Before you teach, we strongly recommend you review our supporting resources:

Educator Workbook

‍Mental Health 101

Safer Language

Classroom Discussion Guide

Trauma Informed Teaching

This lesson is best used alongside additional learning about mental health, including warning signs, coping strategies, and help-seeking supports.

This lesson plan guides students through a video conversation about how climate emergencies, such as wildfires and floods, impact Indigenous communities and mental health. Using reflection and discussion questions, students explore the emotional effects of displacement, the importance of land for intergenerational learning, and culturally grounded approaches to healing. The plan encourages empathy, critical thinking, and actionable ways young people can support themselves, their peers, and their communities.

The lesson emphasizes trauma-informed principles by offering choice, normalizing diverse reactions, and supporting reflection without requiring personal disclosure. Students leave the lesson with concrete strategies to manage stress, set boundaries, and maintain connection during uncertain times.

1. Describe how evacuation and displacement due to climate emergencies can impact mental health and well-being, particularly for Indigenous individuals and communities.
   
2. Identify a range of emotional, physical, and social responses that people may experience during and after displacement.
   
3. Explain the importance of land, culture, and community in supporting Indigenous mental health and resilience.
   
4. Recognize ways to show care and respect for peers who may be affected by displacement, without making assumptions about their experiences.
   
5. Reflect on supportive actions (individual and collective) that can promote healing, connection, and well-being during times of disruption.

Note: Students are not expected to share personal experiences to meet these goals.

Video

Together in Change video

‍Note: This video makes reference to mental health struggle. We encourage educators to consider the needs of their students before delivering this content in their classroom.

Slide Deck

Together in Change: Strengthening Indigenous Mental Health

Handouts

Video Guide

Additional Materials

• Teacher computer, projector, and speakers
• Paper, white board markers/chalk, sticky notes
• List of school/community support resources (e.g., counsellor, trusted adult, youth helplines)

Teacher Answer Key

1. Minds On (5 minutes)
2. Action Tasks (60-65 minutes)
3. Consolidation (3 minutes)

Lesson Procedure

Note: All parts of the lesson procedure can be found in the slide deck provided.

Slide 2: Land Acknowledgement 

In the slide deck, we have included Jack.org’s land acknowledgement. We encourage you to write your own, acknowledging the Nations, communities, territories and treaties upon which you live and work, and your calls to action for reconciliation / Self Pledge.

‍Here are some resources to support you:

• Why Acknowledge?
• Territory Acknowledgement - Native-Land.ca.  

Part 1: Minds-On (5-10 minutes)

Opening & Emotional Safety Setup (2-3 minutes)

Slides 3-5

Review Objectives and Ensuring a Positive Experience. 

Teacher Prompt: “Today we’ll be learning about how we can Strengthen Indigenous Mental Health, particularly when a climate crisis and subsequent displacement and evacuation affects individuals and communities. As we explore these topics today, it’s important to be mindful that we all have our unique reactions based on our lived experience and values. Please ensure to check in with yourself and know it's okay to step back, take a break, or ask for support at any time.”

Grounding Check-In (Choice-Based)

Invite students to choose one option 

Private reflection: How can we show care and respect when learning about experiences that may be different from our own, for example through how we listen, what we say, and how we respond?

Quiet grounding: Sit comfortably and notice breathing or body sensations for 30 seconds.

Teacher Prompt: “You can choose one of these options. If none feel right today, it’s okay to simply sit quietly.”

*Important Notes: 

1. Choose the format that best supports your students’ sense of safety. The goal is noticing variety, not identifying individuals.
2. Avoid asking students who identify as Indigenous to share personal stories. All sharing should be optional.

Suggested wrap-up: “Thank you for taking that moment. As we move into the video, stay open and curious, and notice what you’re learning from the experiences and perspectives shared.”

Pre-Viewing Framing & Protective Factors (2-3 minutes)

Slide 6

Teacher Prompt: “Today’s video features two people talking about wild fires, climate change and how Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. 

