General+Overview+and+Unit

__** General Overview of Unit **__ Lesson One: -  This lesson will be student centered. -  The main goal is to introduce the topic to students and allow the teacher to observe where their general understanding of First Nations people is. -   The teaching strategy would fall under a few areas, however mainly direct and indirect. -   The class will begin by discussing definitions and correct terminology. -  The students will be asked to determine a definition for First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and aboriginal. At this point it is not important if they are right because they will be corrected over the unit. -   The class will then move on to filling out the new KWL chart. Columns 1 and 3 will be filled out and column 2 will be continually filled out over the unit. Columns 1 and 3 could be added to as well. -   To follow up the KWL chart, students will be given books to read. They will be asked to look for things that were either in the “what we THINK we know” or “what we are WONDERING about” columns. -  Those who are comfortable are welcome to fill in their findings in column 2 which is “what we have CONFIRMED”. -   Finally, the assessment will be a chart handed to each student where they are to identify: 3 new facts they have learned and 1 question they still have.

Lesson Two: -  Students will be separated into 6 groups (predetermined by the teacher). -  A large uncoloured map will be hung up at the front of the classroom. The map will be sectioned off into 6 separate regions. -  Each group will pick a region out of a hat: Pacific Coast, Sub Arctic, Plains, Woodlands, Huron & Irquois, and the Arctic. -   The group will be responsible for researching their region on the computer. -   Directions will be provided on the board. -  The students will be required to look up information regarding the following: what the region is like (environment), the tribes that lived there, their traditional way of life, food/hunting strategies, clothing, housing, traditions/beliefs, and travel. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> When the students have found their required information, they will be allowed to colour their region on the map at the front (every region must be a different colour). -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> When the students have completed their research, they will be asked to design a poster to display their information. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Assessment will be based on whether or not they actively participated in the class and whether or not they have found the required information. (Fits in with Indicator A) Resource: [] Lesson Three: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Lesson 2 has a direct lead into Lesson 3. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> If students were not quite finished their posters from last class, they will have a short opportunity at the beginning of Lesson 3. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Lesson 3 is based on comparing the different regions. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Two groups will get together and discuss their areas. The groups will be asked to work together and create a similarities and differences chart. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Too add onto the group work, the class as a whole will come together and create a huge similarities and differences list between all 6 regions and the tribes that lived within. The class list is to create a visual for the students. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Following the chart a teacher led discussion will take place about why we think certain tribes might have lived as they did in certain areas. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The goal is for students to see how diverse Canada was even before the arrival of Europeans. It is important for students to understand how well off the First Nations and Inuit really were initially and to form generalizations about their traditional life before European contact. (Fits in with Indicator B)

Lesson 4: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Merging Social Studies and Arts Education! This lesson will incorporate drama and traditional First Nations tales. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The teacher will begin the class by explaining that all instructions for this lesson will be oral. The instructional strategy will be based off of the oral tradition in First Nations cultures. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The teacher will ask students what they believe the oral tradition to be and why it was such a significant part of First Nations culture. The class will explore questions such as: did First Nations people write anything down? How did they pass information along? How did they teach young children? Why is it so important to listen to people and give them your full attention when they are speaking? Why is it rude not to pay attention? -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Next, the students will be made into approximately 6 randomly chosen groups (around 5 students per group). The groups will be picked according to the colour of paper taped to the bottom of their chair. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Each group will be given a traditional First Nations creation story. They will be asked to read it and create a play based on their tale. It DOES NOT have to re-enactment. It may be their interpretation. The only stipulations will be: EVERYONE must be included equitably (including the acceptance and acknowledgment of all ideas) and the drama must link to their story somehow. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The students will be asked to perform their drama for the class. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> At some point, either before or after, the group will be asked to justify how their interpretation of the book fits in with the legend they were given. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> As a follow up, students will be asked to write a story or draw a picture explaining the importance of the First Nations or Inuit relationship with the natural environment OR the connections between their spirituality and the natural environment. (Fits in with Indicator F).


 * If students are uncomfortable performing in front of the class or making the play, they will either be allowed to perform in front of me ONLY or “memorize” the book and tell it to me in their own words.

