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When I was a child, I was never taught about residential schools. The last residential school closed in 1996 which means that I was of school-age when residential schools were still open.  Residential schools are a difficult and shameful part of Canadian history, contradicting the values we want to teach our children – kindness, respect, and collaboration. Having ignored this part of Canadian history for decades, Orange Shirt Day was established to honour all who were and still are affected by residential schools.

Also known as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day will be observed on September 30, 2025 this year. It is an opportunity for educators and students to learn more about residential schools, reflect on their impact, and take steps towards creating equitable, collaborative and respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples. Mathematics allows for deep, meaningful and rigorous examination of social justice issues. In this case, math can provide learners with a critical lens on understanding the widespread impact of residential schools on Indigenous families and children across Canada. For example, exploring the data available on residential schools can help tell a certain type of story, one that explicitly shows the ongoing, wide-spread impact on Indigenous people in Canada. This is unlike the types of stories shared in books, interviews and videos, which are personal and shed light on individual experiences. When used together, both provide a deeper understanding of the impact of residential schools.

Introducing the Map and Locating Schools

Use the interactive residential school map to explore the locations of the schools across Ontario. Encourage learners to think critically about the schools’ locations by asking questions such as where most schools were situated, how many there were, and whether they were near cities or in more remote areas. Provide students with a printed map or use a Smartboard as a class to plot the schools’ locations. Encourage the use of directional language when describing school locations relative to other landmarks or cities – for example, Chapleau (St. John’s) Indian Residential School is northeast of Sault Ste. Marie and northwest of Sudbury.

Exploring Data to Reveal Patterns and Timelines

Use information from the interactive residential school map to explore and organize data about the schools. Small groups can focus on one or two schools each, and gather details such as the year they opened, religious affiliation, and location (e.g., categorize schools by Northern Ontario, Southern Ontario, etc.). With this data, groups can create a simple bar graph (e.g., number of schools by religious denomination or by decade opened). Sharing and comparing the results as a class may lead to the discovery of broader patterns and a larger discussion about what the data tells us.

The data from the interactive residential school map can also be used to explore how long each school operated. Identify schools that were open the longest and discuss what these timelines reveal about the persistence of the residential school system. Facilitate conversations about what it might have meant for children and families when schools remained open for 10 years or more, and how this long timeline would have affected multiple generations.

Using Maps to Understand the Scale of Displacement

Using Google Map’s “Measure distance” tool, students can calculate straight-line distances between schools and home communities. This provides a visual of how far children were taken from their families and communities, while also showing the widespread impact of residential schools. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation provides . For example, children who attended Chapleau (St. John’s) Indian Residential School came from communities across the province, including Brunswick House, Gibson Reserve, Rama Reserve, Fort Albany on James Bay, and Six Nations near Toronto. Comparing these distances can lead to discussions about the impacts of separation on families and communities.