Activities for Orange Shirt Day
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Sept 11, 2023
With September 30th approaching, it is important to spend some of our classroom time teaching about residential schools in Canada. Only when we talk with our students about the wrongs that have been done can we learn from the past and attempt to repair the terrible damage experienced by the Indigenous people of Canada. In this post I hope to share some information about residential schools and Orange Shirt Day. I will also share some activities for Orange Shirt Day so you can recognize this important event in your classroom.
Looking for some print and go resources to help you discuss Orange Shirt Day with your learners? Click on the image or button below to see all of the Indigenous resources available in my TPT shop!
What were Residential Schools?
From the 1860s to the late 1990s, over 150,000 Indigenous children were sent to church run schools called Residential Schools. These schools were harmful to Indigenous children, as they were taken from their families and not allowed to practice their language, culture, or traditions. Many children were neglected or abused at residential schools.
For additional information, check out our post on the Canadian Residential School System.
Phyllis Webstad and The Orange Shirt Story
Phyllis Webstad was a young Indigenous girl who was sent away to Residential School in 1973. Before she went away, her grandmother bought her a new orange shirt to wear to school, and it was very special to her. When she arrived at school, her shirt was taken away.
Phyllis attended Residential School for one year, and never forgot how sad and worthless she felt he when her shirt was taken away.
For more information about this story, check out our guide to Indigenous Read Alouds!
Learn more about Phyllis is our post all about the Orange Shirt Story.
Why do we wear orange on Orange Shirt Day?
We wear orange on Orange Shirt Day to honor the Indigenous children of Canada who were sent away to Residential Schools. By wearing orange, we show our support for Residential School survivors, and pledge to never let something like this happen again in Canada.
When does Orange Shirt Day take place?
Every year, Orange Shirt Day takes place on September 30th. We wear orange on this day because this was the time of year when young children were taken from their homes to attend Residential Schools.
How can teachers recognize this important event with their students?
In the space below, I share some different activities and resources to use in your own classroom to recognize this important day. Keep in mind that this is a highly sensitive subject, especially with the recent and ongoing discoveries of so many lost children in BC. The content is very heavy. Be sure to approach it in a way that is gentle, honest, and age appropriate.
Activities for Orange Shirt Day – Read Alouds
There are a wide variety of read aloud stories featuring Indigenous residential school experiences. Picture books can be great introductions to sensitive topics, as they can discuss important issues in ways that are age appropriate.
For a list of excellent picture book read alouds for Orange Shirt Day, check out my previous post here.
For a more detailed list, with descriptions of each story, you can grab this FREE RESOURCE here or by clicking on the image below.
Activities for Orange Shirt Day – Videos
Several different videos on Orange Shirt Day are available on YouTube. There is something about video that really makes tough topics come to life. I like these videos because they are gentle while still being powerful. They share a lot of important information while still being short enough to hold attention. Check out some of my favorites below.
Phyllis Webstad’s Orange Shirt Day Presentation
Every Child Matters
Activities for Orange Shirt Day – Paper Chain Connections
The motto for Orange Shirt Day is “Every Child Matters”. For this activity, students create a paper chain to string across the classroom. Each link features reasons why each student is important.
After some class discussion about the motto, pass each student a strip of orange paper. On these strips, have students write a reason why they matter, and are important parts of our world. After, collect the strips and staple them together into a paper chain. Finally, string this chain across the classroom. The chain is a strong visual representation of the ways we are all important and connected.
Activities for Orange Shirt Day – Binder Ring Books
Binder ring flips books are a creative way to share a lot of information with students, in a way that is compact and easy to share. My students really liked being able to take these mini books home to share with their siblings and parents. Many of the families did not know very much about Orange Shirt Day. This was a great way for students to pay it forward and share their learning.
Alternately, this would be an excellent activity to complete and share with a younger buddy class!
First, pass out the individual pages to the students. There are two different styles to choose from, depending on the ages and abilities of your students. One set has the information already printed on the pages. The other set has blank spaces for students to fill in. This makes differentiation really easy!
Next, if copying the pages themselves, have students fill in each page with the included information. Then, students can hole punch each page. Finally, students can link the pages together using a binder ring. Each page is numbered, so they won’t get mixed up.
Interested in trying out this activity with your class? Grab your own resource here or by clicking on the link below.
Activities for Orange Shirt Day – Student Activity Books
Activity books are another way to share and reflect on important information about Orange Shirt Day. These activity books contain age appropriate content, with activities and writing prompts that elementary aged students can complete independently.
First, students read through the included short reading passages. After, have students respond to the comprehension question below each passage.
This resource also contains graphic organizers, writing prompts, and a fun orange shirt design activity.
Completed Activity Books can be taken home and shared with parents and siblings, and are a wonderful way to extend the conversation about this important day.
Click here or on the image below to pick up a copy of this activity book to use with your class.
I hope you are able to share some of these activities with your students to help you recognize this important day. Only through education can we ensure that nothing like this ever happens again in our country.
Looking for more information about Canadian History and Residential Schools in Canada?
Click on the link below to check out a previous blog post on Residential School.
Canadian Heroes to Inspire Your Learners
Favorite Indigenous Read Alouds
All About Orange Shirt Day 2023
Using Orange Shirt Day Quotes in the Classroom
On the hunt for more meaningful resources for teaching about truth and reconciliation?
Creative Classroom Core has a wide variety of engaging, no-prep resources for elementary and middle school to help you teach about this important topic. Click on the image below to see all of the resources available.
Interested in a free resource to help you teach about Orange Shirt Day?
Click on the image below to sign up for my email list and download this FREE set of Orange Shirt Day 2023 bookmarks and coloring pages. By signing up for my email list you will also gain access to periodic emails with free resources, teaching tips, and exclusive deals.