Even when world events happen far away, they can still feel personal. Some people have direct connections to those places, while others do not, but everyone can still be affected. Our brains are wired to notice conflict, uncertainty, or injustice, which can trigger worry, fear, or concern.

It’s also important to know that constant exposure to news and social media can increase stress. When we’re taking in updates all day, our nervous system may not get a break, which can make things feel more intense or overwhelming. This is a common response.

During today’s video, try to notice any ideas that come up about coping, support, and hope.”

Part 2: Action Tasks (60-65 minutes)

Video (58 minutes)

Slide 6

Share the Video Guide handout with your students and briefly review the instructions. Emphasize that the questions are meant to help them notice key ideas, and it’s okay if they don’t catch every answer. Students can use the space on the side for additional notes or thoughts, if they choose.

Note: Due to the length of the video, you may choose to view it over two class periods. 

Supportive Options During Viewing:

• Students may look down, stim, doodle, or take notes.
• Provide a quiet signal students can use if they need a short break.

Activity: Post-Viewing Regulation Pause (1-2 minutes)

Slides 7-8

Share the videos on the slides, and invite your students to try the activities, if they are comfortable doing so.

• Breathing Balloon (Kids Help Phone)
• Coping Skill: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Grounding Technique (1:51)

Activity: Quick Pair-Share with Reflection Option (5 minutes)

Slide 9

1. Teacher Prompt: “We’ve spent some time learning how displacement and climate emergencies can affect people’s emotions, sense of home, and connection to community, especially for Indigenous communities. We also looked at ways people support healing and each other. Now we’ll take a moment to check in. You can either share with a partner or reflect quietly on your own. It’s completely your choice.”
2. Options:

• Share one idea or perspective from the video that stood out to you.
• Share one way people can support themselves or others after an emergency
• If you prefer to reflect individually, spend a minute writing, drawing, or thinking about what “home” or “community” means to you.
  
  

3. Optional Whole-Class Wrap (1–2 min):Invite 1–2 volunteers to share general insights (emphasize no pressure, and they don’t need to share in-depth details about their experience(s)).
   
   

Part 3: Consolidation (3-5 minutes)

Closing & Support Reminder

Teacher Prompt: “Feeling strong emotions in response to major disruptions is normal. You don’t have to carry them alone, and you don’t need to know every detail to make safe and caring choices. Remember that connecting with your community, culture, and trusted people and learning from Indigenous knowledge and practices can help support your well-being and the well-being of those around you.”

Remind students (and yourself) of:

• School supports (counsellor, child and youth worker, trusted adults).
• Crisis or community supports as appropriate.

Optional Exit Ticket (choice-based):

• One word for how you’re feeling after learning about displacement, community, and well-being.
• One practice or strategy from the lesson (like storytelling, connecting with community, or grounding in culture) that you could use to care for yourself when emotions come up.

Alberta

Health and Life Skills  (9)

Specific Outcomes

• R-9.3  Analyze, evaluate and refine personal strategies for managing stress/crises 
• W-9.11  use personal resiliency skills; e.g., seek out appropriate mentors, have a sense of purpose, have clear standards for personal behaviour
• R-9.1  Identify appropriate strategies to foster positive feelings/attitudes 

CALM (10-12)

Specific Outcomes

• describe the combination of factors that contribute to personal well-being
• demonstrate an understanding of the interrelated and interdependent aspects of well-being and healthy lifestyles
• assess own well-being and own ability to cope with challenges and overcome obstacles
• discuss possible consequences of not constructively dealing with emotions
• describe the components of emotional/ spiritual well-being
• describe external influences on emotional/spiritual expression
• develop strategies for managing stress; and investigate the benefits and limitations of stress and the negative, stressful and harmful responses to stress

British Columbia 

Physical and Health Education 9

Curricular Competency

• Analyze strategies for promoting mental well-being, for self and others 
• Explore and describe factors that shape personal identities, including social and cultural factors 
• Propose strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships (understanding personal boundaries and respecting the boundaries of others e.g., body boundaries, emotional boundaries; other strategies for maintaining healthy relationships could include: open communication, listening, trust, maintaining mutual respect)
• Create strategies for promoting the health and well-being of the school and community