Lesson 5: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Introduction of the Europeans to Canada. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">FIELD TRIP TO THE MUSEUM!! Students will be taken to the museum in Regina. A guide will be arranged to take students through the large First Nations exhibit in the museum and provide a tour. Students will be able to first see the traditional way of life/artifacts and then the progression and introduction of European settlers in Canada. Students will see how their entire way of life was changed. A trip to the museum would provide a much more in depth learning experience then purely trying to create a visual in their heads. The museum also has videos in the First Nations exhibit to assist in explaining the influence of European views into the First Nations way of life. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Parent Chaperones will be needed for this trip (Fits into Indicator B & D)

Lesson 6: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The origins of the Métis: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Together as a class we will determine the definition of Métis, the origins of Métis people, their language, and we will identify major historical events or people. Ex: The Red River Métis, the Saskatchewan Resistance, Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont, the Battle of Batoche, etc).   -   <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Each student will be given an event (there will be more than one student per event). It is their task to become experts on the topic. Weaker students can be placed with stronger students who will help them learn instead of taking over the whole task OR they can be given a simpler task regarding the Métis people to work on together.   -   <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Each individual student working on the event/person will get together with the rest of their group and together they will put together a presentation (poster, skit, power point, etc) to explain to their classmates their interesting facts/what they felt was important to know. A task like this promotes inclusivity, cooperation, as well as, contradiction. Maybe 2 students learned the same fact but it doesn’t match. They would then have to find another resource to clarify. Situations such as these create the opportunity to problem solve and learn from peers. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Present to the class -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To debrief presentations, each students will have to explain in a journal entry, 2 new things they have learned about each presentation (pictures or sentences are acceptable). Adaptive dimension: oral explanation. Could be adapted even further to either 1 fact from each presentation or 2 facts from only 1 presentation, etc. It is the teachers call. (Fits with Indicator E)

Lesson 7: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The fur trade. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Each student will be given the same “article” about the fur trade to read (prepared by the teacher in grade 5 friendly language—more than one will be prepared for the varying level of learners in my classroom) -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Each student will also receive a piece of paper with an empty chart title: event, First Nations and Europeans -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The students will be asked to critical think about the things in the “article” -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Their task is to analyze each scenario/event and decide HOW it would affect the First Nations population and then HOW it would affect the European population. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Their final task is to decide whether or not the fur trade was a positive event or a negative event and to justify it. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A class debate will follow the assignment. Those who believe it was positive will sit on one side and those who believe it is negative will sit on the opposite side. The students will be allowed to debate their feelings and issues about it. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The debate will be monitored by the teacher so as to make sure all students are getting a chance to speak. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The debate will be interesting because there really is no “right” answer to the question of whether or not the fur trade was positive. There are A LOT of cons but also many positives. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To debrief the students will be asked to write a persuasive article about why the fur trade was positive or why it was very negative.

Lesson 8: -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">CELEBRATION OF LEARNING!! -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The class will be inviting in Pow Wow dancers, elders, women/men who can make crafts such as moccasins, anyone else who would like to be a part of our day -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Our class will host an entire day of celebration of learning at the end of our First Nations unit. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Members of the class will present the elders with tobacco (we will have learned the appropriate way ahead of time) -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Other members will help introduce presenters and make them feel welcome to our classroom -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Others will help set up sweat lodges and teepees -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Every member of the class will have a job at some point. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There will be stations set up throughout the school OR outside area that they students can go and see. It will be inquiry based in the sense that the students will go where they are interested; it will not be structured in the sense that all of them will move together in one large clump. However: the dancers will only perform at certain times. Otherwise they could be teaching students how to dance. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It will be determined ahead of time that all the stations will be set up and the students can move through them as they would like to. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">All of the students work throughout the unit will be on display for guests to see our work and progression from the beginning of the unit to our celebration of learning. -  <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Ideas for stations to be included may be: <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Pow Wow dancers <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sweat Lodges—may also perform sweat lodges <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Tee pees---setting them up, the meaning of the poles and the circle <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Food—bannock, traditional food for lunch <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Elders—stories, sweet grass to burn (significance), traditional games <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Women/men with examples showing how to sew moccasins, or have examples of clothing, cradleboards, pictures, etc <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-weight: normal; msolist: Ignore;">-  Follow up (next day): <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Students will make journal entries about how they felt about the unit, what new insights they have, their personal feelings about their celebration of learning, and what they have learned. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A thank you card will be sent to each presenter with a copy of every students journal entry included <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">*throughout the unit, whenever a student has confirmed something or a “wondering” has been answered, it has been written up in column 2 of our new KWL chart---shows ongoing learning/growing
 * if it is a nice day, it can be set up inside or else in the multipurpose room/classroom/gym (cleared ahead of them with rest of staff)