

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1. Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Leaf Man takes an imaginative journey through fields and forests, blown by the wind. The unique leaf illustrations will inspire creativity in your classroom.

Activity idea: Have students collect leaves and create their own leaf characters to tell a story.

2. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

Fletcher, the little fox, worries as his favourite tree loses its leaves. This sweet story helps kids understand that change is a natural part of life.

Activity idea: Have a discussion with students about a time when something changed for them and how they felt.

3. In November by Cynthia Rylant

This book beautifully captures the quiet moments of November, as animals prepare for winter and families come together.

Activity idea: Have students write about their favourite month and what makes it special.

4. Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

In this story about friendship, three friends are happy until one of them decides he wants to be in charge. It’s great for discussions on cooperation and sharing.

Activity idea: Have students write a “recipe” for friendship, listing ingredients like kindness and trust.

5. The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

A little leaf isn’t ready to fall from its tree but finds courage with a friend. This is a sweet story about bravery and friendship.

Activity idea: Create a class tree mural, with each leaf representing an act of kindness they could do for someone.

6. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

Follow along as summer turns into autumn, exploring the beauty of seasonal changes. This book encourages observation and mindfulness.

Activity idea: Take a nature walk and have students write or draw what they notice as fall begins.

7. We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

This fun adventure takes students through the woods, searching for colourful leaves. The rhythmic text makes it a great read-aloud.

Activity idea: Collect different leaves outdoors and have students sort them by type or colour.

8. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

A simple, beautiful story about the life of a tree, focusing on the changing colours of its leaves. Perfect for younger readers.

Activity idea: Have students create leaf rubbings and label the parts of the leaf for a science connection.

9. Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Bear wants to host a feast, but has nothing to give. His friends bring the food, teaching the importance of gratitude and community.

Activity idea: Start a classroom gratitude jar where students write down things they’re thankful for.

10. The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry

A touching story of friendship between a scarecrow and a little crow. It highlights empathy and the joy of helping others.

Activity idea: Have students imagine and draw an unlikely friendship between two different characters, like a wolf and a sheep or an owl and a mouse.

Boost Reading Comprehension with Our All-in-One Resource

Want to dive deeper into these fall favourites? Our Reading Comprehension for Any Book resource helps students engage with any story.

These worksheets guide students through key skills like identifying story elements, making inferences, and exploring new perspectives. Each activity helps students think critically and connect personally with what they’ve read.

Ready to help your students explore story elements and improve their comprehension? Check out our Reading Comprehension for Any Book resource and bring deeper learning to your fall read-alouds!

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Reading Comprehension Worksheets for ANY Book | NO PREP (Grade 1-3 Language)

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At Teacher Resource Cabin, we’re excited to announce the launch of our new Media Literacy for Google Slides resource, specially designed to support Ontario’s Language curriculum (2023). This resource is perfect for teachers looking for engaging and manageable ways to bring media literacy to life in their classrooms.

What Does the Resource Cover?

Our new resource is designed to introduce young learners to the key concepts of media literacy in an accessible and interactive format. The slides are structured to align with the updated Ontario curriculum, covering:

• Media Purpose: Students will learn why media is created, helping them understand the intentions behind messages they encounter daily.
• Topic Selection & Target Audiences: Learners will explore how media producers select topics and shape content to appeal to specific groups.
• Diverse Media Forms: From television to social media, students will be exposed to a variety of media formats, recognizing the differences between them.
• Conventions and Media Techniques: Your students will discover the tools and techniques used in media to create powerful, persuasive messages.
• Online Safety: Perhaps one of the most critical aspects in today’s digital world, this section equips students with skills to navigate the internet responsibly and safely.

What’s Included?

The resource is designed with both teachers and students in mind, offering 98 carefully crafted slides that present the material in a clear and manageable way.

• 86 Instructional Slides: These slides present key concepts that you can read and discuss with students, sparking conversations and deepening their understanding.
• 12 Interactive Slides: These are the perfect complement to the instructional content, offering activities that encourage students to apply what they’ve learned.

Why Use This Resource?