Physical and Health Education 10

Curricular Competency

• Evaluate and explain strategies for promoting mental well-being
• Explore and describe factors that shape personal identities, including social and cultural factors 
• Analyze the potential effects of social influences on health

Manitoba

Physical Education and Health 10F

Specific Student Learning Outcome

• K.3.8.B.4 Demonstrate the ability to access valid health information and health-promoting products and services available in the community (e.g., doctors, public health nurses, health agencies and associations related to cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, sexuality education, alcoholism; youth advocates, helplines, school/community counselling programs, friendship centres, ombudsperson, the Internet...).

Physical Education and Health 20F

Specific Student Learning Outcome

• K3S2B4. Investigate the contributions self and/or others can make to community/global health and sustainable development.
• K4S2C2. Describe situations that cause personal stress.
• K4S2C3. Examine the physiological and psychological effects of stress related to health and well-being.
• K4S2C4a. Examine the strategies and defence mechanisms that can be healthy or unhealthy ways of managing stress.
• K4S2B2a. Evaluate the benefits of effective communication skills for getting along with family, friends, and peers in school, community, and/or the workplace.
• K4S2C1a. Describe the behaviours necessary for providing others with support and promoting emotional health and well-being.
• S4S2A3. Apply communication skills and strategies in case scenarios for getting along with others in a variety of contexts.
• S.4.S2.A.5 Apply stress-management strategies (e.g., mental imagery, relaxation skills, rest habits, focusing...) and communication skills (e.g., listen, comfort, seek help...) for stress reduction for self and/or others in case scenarios related to stressful situations (e.g., family breakdown, violence...).

Active Healthy Lifestyles 30F 

Specific Student Learning Outcome

• 11.MH.1 Identify and apply positive health strategies to deal with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

New Brunswick

Personal Wellness 9

Big Idea: Positive Mental Health

Achievement Indicators

• Discuss the role of hope in positive mental health
• Assess how listening and empathy support the positive mental health of peers
• Discuss the value of emotional regulation in different contexts
• Identify strategies to build own positive mental health

Wellness Through Physical Education

Specific Curriculum Outcomes

• 1.1 Students investigate what it means to be well.
• 1.2 Students evaluate and address personal wellness needs.
• 1.3 Students analyze how society, media and culture influence wellness

Newfoundland and Labrador

Grade 9 Health 

Specific Curriculum Outcome

• Identify healthy ways of coping with stress.

Healthy Living 1200 

Specific Curriculum Outcome

• Demonstrate an understanding of stress and its impacts on individuals, relationships and society. (H-GCO4, KSCO1; FS:HD-GCO2, KSCO2)
• Identify and participate in activities that reduce stress, are financially viable, and enhance relationships. (H-GCO4, KSCO2; PE-GCO6, KSCO7)

Northwest Territories

Health Education 9

Curricular Competency

• Analyze strategies for promoting mental well-being, for self and others
• Explore and describe factors that shape personal identities, including social and cultural factors
• Assess and evaluate strategies for managing problems related to mental well-being and substance use, for others
• Propose strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships
• Create strategies for promoting the health and well-being of the home, school and community
• Propose healthy choices that support lifelong health and well-being

*Based upon NWT Adapted curriculum Implementation Draft, July 2024

Nova Scotia

Healthy Living 9

Specific Curriculum Outcome

• 9.1 analyze their health needs in times of change and apply strategies that enhance their capacity to manage change in their lives
• 9.2 recognize the warning signs of depressive disorders and the importance of seeking help for these disorders

