Asking questions about "connections" and "disconnections" for Grades 4 and 5

Sandy Dhari and I both teach grade 4/5 at Anderson Elementary. 

This is the third year that we have been teaching units on Aboriginal Studies. We have now broken it up into Year One and Year Two units, where some ideas overlap, but most of the literature and the activities are different.

This year, during second term, we taught a unit on the "Connections" piece - Who are we? Where do our families come from? Do our names have meanings? What do we believe in? What are our values? AND how does all that self-knowledge Connect with the First Nations' way of thinking?.

After attending an inspiring workshop given by Leanne McColl and Lynn Wainright, Sandy and I decided to take the plunge third term and tackle the difficult unit of the"Disconnect" - What happened in Canada during the time of the Residential Schools?

It was been a very uncomfortable unit to teach as the topic is so raw and so sensitive. But it has also been unbelievably rewarding. The conversations and the discussions in class and among the Grade 4/5 students have been rich and thought-provoking. The writing that has come from their activities, from the literature and from various films has been deep, reflective and insightful.

Thanks to our mentors, Leanne and Lynn, for guiding us through this unit. As the history of Canada evolves, it will become more important for future citizens to have an understanding of our past in order to ensure that such history is never duplicated.

We are happy to share ideas, if the interest is there.

Sandy and Lotti

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Residential School Poetry

In Kyla Miller's Grade 3 class, students wrote free-verse poetry in response to the picture books When I Was Eight, Not My Girl, Mush-hole, and Shi-shi-etko, and closed the emotional circle they had created with readings of their poems in circle.

First Nations Trade Show Assignment for SS 8/9

Thanks to Andrea Phillpotts, from McMath Secondary for sharing this assignment for Social Studies 8/9.

SS9 

First Nations Trade Show

With a partner, you are to promote of the following historical First Nations innovations to your fellow classmates in a “trade show.”  You may choose to do a diagram / power point / poster or another medium to promote your innovation.

The purpose is to get familiar with historical First Nations innovations and how they inform and enrich our modern world.

This activity connected with the new curriculum’s grade 9 core competency: “Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events” and “the physical environment influences the nature of political, social, and economic change.”  It is linked to the content dealing with advances in science and technology and the perspective of First Nations people on the use of natural resources.

In connects to the grade 8 topics of: “scientific and technological innovations” and “interactions and exchanges of resources, ideas, arts, and culture between and among different civilizations.” 

You must provide the following information in your project:

1)     How your traditional innovation worked.  Describe it.

2)     Differences between the traditional way of doing things and the 2016 way.

3)     A modern day First Nations / Inuit / Metis person from your region who uses inspiration from your traditional innovation for modern day uses.

4)     What we could learn from this traditional way of doing things

5)     What it reveals about First Peoples’ attitude towards the physical environment and sustainability.   

Innovations:

Inuit / subarctic

*iglus (igloos)

*parkas

*snowshoes

*kayaks

Iroquois

*palisades

*“three sisters” crops / agriculture

Plains people

*tipis

*pemmican

*pharmaceuticals like pain relief in salicylic acid (asprin) from willow bark

Plateau

*canoe (also could be North West Coast canoe)

*Pit houses

North West Coast

*Totem poles or longhouses

*Bent wood cedar box

*Smoked salmon

Mi’kmaq (East Coast)

*toboggan

Our trade show will last two days.  On the first day, one partner will present; on the second, the other partner will present.  On the day that you’re not presenting, you are to walk around taking “notes” and choosing which you’d support if you were to invest in an innovation.  Your mark will be twofold, based on both your shared presentation resource and the individual understanding and delivery of each member of the pair.  There will be a quiz at the end on all the innovations so make sure your notes are good!

The evaluation rubric will be posted soon.  You will be evaluated on both your content and individual presentation.

SLSS: Aboriginal Content in the French Curriculum

Aboriginal Content in the French Curriculum SLSS:

Created by Aviva Levin & Meghan Henrickson (in consultation with Erin Matheny and Deborah Dodds) – January 26, 2016

Grade	Unit	Possible Aboriginal enhancements
8	Le Grand Voyage	-        map of Canada (p.48) o   discuss the Inuit of Quebec §  doing basic introductions in Inuktitut syllabics -        add slang/dialect words from different cultures around la francophonie, including Métis o   students at SLSS seem to identify strongly with the mixed heritage of the Metis
	Phénomène	-        Aboriginal origin words for the monsters discussed -        (p.121) “Certains monstres du Canada ont leur origine dans les legends autochtones” o   Find original Native myths for the phenomenon and modify for a grade 8 level
9	Rétro-Monde	-        Music of the 60s, 70s, 80s o   Look at the careers of Buffy Sainte Marie (Cree) o   Robbie Robertson (Mohawk) -        Clothing of the 60s, 70s, 80s o   Issue of appropriation of Native traditions in popular clothing (potentially adapt the article about D2)
	En Route vers la francophonie	-        See ‘le grand voyage’ (above) -        Les accents de partout (p.20) o   Accents of Canadians (Quebec, Acadian, Metis, Inuit French speakers)
	Ça brasse	-        See ‘retro-monde’ (above) -        Music from Canada o   ‘Kashtin’ (Aboriginal folk) o   social justice hip hop (Quebec)
10	Studio Créateur	-        showcase an Aboriginal artist o   ex. local = Bill Reid -        survey of different Aboriginal art styles o   contrast to traditional European art o   highlight the cultural diversity (non-homogeneity) of Ab. Cultures -        opportunity to invite an Aboriginal guest artist into the classroom
	En Maintenant, Passons aux nouvelles	-        include Aboriginal issues as a news item -        expand on the info-culture: “APTN: Le reseau de television des peuples autochtones” (p.83)
	Le folklore urbain	-        same as ‘phenomene’ above -        expand on the info-culture: “l’arbre de vie” (p.140)
11	L’amitié	-        possible pen pals with a northern school district
	L’amour	-        love story (“la premiere couple”) in magazine (Amour 101)
12	Les légendes autochtones	-        unit is already almost solely Aboriginal focused

Thanks to Aviva and Meghan (and Erin and Deborah) for their work in researching ways to include Aboriginal content in secondary French.