In today’s media-saturated world, developing critical media literacy skills is more important than ever. Students need to understand not just how to consume media, but how to interact with it responsibly. Our Media Literacy for Google Slides provides a comprehensive, curriculum-aligned resource that helps students build these essential skills early on.

Get Started Today

Media Literacy for Google Slides is available now and ready to ready to use with no prep required. With this resource, your students will gain the tools they need to become thoughtful, critical consumers and creators of media.

Head over to Teacher Resource Cabin or check us out on Teachers Pay Teachers to explore this exciting new addition to our product line!

PS. Stayed tuned. This resource will be coming soon for Grade 2-8! ? 

The post Introducing Media Literacy Lessons for Google Slides™ for the Ontario Curriculum appeared first on Teacher Resource Cabin.

Are you looking for a great way to introduce perspective writing into your classroom? Let your students take the perspective of an animal with this free perspective writing resource.

An information sheet is included for four animals found in North America, including bunnies, foxes, owls, and frogs. This information sheet is perfect to support writers who have trouble forming ideas or getting started with their work.

This activity also works very well for students with different programming requirements and it can be easily adapted to fit your students’ needs.

This FREE resource includes:

• Animal Perspective Writing Worksheets (Printable)

Check out our Full Year Language Programs or Writing Bundles to enhance your Grade 1-3 teaching:

These packages can be used in an independent or whole-class setting. Each writing style is introduced separately. Students practice basic skills before demonstrating their knowledge in culminating tasks.

The topics in each bundle are based on the expectations in the Ontario curriculum.

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Grade 1 Ontario Language Bundle (FULL YEAR)

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Grade 2 Ontario Language Bundle (FULL YEAR)

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Grade 3 Ontario Language Bundle (FULL YEAR)

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Media Landscape in Recent Years:

In the past, media literacy education primarily focused on traditional media such as printed books, magazines, newspapers, and television. Though these topics are still incredibly important, teachers are now responsible for learning modern media forms and relaying their information to their students. With the rising use of social media, such as TikTok, as well as AI ChatGPT technology, students must learn to question the sources of their information and the motives behind their creation.

I remember vividly teaching high school fitness classes and seeing just how quickly TikTok emerged. I figured it would be a short-lived trend, but found out in a matter of weeks that it rapidly changed the social media landscape and it would be here to stay.

Oh, the struggle to stop the in-class TikTok dances!

Unique Tips for Teachers:

There are several unique tips that teachers can incorporate into their classrooms to help their students become media-literate digital citizens. Here are a few:

1. Start Early: Introduce media literacy to students as early as possible. Fortunately, media literacy education in Ontario begins in Grade 1, but – let’s be real—most children are already heavily engaged in media consumption before Grade 1. Because students are already exposed to media, it’s important to teach them how to navigate it from a young age.

2. Analyze Advertisements: Use advertisements as a tool to teach media literacy. Analyze the messages that advertisements convey and the tactics they use to persuade viewers.

3. Encourage Critical Thinking: Encourage students to ask questions and think critically about the media they are consuming. Teach them to consider the source of the information and to question whether the information is reliable. Case studies are a great way to present scenarios with questionable sources of information or bias.

Teach students to consider the sources of information and how to recognize bias.

4. Teach Digital Citizenship: Teach students about digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is the ability to navigate digital environments such as social media safely. A good digital citizen is responsible and considerate and can respectfully engage in these spaces. Developing strong digital citizens requires teaching online safety, privacy, and responsible online behaviour. Again, case studies are a great way to do this!

Digital citizenship is the ability to navigate in digital environments such as social media in a safe way.

5. Engage Parents: Involve parents in media literacy education. Encourage parents to talk to their children about media literacy and to monitor their media use.

Where to get started?

Teaching media literacy to elementary students in Ontario is crucial in today’s digital age. For those wishing to design their own resources, we always recommend beginning with the curriculum and planning your programming around these expectations. However, for those looking to purchase a program, we recommend our Teacher Resource Cabin media literacy units.