Ontario

Healthy Active Living, PPL1O

Specific Expectations

• C3.2 Identify warning signs and symptoms that could be related to mental health concerns (e.g., inability to cope with stress; feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, or worthlessness; negative thoughts about oneself, others, and the future; thoughts of suicide), and describe a variety of strategies for coping with or responding to mental health concerns affecting oneself or others (e.g., stress and mood management techniques, identifying ways to seek help for oneself or a friend/ classmate, supporting others who are struggling with their emotional well-being) 

Healthy Active Living, PPL2O

Specific Expectations

• C1.1 demonstrate an understanding of factors that enhance mental health and emotional and spiritual well-being 

Healthy Active Living, PPL3O

Specific Expectations

• C3.4 describe how to use personal and interpersonal skills to deal with personally stressful situations or to help others deal with stressful situations (e.g., mental and physical illness, death of a family member, abusive relationships, understanding and accepting sexual orientation, separation/divorce, suicide, unemployment/underemployment, substance abuse) 

Health for Life, PPZ3C

Specific Expectations

• A1.2 demonstrate an understanding of resilience and its impact on personal health, and explain how personal factors (e.g., ability to self-monitor, self-awareness, assertiveness, ability to solve problems, coping skills, empathy and compassion, sense of humour, good physical and mental health, having goals and aspirations) contribute to the development of resilience
• A1.3 explain how personal health practices, health knowledge, and healthy behaviours and attitudes contribute to the protection and improvement of an individual’s health
• A2.1 explain how a strong social support network (e.g., family, friends, trusted adults, connections to school and community supports) contributes to better personal health (e.g., provides help to solve problems and deal with adversity; increases feelings of self-worth by reinforcing a sense of belonging and connection; helps to prevent depression and anxiety), and describe ways of enhancing their personal social networks

Healthy Active Living, PPL4O

Specific Expectations

• C2.3 describe how coping and interpersonal skills and their knowledge of personal protective and risk factors can be used to develop resilience and enhance their ability to make healthy choices, including the avoidance of substance use and addictive behaviours
• C2.5 identify the skills and resources that they will need to maintain their personal health and well-being as they become more independent (e.g., budgeting and time-management skills, interpersonal skills, cooking and meal-planning skills, recreational and leisure opportunities, access to health care and other supports) 

Recreation and Healthy Active Living Leadership (PLF4M)

Specific Expectations

• C2.1 Describe how healthier choices related to physical activity, healthy eating, and other aspects of everyday living (e.g., limiting screen time and increasing participation in a variety of physical activities that provide cardiovascular and muscular endurance, muscular strength, or flexibility benefits; eating balanced meals; choosing nutritious snacks; managing stress; getting enough sleep; making choices with personal safety in mind) contribute to better physical, mental, and social health and greater personal well-being 

Prince Edward Island

Physical and Health Education 9

Specific Curriculum Outcome

• identify personal strengths and challenges related to mental health, including resilience, coping strategies, and risk factors
• practice active listening and empathy to understand and respect the boundaries and preferences of others, while acknowledging and asserting personal boundaries as well 
• describe the importance of ongoing self-assessment and adjustment to maintain positive mental health and prevent relapse

Wellness PED401A

Indicators

• Investigate the multitude of factors that exert influences on life balance (e.g., relationships, gender, culture, stress, sense of belonging, leisure, traditions, socio-economic factors, physical and mental fitness, technology use).
• Assess one’s motivations, (e.g., appearance, health, ability), and limitations (e.g., time management) that improve and/or impede one’s personal wellness.
• Analyse individual and civic responsibility in nurturing well-being and examine the social factors (including expectations of self and others) that influence personal wellness.
• Examine available supports (both formal and informal) for attaining and maintaining optimal wellness and establish strategies to effectively access these supports.
• Describe, with information from a variety of mental health experts, the factors that contribute to positive mental health (e.g., involvement in extracurricular activities, belonging to a team/group).
• Discuss prior understandings of how thoughts, actions, and behaviours are all connected to brain function.
• Investigate various personal, environmental, biological, and social influences (e.g., sports competitions, use of cannabis, support networks) on mental health and determine one’s relationship to these influences.
• Investigate the relationships between personal mental health and personal wellness (e.g., feeling well, functioning well and being resilient, making positive changes, being physically fit).
• Examine the relationships among defense mechanisms, feelings, behaviours, and mental health (i.e., ways we protect ourselves from things we do not want to think about or deal with).
• Examine the interconnectedness and interdependence of mental health and a variety of activities (e.g., leisure activities, competitive sports, physical activities, helping someone or some cause).
• Analyse mental fitness factors (e.g., placing things in perspective, using stress management strategies, cultivating and maintaining a strong sense of humour) as they relate to personal well-being.
• Examine the benefits (e.g., staying connected to a friend who has moved, enhanced opportunity to engage in social justice or political issues) and the harm (e.g., online bullying, inadequate sleep, scams) that may result from the use of technology, such as social networking, online shopping, and internet gambling.

