These activities are very popular for Orange Shirt Day, but they can be used any time of the year. They provide fun and engaging learning experiences to help you celebrate Orange Shirt Day with your class. Check out all of the Orange Shirt Day activities for elementary students below!
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15 Orange Shirt Day Activities for Elementary Students
Below are our favorite Orange Shirt Day activities for kids at the elementary level.
1. When I Was Eight Book Activities
When We Were Alone follows Olemaun, an Inuit girl who yearns to read the outsiders’ books despite her father’s initial resistance, and after facing adversity and mistreatment at the outsiders’ school, she perseveres, finds her voice, and achieves her dream of reading, ultimately feeling proud and triumphant. This When I Was Eight Book Companion includes reading comprehension questions, writing prompts, SEL lesson ideas, student activities, and much more. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
2. When We Were Alone Book Activities
When We Were Alone follows a young girl’s conversation with her grandmother, exploring the resilience and strength of Indigenous people in the face of cultural assimilation, and the importance of preserving traditions, identity, and connection to one’s heritage. This When We Were Alone Book Companion includes reading comprehension questions, writing prompts, SEL lesson ideas, student activities, and much more. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
3. Orange Shirt Day Book Companions
One of our favorite ways to teach Orange Shirt Day is by reading aloud related picture books. Two great books for this are When I Was Eight and When We Were Alone. Learn more about this Orange Shirt Day book companion bundle resource that includes book activities for both read alouds in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
4. Orange Classroom Reading Passages with Comprehension Questions
This Orange Shirt Day Non-Fiction Reading Unit includes 3 leveled reading passages, comprehension questions, quizzes, and more. Pair this with one of the read alouds above for a series of lessons about Orange Shirt Day. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
5. Orange Shirt Day Bookmarks
These Printable Orange Shirt Day Bookmarks pair nicely with other Orange Shirt Day activities. Students will enjoy these coloring activities that spark creativity while giving them a purposeful finished product to use during independent reading. This bookmark resource is ideal for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms. Learn more about this resource below!
6. Orange Shirt Day Directed Drawing and Writing Activities
This Orange Shirt Day Directed Drawing and Writing Activities resource is an engaging way for elementary students to practice a variety of important skills: writing, vocabulary, focus, fine motor, social-emotional, and more. Learn more about this Orange Shirt Day directed drawing activity below!
7. Orange Shirt Day Word Search
This Orange Shirt Day Word Search is one way for students to honor the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also commonly referred to as Orange Shirt Day. This activity reinforces spelling, vocabulary, reading, visual scanning, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. The best part is that it includes an answer key, which makes grading quick and easy. Learn more about this resource below!
8. Orange Shirt Day Flip Book Project
This Orange Shirt Day Flip Book Project is a meaningful way to recognize Orange Shirt Day in your elementary classroom. It includes structured writing prompts, engaging reading comprehension passages, and more. Learn more below!
9. Orange Shirt Day Acrostic Poem Activities
These Orange Shirt Day Acrostic Poem Activities are another way to honor the indigenous Canadian children who were sent to residential schools and forced to assimilate into Canadian culture. Learn more about this resource below!
10. Orange Shirt Day Writing and Craft Project
This Orange Shirt Day Writing and Craft Project includes fun and easy activities for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. With differentiated writing pages, printable craft templates, and bold bulletin board letters, this resource equips teachers with everything they need to implement engaging writing lessons, as well as final products that look great displayed on a classroom bulletin board this fall. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
11. Orange Shirt Day T-Shirt Templates
These Orange Shirt Day T-Shirt Templates are versatile resources that can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom: writing activities, crafts, and coloring pages. Learn more about these T-shirt shape templates below!
12. Orange Shirt Day Hats
Making Orange Shirt Day Hats is such a creative activity for the elementary classroom. Your students can decorate their own paper crowns using markers (or any other craft supplies) and then have the option to engage in a simple, differentiated writing task that can be glued on the back of the the headband to make the project more academic. You get to decide if you want to have students simply color the crowns or turn it into a simple writing lesson too. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
13. Orange Shirt Day Writing Pages
The Orange Shirt Day Writing Pages can be used with any Orange Shirt Day writing prompt of your choosing. Mount the final writing pieces on construction and post them on your classroom bulletin board for a meaningful September display. Learn more about this Orange Shirt Day resource below!
14. Orange Shirt Day Creative Writing Packet
The Orange Shirt Day Creative Writing Packet helps 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students explore emotions while creating a fun, themed story. Through a step-by-step, scaffolded process, students build vocabulary, plan their ideas, and develop a complete narrative from beginning to end. Designed to make writing feel manageable and enjoyable, this resource supports students in becoming confident, creative writers. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!
15. Phyllis Webstad Biography Brochure Project
Help students learn more about Phyllis Webstad through this engaging Phyllis Webstad Biography Brochure Project. Students research and organize important information about her life and legacy and show their learning by creating a brochure activity. Learn more below!
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Check out the Orange Shirt Day activities below!
In closing, we hope you found this list of Orange Shirt Day activities for elementary students helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these other related posts:
