Medicines and Nature - Aboriginal Curriculum
2012Indigenous Inquiry KitCheryl Kruchak [Medicines and Nature]Table of ContentsRationalepage 2Conceptual Mappage 3Reviews/Critiquespage 6Tools of Native Americans: A Kid’s Guide to the History &Culture of the First Americanspage 7American Indian Contributions to the World: Medicine and Healthpage 9First Nations Teachings and Practicespage 11Corn is maize: The gift of the Indianspage 13Lessons from Mother Earthpage 15The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Storypage 17The Wish Windpage 19The Missing Sunpage 21Taking Care of Mother Earthpage 23Lord of the Animals: A Native American Creation Mythpage 25Lesson Planspage 27Annotated Bibliographypage 37RationaleOriginally, my Indigenous Inquiry Kit was going to have a theme of medicines. When I began the readings for natural Aboriginal medicines, I learned that nature is completely intertwined in the First Nations, Aboriginal and Metis cultures and medicines. It is difficult to do any research on medicines without also viewing information concerning deep connections with nature and the environment. Therefore, my IIK was expanded to not only include medicines but nature as well. Incorporating the beliefs that Aboriginal people have concerning nature is beneficial to any classroom. Respecting the environment is an important issue for schools to teach to each student. Schools of all grade levels must be leaders in educating our future generations about the environment. Canada has the potential to be a global leader of environmental issues. We have a great human resource in our Aboriginal people. They have the ability to teach us how to respect nature and the abundant resources that it provides for us.The Aboriginal people of Canada believe that humans and nature are not separate but work and function as a whole. Aboriginal culture emphasizes the importance of living cooperatively with nature, one another and with oneself. This is a lesson that can easily be taught by indigenizing the curriculum and by using the wonderful resources that exist in this area.Conceptual MapIndigenous Inquiry Kit: Foods, Medicines and NatureScienceGrade 3Cluster 1 Growth and Changes in Plants 3-1-01 Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of growth and changes in plants.3-1-03 Show respect for plants as living things.3-1-07 Identify the basic parts of plants and describe their functions.3-1-14 Describe ways plants are important to the environment.3-1-16 Identify how humans from various cultures use plant parts for food and medicine.3-1-17 Investigate to determine how humans from various cultures make useful products from plant materials.Grade 5Cluster 1 Maintaining a Healthy Body5-1-03 Describe the types of nutrients in foods and their functions in maintaining a healthy body.Cluster 4 Weather5-4-02 Describe how weather conditions may affect the activities of humans and other animals.Grade 6Cluster 1 Diversity of Living Things 6-1-08. Observe and describe the diversity of livings things within the local environment.Social StudiesGrade 3Cluster 1 Connecting with CanadiansVP-011A Respect the teachings of Elders, leaders, parents, and community members.VC-002 Be willing to contribute to their groups and communities.Grade 5 Cluster 1 First PeoplesVH-008: Value oral tradition as an important source of knowledge about First Peoples.KL-017: Describe practices and beliefs that reflected First Peoples’ connections with the land and the natural environment.Cluster 2 Early European Colonization KE-051 Compare First Peoples’ and European approaches to natural resource in early Canada, VH-009 Appreciate the contributions of First Peoples to the development of Canada.VH-008 Value oral tradition as an important source of knowledge about First Peoples.KL-017 Describe practices and beliefs that reflected First Peoples’ connections with the land and the natural environment.KP-046 Compare types of leadership in diverse First Peoples communities.ELAGeneral Outcome 1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences.1.1.1 Describe personal observations, experiences, predictions, and feelings.1.1.4 Collect and share favourite oral, literary, and media texts.General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, literary, and media texts.2.1.1 Make connections between texts, prior knowledge, and personal experiences.2.2.2Discuss similarities between experiences and traditions encountered in daily life and those portrayed in oral, literary, and media texts.2.3.5Create original texts [such as personal narratives, reports, visual art, dramatizations, puppet plays, tableaux...] to communicate and demonstrate understanding of forms and techniques.General Outcome 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to manage ideas and information.3.2.1 Record and share personal knowledge of a topic.3.3.2 Record facts and ideas using a variety of strategies [such as outlining, webbing, charting...]; list authors and titles of sources.General Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.4.1.3 Develop and arrange ideas in own oral, written, and visual texts using organizers [such as story maps, research planners...].4.2.2 Revise to accommodate new ideas and information.4.4.2 Select, monitor, and use appropriate volume, expression, and non-verbal cues in presentations; use physical stance and gestures to enhance communication.4.4.3 Demonstrate appropriate audience behaviors [such as showing enjoyment and appreciation...]. General Outcome 5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to celebrate and to build community.5.1.2 Discuss ideas within stories from oral, literary, and media texts from various communities. 5.2.3 Show consideration for those whose ideas, abilities, and language use differ from own.HealthS.5.8.A.3b Implement and evaluate a personal plan for healthy eating and activity.S.4.6.A.1?Assess and revise personal health and academic goals?(e.g., fitness goal, movement skill goal, nutrition goal, active living goal, personal health-practice goal, academic goal...)