Grade Level: 7-9
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Career Education, Indigenous Perspectives
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Understand what stewardshipmeans and why it’s important.
- Identify examples of good and poor stewardship in their community.
- Reflect on ways they can take care of local ecosystems through their daily choices.
- Connect stewardship to Indigenous perspectives about respect and responsibility for the land.
Materials
- Whiteboard or chart paper
- Markers
- Projector or smartboard (or printed visuals)
- Images or videos showing:
- Clean vs. littered parks
- Healthy vs. polluted waterways
- Examples of stewardship actions (tree planting, cleanups, pollinator gardens)
- Student notebooks or loose paper
- Pencils or pens
- Clipboards (optional)
- Scavenger hunt observation checklist or response sheets
- Sticky notes or index cards
- Camera, tablet, or device for documenting observations (optional)
- Weather-appropriate clothing (for outdoor scavenger hunt)
- Indigenous teaching, quote, or short story related to caring for the land
- Map showing local Indigenous territories (optional)
- Vocabulary cards or anchor chart for key terms (stewardship, conservation, sustainability, reciprocity)
- Large poster paper or bulletin board space for a class stewardship pledge
- Coloured pencils or markers for pledge activity
Curriculum Connections
- Science: Understanding ecosystems, human impact on the environment, and sustainability.
- Social Studies: Exploring responsible citizenship, community involvement, and social responsibility.
- Career Education: Developing personal responsibility, ethical decision-making, and contributing positively to society.
- Indigenous Perspectives: Learning from Indigenous teachings about respect, reciprocity, and caring for the land and community.
Terms
- Conservation: The careful use and protection of nature so that plants, animals, and resources will be healthy for future generations.
- Stewardship: Taking care of the Earth by making choices that protect the environment, animals, and natural places.
- Sustainability: Using resources in a way that meets our needs today without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Instructions
Introduction – Who Takes Care of What
Ask students:
- What does it mean to take care of something?
- Who takes care of your school? Your home? Our planet?
Show photos of a clean park vs. a littered park, or a healthy river vs. a polluted one and discuss:
- Which of these shows good stewardship?
- What might have caused the other situation?
Introduce the idea that stewardship means taking responsibility for the Earth, even if we don’t own it.
Explore – Examples of Stewardship
Show or read short examples of local or well-known acts of stewardship:
- A class planting native flowers for pollinators.
- Indigenous communities restoring habitats.
- Youth groups organizing shoreline cleanups or tree-planting events.
Discuss:
- What do all these actions have in common?
- Why do they matter?
- Who benefits when people act as good stewards?
Activity – Stewardship Scavenger Hunt
Option A – Outdoor Version
Take students outside (schoolyard or nearby park). Have them identify examples of good or poor stewardship (e.g., recycling bins, litter, pollinator gardens, erosion, water waste).
Option B – Indoor Version
Use photos or short videos showing different local environments. Students decide whether each image shows good or poor stewardship and explain why.
Follow-up discussion
What can we do to help fix or improve the examples of poor stewardship we saw?
Reflect – What’s My Role
Have students brainstorm ways they can show stewardship in their everyday lives, starting with these examples:
- Reducing waste or plastic use
- Respecting wildlife and nature
- Turning off lights or taps
- Sharing what they learn with friends and family
Indigenous Perspective Connection
Introduce the idea that many Indigenous cultures view humans as caretakers, not owners, of the land. The principle of reciprocity – giving back to nature – is a key part of stewardship. Discuss how this connects to the students’ own choices.
Extensions
- Create a class stewardship pledge where students post their commitments (e.g., ‘I’ll bring a reusable water bottle’ or ‘I’ll plant something for pollinators’).
