Resources

Trees of Canada: This resource allows you to explore the native and introduced trees that grow in Canada.

From board books to picture books for older readers, this collection is a selection of 100 of the best books by Indigenous authors, many illustrated by Indigenous artists, published in Canada and currently in print. The titles reflect the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures, languages, perspectives, and experiences from sea to sea to sea. Attention was given to including picture books that promote and support Indigenous languages. All titles reflect authentic First Nations, Métis, and Inuit voices and offer insight into their distinct histories and current realities of these communities.

Click to download this document including over 50 journal and news articles compiled by Dr. Louise Comeau to use as classroom resources and professional learning for climate change educators.

This field of Raccoon Circle training provides hundreds of activities, adventure-based learning opportunities, teachable moments and facilitated
learning, using a simple, and inexpensive prop. It is the perfect resource for day and resident camp counselors,
playground teachers, recreational therapists, group work and teamwork specialists, wilderness trip leaders,
wilderness youth-at-risk programs, corporate trainers, and rope course facilitators.

​Flow Learning provides a simple framework that allows you to structure nature awareness classes for best effect. You can meet people where they are in interest and energy level, and then guide them step-by-step toward more meaningful and profound nature experiences.

The Back to Nature Network, in partnership with Humber College, is excited to offer Ready…Set…Wonder! a tool for early years educators to use in providing opportunities for children to connect with nature on a regular basis.

In this practical guide, you will find a large number of easy-to-use prompts, which can be applied with simple preparation and minimal materials.

Developing a personal connection with nature in early childhood is strongly associated with children reaching their full potentials in happiness, health and intellectual development. Regular use of this guide will enable early learning and care educators to include exploration of nature as part of outdoor play, and provide each child with the opportunity to build a strong foundation for a life-long connection with the natural world.

Connecting the Dots focuses on learning strategies and the ways of organizing learning experiences;
the “how to” of learning. These learning strategies involve students as engaged learners, learning
within the context of their communities and addressing relevant, local issues.

The learning strategies advanced in this document are not new. They are common to environmental
education and many other fields of educational research and practice. What is new is the means by
which these strategies when used together, connect the many dots that are necessary to achieve an
interconnected world view. These “dots” include:

• Linking environmental, economic and social issues within subjects and across subjects
• Linking students to each other, their home life, their schools, their environment and their
community
• Linking knowledge, skills, and perspectives through student engagement and action
• Providing a meaningful context for the implementation of numeracy, literacy, character and
other educational objectives.

Into Nature is a unique teachers’ guide that enables the teaching of all Ontario school curriculum subjects outdoors in nature on a regular basis. Content of the guide includes logistics, resources and learning experiences for teaching in nature. All learning experiences are linked to Ontario curriculum documents and include: Nature 101, a series of five phases to move from the indoor classroom to the outdoor learning space; fifty Nature2Go activities; and full lessons that last one class period or more.

All materials contained in the Back to Nature Network teachers’ guide may be reproduced for educational use.

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CPAWS, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, is pleased to offer the “Watch Your Paws” program for students and youth groups in Grades 3-6. Watch Your Paws is a free experiential introduction to natural habitats and protected areas in New Brunswick. The program teaches students about local biodiversity, wildlife and habitats, as well as environmental ethics, and how they can be stewards for nature.

The program can be run in person at your school, where your students will experience hands on nature-based activities, or we can visit your group virtually, with an interactive and engaging online presentation. Watch Your Paws was created with curriculum outcomes for each grade level included in the content of each session.

CPAWS is the only national non-profit organization devoted exclusively to protecting Canada’s wilderness heritage on public lands and waters.

CPAWS’ New Brunswick Chapter is dedicated to the protection of New Brunswick’s wilderness and wildlife. Our goal is to work cooperatively to ensure the survival of our wilderness areas and the life they support. Our Conservation Educators create a high energy, interactive learning experience. They are excited to share their enthusiasm for New Brunswick’s nature with your students!

To book your free class presentation, email Danielle Hak (dhak@cpaws.org) or learn more about the program
on their website: https://cpawsnb.org/campaigns/nature-education/

*ressource en anglais seulement* The Indigenous land-based learning: A learning perspective resource was developed to
demonstrate the journey of four ETFO writers whose perspectives of Indigenous landbased learning grew through a process of self-reflection, an interview with an Indigenous advisor (knowledge holder) and exploration and summary of relevant resources and tips for educators. The Indigenous advisors discussed what land-based learning meant to them; each sharing a personal experience that was specifically related to their cultural identity and their relationship to the Land. To capture the learning journey, each ETFO writer was invited to record and define what Indigenous land-based learning meant to them at that moment in time. The writers developed interview questions and were paired with an Indigenous advisor from a different cultural background from theirs. The conversations provided a fruitful learning experience; expanding the perspectives of each writer. Finally, the writers explored relevant resources and included tips for self-learning practices that educators can use when embarking on a learning journey that includes connecting to the Land. It is with hope that ETFO members will take a reflective approach in their learning journey and renew their relationship with the Land and Indigenous Peoples.

*Ressource en anglais seulement* Annick Press has been publishing books by and about Indigenous Peoples for over twenty-five years. Ranging from picture books to non-fiction titles to young-adult literature, these books have brought insights, information, and literary connections to and about Indigenous experiences. This study guide is for educators and will introduce Indigenous worldviews, histories, perspectives, and contemporary issues as they relate to the books included in Annick Press’ Indigenous titles.

Let’s Talk Science is committed to developing youth who are creative, critical thinkers and knowledgeable citizens prepared to participate and thrive in a complex global environment. Their Education Resources include incorporating Indigenous knowledge in STEM, and a collection of climate activities.