Quebec

Physical Education and Health / PED 302, 402

Knowledge and Skills

• Uses techniques to relax after a physical effort or to manage his/her stress
• Names stressful situations that have an effect on his/her daily life (e.g. winning a competition, writing an exam)
• Names the effects of an excessive use of multimedia technology on his/her psychological or physical state
• Indicates strategies for managing the use of multimedia technology on a daily basis
• Names the repercussions of poor stress management for his/her health and well-being (e.g. anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression)
• Indicates strategies for relaxing (e.g. taking a warm bath, reading, exercising, using a relaxation technique)

Saskatchewan 

Wellness 10

Indicator

• Investigate the multitude of factors that exert influences on life balance (e.g., relationships, gender, culture, stress, sense of belonging, leisure, traditions, socio-economic factors, physical and mental fitness, technology use).
• Assess one’s motivations (e.g., appearance) and limitations (e.g., time management) that improve and/or impede one’s personal wellness.
• Analyze individual and civic responsibility in nurturing well-being and examine the social factors (including expectations of self and others) that influence personal wellness.
• Discuss prior understandings of how thoughts, actions, and behaviours are all connected to brain function.
• Investigate various personal, environmental, biological, and social influences (e.g., sports competitions, use of cannabis, support networks) on mental health and determine one’s relationship to these influences.
• Examine the interconnectedness and interdependence of mental health and a variety of activities (e.g., leisure activities, competitive sports, physical activities, helping someone or some cause).
• Analyze mental fitness factors (e.g., placing things in perspective, using stress management strategies, cultivating and maintaining a strong sense of humour) as they relate to personal well-being.
• Reflect on one’s ability to recognize and manage emotions in self and in personal relationships.
• Examine emotional and behavioural patterns of self and others and determine related impact on optimal wellness.
• Practise and reflect on variety of self-awareness strategies (e.g., treat feelings as good or bad, identify triggers, seek feedback, keep a journal of emotions, observe others’ reactions to your emotions).
• Examine the benefits (e.g., staying connected to a friend who has moved, enhanced opportunity to engage in social justice or political issues) and the harm (e.g., online bullying, inadequate sleep, scams) that may result from the use of social networking, online shopping, internet gambling, etc.
• Investigate the value of silence, stillness, solitude, and an inward focus on one’s overall wellness
• Examine the role individual activities (e.g., cooking, travelling, dancing, running) may have in one’s spirituality and wellness.
• Determine how one is influenced by norms, trends, images, and values in various cultures, communities, and groups.

Yukon

*Yukon schools follow the British Columbia (B.C.) curriculum, with adaptations to include Yukon content and Yukon First Nations’ ways of knowing and doing. (https://yukon.ca/en/school-curriculum)

Physical and Health Education 9

Curricular Competency

• Analyze strategies for promoting mental well-being, for self and others 
• Propose strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships (understanding personal boundaries and respecting the boundaries of others e.g., body boundaries, emotional boundaries; other strategies for maintaining healthy relationships could include: open communication, listening, trust, maintaining mutual respect)

Physical and Health Education 10

Curricular Competency

• Evaluate and explain strategies for promoting mental well-being
• Analyze the potential effects of social influences on health