Topics found in these workbooks vary depending on curriculum expectations, but common themes include media purpose, stereotypes, and media techniques. Also included are engaging vocabulary, activities, small projects, and quizzes. Each page is directly linked to an Ontario curriculum expectation, ensuring that you cover everything you need to in your lessons. Plus, our suggested activities and instructions make it easy to incorporate other ideas and create a complete, comprehensive unit.

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Grade 1 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 2 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 3 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 4 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 5 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 6 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 7 Media Literacy Ontario

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Grade 8 Media Literacy Ontario

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Teaching the importance of Remembrance Day goes beyond just acknowledging historical events; it instils values like empathy, gratitude, and the understanding of the profound impact of war on individuals and societies.

The Importance of Teaching About Remembrance Day

1. Fostering Empathy: Teaching students about Remembrance Day helps them develop empathy and understanding for those who have served in the military and the sacrifices they’ve made. This empathy extends to their families, as they comprehend the emotional toll of war. It encourages students to connect with the stories of veterans and war survivors, recognizing the human faces behind the history.
2. Promoting Gratitude: Remembrance Day serves as a reminder to be grateful for the peace and freedom that we enjoy today. By teaching students about the sacrifices made by past generations, we help them appreciate the privileges they have.
3. Encouraging Critical Thinking: Discussing the causes and consequences of wars and conflicts encourages students to think critically about the world they live in.
4. Honouring Tradition: Observing Remembrance Day allows students to become part of a national tradition. They learn about history and actively participate in honouring the legacy of those who have served.

Resources for Teaching Remembrance Day

To help you teach about Remembrance Day, we have developed several resources suitable for different age groups:

Literacy Activities for Grade 1-3 and Grade 4-6: Our literacy activities are designed to engage students of various age levels. They include reading comprehension exercises, vocabulary lessons, and poetry prompts, allowing students to explore Remembrance Day from different angles. These activities foster a deeper understanding of the subject while developing essential language skills. These are also available in French!

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Remembrance Day Literacy Activities (Grade 1-3 Language)

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Remembrance Day Literacy Activities (Grade 4-6 Language)

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Le jour du Souvenir : cahier de poésie (Grade 1-3 French)

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Le jour du Souvenir : cahier de poésie (Grade 4-6 French)

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Free Playlist of YouTube Videos: We have curated a selection of educational YouTube videos that provide historical context, personal stories, and artistic interpretations of Remembrance Day. These videos can supplement your lessons and offer different perspectives to your students, making the subject matter more engaging and relatable.

Find the Youtube Playlist for Remembrance Day in Canada here

The post Remembrance Day: Honouring Sacrifice and Fostering Understanding appeared first on Teacher Resource Cabin.

Bell work refers to an activity or task that students do at the beginning of class to focus their minds and prepare for learning. Thought-provoking, creative bell work is a great way to begin a literacy block and establish writing as a daily practice.

Fortunately, resources, such as the Teacher Resource Cabin’s daily writing prompts exist so that teachers don’t need to think of their own writing prompts.

These writing prompts provide everything you’ll need for a year’s worth of bell work prompts. These are a great way to spark student interest and engagement. This resource includes 100 writing prompts themed for each day of the week, giving your students the structure and routine they need to thrive in the classroom. If you are teaching intermediate-level students, the resource includes 200 prompts!

The primary and junior prompts come with examples for how students should organize their journals, including partial sentences to get students started. The intermediate versions come with follow up questions in case students are struggling to get started or include detail in their writing.

The slides can also be printed and used as writing task cards. Best of all, this resource is paperless! Students can record their responses online or in their own journals.

In addition to providing structure and routine, the Daily Bell Work Writing Prompts resource is also great for facilitating classroom discussions. By having all students start with the same prompt, you’ll be able to dive deeper into a topic and help students make connections between their ideas.

This resource is flexible as it is suitable for daily tasks in distance learning classrooms or homeschooling. This flexibility allows you to provide consistent bell work activities no matter where your students are learning.

Also, the Grade 1-3 primary prompts are available in French!

The Daily Bell Work Writing Prompt resource is an invaluable tool for any teacher looking to boost their classroom engagement or restructure their routine. As a full-year resource, it is a reliable way to add structure and engagement from September through June.

