Lesson 1 – Famous Canadians
Learning Objectives - Display and explain at the start of the lesson
K/1
• Listens carefully for the
main idea of the speaker
• Uses English to respond
to and convey
information
• Tells what is important
to them
Resources: teacher device to show videos and websites and devices for grade
4/5 groups
*Terry Fox Video for
Primaries
*Terry Fox Colouring Sheet
*T-Shirt Template printed
on orange paper
(Appendix B)
*Viola Desmond Primary
Video
Building Background - Activate students background knowledge and introduce
key vocabulary. (10-15 minutes)
K/1
Day 1 – Terry Fox
Q: Have you heard about the
Terry Fox Run we will be going
next week?
Q: What will happen when we
do the run?
Q: Do you know who Terry
Fox is?
Key Vocabulary: marathon,
artificial leg, hero
2/3
• Listens carefully for the
main idea and details
• Uses English to
communicate effectively
(make contributions,
share ideas)
• Explains what their
values are and how they
affect the choices they
make
*Terry Fox Video for
Primaries
*Cause and Effect Graphic
Organizer
*Phyllis Webstad Video
*Viola Desmond Primary
Video
2/3
Q: What do you know about
Terry Fox?
Q: What do you know about
cancer?
Key Vocabulary: diagnose,
amputate, inspirational
4/5
• Listens to identify the
main idea and details,
question, and share
ideas
• Uses English to express
ideas, justify choices
and evaluate
information
• Explains how some
important aspects of
their life have
influenced their values
*Terry Fox Video for
Intermediates
*Terry Fox Discussion
Questions (Appendix A)
*Phyllis Webstad Video
*Orange Shirt Day Reading
Sheet
*Viola Desmond
Intermediate Video
*Cause and Effect Graphic
Organizer
4/5
Q: What do you already know
about Terry Fox?
Q: What do you know about
how cancer affects our society?
Q: Is there anything that you
wonder about Terry Fox?
Key Vocabulary: amputated,
chemotherapy, courageous,
civilian
Day 2 – Phyllis Webstad
Q: Have you heard of Orange
Shirt Day?
Q: Do you have an orange
shirt? Or do you know someone
that you could borrow an orange
shirt from?
Introduce and discuss key
vocabulary: Every Child Matters
(this is the Orange Shirt Day
slogan)
Day 3 – Viola Desmond
Q: What do you know about
money?
Q: Have you ever seen this kind
of money ($10 bill)?
Q: Do you know who this
woman is and why she has her
picture on the $10 bill?
Today we are going to watch a
video about Viola Desmond,
and I want you to listen and see
if you hear these words: hero,
champion, ‘stand up’
Lesson Activities – Includes interaction, strategies, and practise/application
K/1
Day 1- Terry Fox
Watch the video (5 min) and
explain or discuss what it was
about (5 min).
As a group make a T-chart that
lists what was important to
Terry (may need to explain) on
one side and what is important
to them on the other side. (5min)
Terry Me
Q: Do you know when Orange
Shirt Day is?
Q: Do you remember why we
have Orange Shirt Day?
Q: What do you remember
about Phyllis Webstad?
Today we are going to watch a
video about Phyllis Webstad and
Orange Shirt Day. I want you to
listen and see if you hear these
words: granny, residential
school, First Peoples
Q: Have you every seen a
Canadian $10 bill?
Q: Do you know who this
woman is and why she is on our
money? If not, do you have any
guesses?
Today we are going to watch a
video about Viola Desmond,
and I want you to listen and see
if you hear these words: civil
rights, ‘of colour’, arrest, pardon
2/3 4/5
After watching the video (5
min), do a Think-Pair-Share
about why Terry Fox chose to
run across Canada (5 min).
Using the above Cause and
Effect graphic organizer or
having students sketch one
themselves, list two values (i.e.
love of athletics, caring for
children with cancer) and their
effects for Terry Fox. Then list
two of their own values and the
effects they have on their
behavior choices. (10 min)
Q: What do you know about
Orange Shirt Day?
Q: What do you know about
Residential Schools?
Q: What do you remember
about Phyllis Webstad?
Today we are going to watch a
video about Phyllis Webstad and
Orange Shirt Day. I want you to
listen and see if you hear these
words: residential school,
mission, generation, survivors
Q: Do you know who the
woman on our $10 bill is and
why she is famous?
Q: What do you know about
civil rights?
Today we are going to watch a
video about Viola Desmond,
and I want you to listen and see
if you hear these words:
beautician, revolutionary, usher,
pardon (noun)
After watching the video (7
min), hand out the Terry Fox
Discussion Questions –
Appendix A. Read them
together and check that students
understand the questions (5
min).
Have students discuss each
question with a different partner
and jot down any ideas that
come to them. I would use an
Inside-Outside Circle strategy.
Debrief as a group. (15 min)
 Save this T-chart or a picture of
it for a future lesson.
Colour a picture of Terry while
reviewing the key vocabulary
and what they know about
Terry. (The above link will
allow you to colour online or
print a colouring sheet.) Ask
students to choose one word that
they learned today and write it
on their picture. (15 min)
Day 2 Phyllis Webstad
Give students a basic
explanation of why we celebrate
Orange Shirt Day and who
Phyllis Webstad is. Have
students Think-Pair-Share about
something they like about
school (10 min).
Discuss how the children feel
when they are at school. Using
the T-Shirt Template, have
students draw a picture of
themselves at school that shows
this feeling. (10 min).
Review the key vocabulary:
Every Child Matters. Write this
slogan on their T-Shirt picture
(10 min).
Day 3 – Viola Desmond
Give students a short
explanation of the Viola
Desmond story before watching
the video. After watching the
video, explain that being treated
fairly was important to Viola.
(10 min)
Explain what being fair is using
examples of fair and not fair.
Have students draw a picture*
of something fair. (10 min)
Review key vocabulary
* Save all work they do for lesson 4.
Review the key vocabulary. Use
each word in a sentence. Then
check out the Terry’s Story on
the Terry Fox Foundation
website. Explain how students
can find this website at home.
(10 min)
After watching the video (2
min), discuss Phyllis’s story and
why Every Child Matters to her
(5 min). Have students think-
pair-share ways to help their
peers feel like they matter (10
min).
As suggested on the Orange
Shirt Day website, have students
trace their hands and in it, write
things they can do to make
others feel like they matter (10
min).
Review key vocabulary.
Challenge students to do as
many of their finger “tips” as
they can before the next class (5
min.)
Give students a short
explanation of the Viola
Desmond story before watching
the video. After watching the
video, have students do a think-
pair-share on a time they were
treated fairly or unfairly. (10
min)
Together brainstorm reasons
people want to be treated fairly.
Have each student write a
journal entry* on why fairness is
important to them.
Review key vocabulary
Review key vocabulary and
show students the Terry Fox
Foundation website. Encourage
students to check out Terry’s
Story at home. (5 min)
After watching the video (2
min), read and discuss the
Orange Shirt Day reading sheet
from above (10 min).
Highlight any key words in
yellow. Highlight other
challenging words in pink.
Discuss all these words and
come up with synonyms for
each (10 min).
Reflection question: How did
Phyllis’s experience at the
Residential School influence her
values? Can you think of what
experiences have influenced
your values? (10 min)
After watching the Viola
Desmond video (6 min), do a
think-pair-share about a time
that being treated fairly was
important to them (10 min).
Together complete the above
Cause and Effect graphic
organizer* for Viola’s story. (15
min)
Review key vocabulary