This guide was created to "give teachers and students the resources they need to examine the history of the Residential School System and to recognize the impact it has had, and continues to have, on generations of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

The activities in this book were prepared and reviewed by educators, subject specialists, and interpreters to ensure that they meet the needs of both students and teachers in intermediate and senior grades.

This Teacher’s Guide can be used as a stand-alone resource or in conjunction with the 100 Years of Loss:  The Residential School System in Canada exhibition, developed in 2010–2011 by the Legacy of Hope Foundation. This bilingual mobile exhibition was made to raise awareness of the history and legacy of residential schools.

This resource consists of six lesson plans, each of which examines an aspect of the history or legacy of the Residential School System" (100 Years of Loss: The Residential School System in Canada: Teacher's Guide, pg. 1).