Resource Category: Lesson Plans

Download lesson plans that include classroom activities and Anishinaabe-made educational content.

  • Language

    Language

    This awareness-level lesson introduces students to Anishinaabemowin, with its diverse dialects, preserves cultural identity, connects communities to the land, and carries ancestral knowledge and spirituality.

    Activity Setting

    Classroom

    Student Organization

    Whole Class

    Time Required

    1 hour, 15 minutes – 1 hour, 35 minutes

    Learners Will…

    • Be able to retell where Anishinaabemowin originated and share this story with others in a respectful way that honors the language and the people it comes from, practicing responsibility in how knowledge is carried forward.
    • Be able to identify Anishinaabemowin as the language spoken in what is now Michigan before the arrival of non-Anishinaabe people, and reflect on how recognizing Indigenous languages fosters respect and a deeper sense of connection to the people whose identity and culture are carried through this language.
    • Be able to recall and use Anishinaabemowin words while practicing polite and respectful communication, recognizing that language carries the values of kindness, relationship, and belonging.

    Essential Questions

    • What can we learn from the first Anishinaabe who named the world in Anishinaabemowin, and how can we honor that tradition today?
    • How does learning and using Anishinaabemowin help us build respect and relationships with the land, animals, and each other?

    Lesson Plan Materials

    • “The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway” By Edward Benton-Banai ISBN: 0816673829
    • Relative card deck
    • Pencils and erasers, colored pencils or crayons
    • Ocean Relative worksheet

  • Citizenship & Political Affiliation

    Citizenship & Political Affiliation

    This awareness-level lesson introduces students to how Tribal Governance has evolved over time, and Tribal Nations maintain sovereign authority to define their own citizenship criteria, which may vary between nations. Anishinaabek hold citizenship in their Tribal Nation/First Nation, as well as citizenship in the U.S. and/or Canada.

    Activity Setting

    Classroom

    Student Organization

    Whole Class, Small Groups

    Time Required

    1 hour, 5 minutes – 1 hour, 15 minutes

    Learners will…

    • Be able to explain that Tribal Nations are sovereign, self-governing communities with their own leaders, responsibilities, and traditions, and reflect on how belonging to a Nation involves reciprocal care and responsibility.
    • Be able to identify unique characteristics of Tribal Nations in Michigan (leaders, programs, cultural practices) and practice curiosity and appreciation for the diversity within Anishinaabe governance and community life.
    • Be able to describe how many Anishinaabe people belong to both their Tribal Nation and the places they live today, and reflect on how being part of more than one community shapes identity, belonging, and responsibility.

    Essential Questions

    • What Tribal Nations share geography with Michigan?
    • What does it mean to belong to a Nation, and how do Nations care for their people, culture, and land?

    Lesson Plan Materials

    • Tribal Nations Fact Sheet
    • Printed or projected Seats of Sovereignty: The 12 Federally Recognized Tribes in Michigan Map
    • Tribal Nations Passport
  • Foresight

    Foresight

    This awareness-level lesson explores how Anishinaabek utilize the gift of foresight to consider the long-term impact of actions on future generations, emphasizing the responsibility to protect the interests of all beings.

    Activity Setting

    Classroom

    Student Organization

    Whole Class

    Time Required

    40 minutes – 58 minutes

    Learners will…

    • Be able to describe the gift of foresight as the ability to think ahead about the long-term impact of actions, and explain how using foresight shows responsibility for protecting the well-being of future generations and all living beings.
    • Be able to explain the importance of caring for the Earth to demonstrate thoughtfulness for the next generations.
    • Be able to differentiate between actions that support the care of the Earth and those that harm it, and explain how their own choices—together with group efforts—can positively impact the future for everyone.

    Essential Questions

    • How do the Anishinaabe use foresight to make decisions that care for future generations and all of creation?
    • What can we learn from the Anishinaabe worldview about how our choices today affect the world tomorrow?

    Lesson Plan Materials

    • Whiteboard, interactive board, or chart paper
    • Photo: A printed photo of Nokomis Josephine Mandamin (or project one digitally)
    • Map: Large printed Anishinaabe Aki map (or project digitally)
    • Book: “The Water Walker” written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson, ISBN 9781772600384
    • Worksheet: Water Protector Pledge
    • Drawing paper or construction paper
    • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
    • Pencil or pen

  • Anishinaabe Kinship Systems

    Anishinaabe Kinship Systems

    This awareness-level lesson introduces students to how Anishinaabe people understand family beyond biological connections, emphasizing shared experiences and clan structures to strengthen relationships and community well-being.

    Student Organization

    Whole Class or Small Groups

    Materials Needed

    Writing tools: pencils, markers, colored pencils or crayons.

    Time Required

    1 hour, 20 minutes – 1 hour, 45 minutes

    Learners will…

    • Be able to identify the way in which many Anishinaabe people value family and community.
    • Be able to recognize that family can include people beyond biological connections.
    • Be able to notice how Anishinaabe relationships strengthen community well-being and appreciate the importance of caring for one another.

    Essential Questions

    • What can we learn from Anishinaabe ways of defining family that can help us build stronger & kinder communities?
    • How are Anishinaabe family structures alike or different from non-Anishinaabe family structures?

    Lesson Plan Materials

    • Powerpoint
      • Diverse family cards 
      • Visual slide of Binooji Family diagram
    • “Drawing A Family” worksheet
    • Anishinaabe Family Cards
    • Non-Anishinaabe Family Cards
  • Sacred Relatives

    Sacred Relatives

    This awareness-level lesson introduces students to the Anishinaabe perspective of viewing nature as sacred relatives rather than resources to be used. Through interactive sorting activities, storytelling, and reflection, students explore how Indigenous worldviews emphasize interconnectedness and responsibility to the Earth and all living beings. The lesson challenges students to reconsider their relationship with nature and take meaningful action to care for their environment as family members.

    Activity Setting

    Classroom

    Student Organization

    Whole Class

    Time Required

    1 hour, 10 minutes – 1 hour, 34 minutes

    Learners Will…

    • Be able to identify how Anishinaabe people relate to the Earth and her living relatives, and reflect on how these practices show respect for all beings.
    • Be able to recognize how they are connected to the Earth and all sacred relatives and use this understanding to practice kindness and care toward the world around them.
    • Be able to acknowledge the importance of Anishinaabe teachings about interconnectedness and appreciate how caring for the Earth supports the well-being of all life.

    Essential Questions

    • In what ways do Anishinaabek view the Earth and nature as relatives instead of resources?
    • How might my actions change if I think of the Earth and nature as part of my family?
    • What is the difference between using something as a resource and caring for it as a relative?

    Lesson Plan Materials

    • Sacred Relatives: Resource or Relative Card Deck
    • Sacred Relatives PPT: 
      • Resource or Relative Headers
      • Display Cards
      • Indigenous Author Quote
      • Relative or resource Display Chart 
    • Student journals (optional)
    • Pens or pencils (optional)