Click each image below to see the resource available for each Grade.

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150 Daily Bell Work Writing Prompts (Grade 1-3)

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200 Daily Bell Work Writing Prompts (Grades 4-6)

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200 Daily Bell Work Writing Prompts (Grades 7/8)

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Daily Bell Work FRENCH Writing Prompts (Grades 1-3)

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One powerful way to engage in this process is through literature.

Books written by Canadian Indigenous authors provide valuable insights into the diverse cultures, histories, and lived experiences of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

In this blog post, we’ve curated a list of 12 must-read books, divided into two sections – picture books and chapter books – to help foster understanding on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.

We’ve also included free printable “Every Child Matters” and “Chaque Enfant Compte (French)” shirt templates to use with students on Orange Shirt Day. Read to the end of this blog post for the download.

Picture Books:

	​“Shi-shi-etko” by Nicola I. Campbell This beautifully illustrated picture book follows a young girl’s experiences as she prepares to leave for residential school. It’s a poignant story that introduces young children to the concept of loss and the importance of holding on to one’s culture. (Available on Epic Books)
	​”When We Were Alone” by David A. Robertson A story about a grandmother and her granddaughter discussing their shared heritage. This book gently explores the impact of residential schools and the resilience of Indigenous people.
	​”You Hold Me Up” by Monique Gray Smith With its simple yet powerful message, this book shows children how small acts of kindness and empathy can make a big difference in building relationships and fostering reconciliation. (Available on Epic Books)
	​”Phyllis’s Orange Shirt” by Phyllis Webstad This book recounts Phyllis Webstad’s childhood experience of having her orange shirt taken away upon entering a residential school. It serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of these schools on Indigenous children.
	​”With Our Orange Hearts” by Phyllis Webstad Phyllis Webstad’s sequel to “Phyllis’s Orange Shirt,” this picture book continues the story of Phyllis as she discovers the significance of the orange heart symbol and its role in healing and reconciliation.
	​”Stolen Words” by Melanie Florence In this picture book, a young girl named Makwa discovers her grandfather’s lost language. The story beautifully captures the importance of preserving Indigenous languages and cultural heritage.
	​”When I Was Eight” by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton In this autobiographical story, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton shares her childhood memories of attending a residential school. This book offers a younger reader edition of the chapter book “Fatty Legs.” (Available on Epic Books)
	“The Secret Pocket” by Peggy Janicki The true story of how Indigenous girls at a Canadian residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive.

Chapter Books:

	“Fatty Legs” by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton This memoir details Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s experiences at a residential school and her determination to learn how to read despite the challenges she faced. (Available on Epic Books)
	​”A Stranger at Home: A True Story” by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton This sequel to “Fatty Legs” continues the story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s experiences in a residential school. It explores her return home and the challenges of reintegrating into her family and community. (Available on Epic Books)
	“​My Name Is Seepeetza” by Shirley Sterling Written as a diary, this novel offers a glimpse into the life of a young girl named Seepeetza as she attends a residential school. It provides a personal perspective on the challenges she faces and her enduring spirit.
	“Speaking Our Truth” by Monique Gray Smith Monique Gray Smith guides young readers on a journey of truth and reconciliation, providing an age-appropriate exploration of Canada’s history, residential schools, and the path toward healing and understanding.

Free Printable “Every Child Matters” Resource

These books foster empathy, understanding, and a commitment to reconciliation. On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, these stories serve as important tools to engage in the ongoing journey toward reconciliation in Canada.

Click below to download free printable “Every Child Matters” and “Chaque Enfant Compte (French)” shirt templates to use with students on Orange Shirt Day.

These templates have been crafted for quick prep and straightforward use. However, it is crucial to integrate them with books, videos, and lessons that amplify the voices of Indigenous People.

Please connect with your local school board’s Indigenous Education consultant prior to using these templates or books to ensure they are appropriate for your students and school community.

The post 12 Books for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation appeared first on Teacher Resource Cabin.