An award-winning, national, charitable organization, Let’s Talk Science has provided engaging, evidence-based STEM programs for more than 25 years at no cost for Canadian youth and educators. Through the generous support of our partners and donors, we are able to provide educators with opportunities to discover and use effective learning strategies to develop and strengthen students’ questioning and problem-solving skills; and offer experiential and digital programs that engage youth in meaningful STEM learning.

*en anglais seulment* Educators have a crucial role to play in creating a more equitable Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action has a specific section reinforcing this idea, which they call “Education for Reconciliation.” The document stresses the need for education on Indigenous peoples and issues, both historical and contemporary. Education on the topic of the Indian Residential School System (IRS) and its legacy is specifically highlighted, as well as treaty relationships. These issues can be difficult to navigate, especially for those with limited knowledge of Canada’s colonial history (and colonial present) and its lasting effect on Indigenous Peoples. This guide is meant to be a starting point for those unsure of where to begin when it comes to integrating the Calls to Action in their teaching. All teachers have a responsibility to do this work.

TRACKS (TRent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science) facilitates dynamic, land-based youth programming that braids multiple scientific approaches by centring Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

TRACKS is an educational program based on Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg territory. They are hosted by Trent University within the Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences Program (IESS), and operates in partnership with founding partner organization Kawartha World Issues Centre and the First Peoples House of Learning. TRACKS consists of two distinct and connected programs: Education and Oshkwazin Indigenous Youth Leadership.

Education offers hands-on educational experiences for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth ages 6-12. All of their programming is fun, hands-on, experiential, and braids multiple worldviews and scientific principles.

TRACKS Oshkwazin Indigenous Youth Leadership offers a dedicated space for Indigenous youth ages 14-18 to gain valuable cultural experiences, training and leadership development opportunities. TRACKS Oshkwazin is currently funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Youth Opportunities Fund.

Nature HomeSchool is a library of diverse resources to help educators, guardians, leaders, and learners connect with nature.

Nature Canada’s NatureHood program addresses society’s growing disconnect from nature and breaks down the numerous complex barriers to accessing green space. The goal of NatureHood is to foster an appreciation for nature in Canadian youth so they are inspired to become environmental leaders and join in the fight to defend and restore nature.

The True Cost of Coal is a rhyming storybook from the Beehive Design Collective. Fun and educational for ages 9–99, it also features lessons and activities related to the story’s themes of ecology, colonial history, workers rights, extreme extraction, community organizing, and regenerative futures alongside Beehive Collective graphics designed specifically for coloring on.

Alongside intricately detailed art there is a rhyming and simplified narrative, guiding readers through a winding timeline. The story explores important history often left out of classroom curriculum, inspires the reader to question present-day decision-making systems, and encourages us all to envision our own role in moving towards a sustainable and regenerative future.

Story Contents that can be expanded upon into broader lessons:

• Ecological origins of coal
• Colonization
• Cherokee vs. Georgia
• Trail of Tears
• Pioneering & Early Industry
• Company Towns
• Workers Resistance & Organization
• Battle of Blair Mountain
• Mineworkers Victory & Culture
• Automation & Layoffs
• Community Alliances
• Mountaintop Removal & ecological devastation
• Climate Chaos & Global Capitalism
• Carbon trading & Greenwashing
• Grassroots organizing & resistance
• Community Resilience & Remediation
• Decolonization
• Sustainable Futures
• Collaboration & Mutual Aid
• Individual Responsibility & Purpose

Lessons, Activities & Coloring Section of the book (useful teaching tools to expand on the story and build a lesson-plan around)

• Where does coal come from?
• What is Colonization?
• The Cherokee Language & written Syllabary
• The Union Movement
• What is Mountaintop Removal?
• Raised Bed Gardening
• Ecological Remediation
• Sustainable Collective Future

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Youth Climate Action Guide was developed to assist youth with mobilizing their communities towards equitable climate action. This guide offers resources and strategies to support youth with implementing climate action initiatives that are responsive and sensitive to the needs of their community.

The Youth Climate Action Guide was created in collaboration with TDSB students and a variety of community partners.

*ressource en anglais* The Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre (MDCC) project is a charitable, not-for-profit First Nations organization, mandated by all thirteen Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs. The project is administered through The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, a First Nation tribal council.  

The Mi’kmawe’l Tan Teli-kina’muemk: Teaching about the Mi’kmaq resource was designed for anyone who teaches Mi’kmaw history, culture and knowledge. 

Through the stories and knowledge of Mi’kmaw Elders, educators, and other experts, this volume will share content and teaching strategies for three subject areas for grades primary to nine.

The Office of First Nation Education provides the World of Wisdom to bring together communities through virtual connections and providing resources to bring Indigenous worldview to Wabanaki territory. This website contains recommended resources including books, music, and curriculum, as well as elders, mentors, and speakers who can visit your classroom to speak about culture, language, learning from the land, and career counselling.

Dalhousie University and the Ocean Frontier Institute have teamed up with the National Film Board of Canada to create Ocean School. Ocean School is a free, innovative inquiry-based learning experience for ages 11 to 15.

At Ocean School, learners explore habitats at the bottom of the Gulf of St. Lawrence with virtual reality. They strike a pose with a life-sized augmented reality whale, and dissect virtual cod! Through stunning original animation, they learn about the history of the cod through the eyes of an Indigenous artist. 360° videos transport them to places they could never go—diving in a kelp forest, or hiking on a tropical island 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica.

We’ve combed through Ocean School to put together a few weeks of our favourite materials. There’s an educational video and a student activity for each week day. No login required.