?to enhance health and well-being.K.5.2.C.1b Identify the function of a variety of food groups for growth and development.Aboriginal Curriculum1.4.1: A-6 Students produce a series of simple sentences in guided situation.3.2.2: C-4 Illustrate the connection of things in the physical environment to natural and human resources development.1.1.1: D-4 Participate in a variety of oral text forms.1.1.2: A-4 Derive meaning from and respond to a variety of visuals and other forms of non-verbal communication in guided situation3.3.1: A-6 Describe individual gifts, strengths, values/beliefs, and strategies for achieving individual success, a positive self-image, and a sense of belonging.ArtStudents generate and use ideas from a variety of sources for creating art. Generate and extend ideas for art-making in response to analyzing artworks created by others.Generate multiple ideas and images from personally meaningful and relevant sources (e.g., feelings, memories, imagination, observations, associations, current learning in other subjects areas;?cultural traditions; personal responses to current events, social?and environmental?issues, media and technology).REVIEWS AND CRITIQUESReview/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: September 23rd Kavin, K. (2006). Tools of Native Americans: A Kid’s Guide to the History & Culture of the First Americans. White River Junction, VT: Nomad Press. Why I chose this book:This book is filled with a variety of information on many different topics, making it useful for many different subject areas. The best part of this book is its honesty in describing the history and culture of Aboriginal people in North America. This book does not glaze over the hardships the aboriginals experienced during colonization. It also includes activities for students to try. Summary/Overview of book:This book begins at the very beginning of human history, including the movement of continents, 10 000 to 20 000 years ago. It describes the differences between the many civilizations, their tools, shelter, food and rituals. The different roles for men, women, and children are described. Colonization and European settlement are described, as well as the wars and battles between the Native Americans and the Europeans. The Appendix lists some great resources for further inquiry, but these are unfortunately American based. Specific quotes from the text:“Native Americans were hardworking, clever people who made homes and villages and lived in harmony with the natural world around them.” (p. 1)“Some experts believe that the earliest Native American artwork came from their need to get excited about upcoming animal hunts, just as you or someone you know might get psyched up before a big soccer game today.” (p. 15)“It was important ... that their family and tribal histories be passed down throughout the generations. Instead of using words to tell their stories, they used pictures. Like the hieroglyphics found throughout Mesoamerica, which were carved in stone, the totem poles were pictures and symbols carved out of cedar trees.” (p. 85) “Only in recent decades have the descendents of many Native Americans begun to tell the stories of their ancestors to people outside their tribes, thus helping modern-day students understand history from a Native American perspective.” (page 106)Grades and subject areas recommended:Most activities in this book could be adjusted for almost any grade level. Generally, this book would be useful for all middle years age groups.Grade 6 Science Cluster 1: 6-1-08. Observe and describe the diversity of livings things within the local environment: A day in the life of an Aboriginal in 1800 Manitoba: Students will name and describe all the different living things that a person may have used or seen in a day. (e.g.: bison, lady slipper, corn, fish...) Grade 5 Social Studies Cluster 2: KE-051 Compare First Peoples’ and European approaches to natural resource in early Canada, VH-009 Appreciate the contributions of First Peoples to the development of Canada. Students will conduct a research project on the contributions of Aboriginal people and what they taught the settlers.Both these science and social studies outcomes would incorporate many ELA outcomes.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:The language of this book is student user-friendly. It speaks to the students by using the words ‘you’, ‘think about’, and ‘imagine’. This book does justice to the Aboriginal way of life and gives credit to the tools, food, and art that we have today that have were contributed by aboriginal people. I would be interested to see a book of this quality that is more Canadian based. It is a great reference for students to check out. The glossary has many useful terms and the structure of the book makes it easy to find information. The activities in this book have given me many ideas for lesson plans in the future. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...This book has piqued my interest in the differences between the various tribal nations we have in Manitoba. I do not know the difference in culture or traditions of say, Cree or Dakota peoples. It would be interested in knowing how geography would have influenced different practices in different places in Canada. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAdditional comments:ISBN: 0-9749344-8-8 Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: September 24th Keoke, E. D., Porterfield, K. M. (2005). American Indian contributions to the world: Medicine and health. New York, NY: Chelsea House.Why I chose this book:I chose this book because it describes in great detail the different medicines that aboriginal people used to cure almost every ailment they had. This book could act as reference for students doing a research project on Aboriginal medicine, food, hygiene, health and useful plants. Summary/Overview of book:Contrary to popular belief, the natural medicines aboriginal people used were very sophisticated and researched. They also performed surgeries and knew how to keep infection away. The book includes examples of how to aboriginal people showed the Europeans how to use certain plants as medicine. It also includes the links to history and culture for these medicines. It discusses how these medicines continue to be incorporated in modern day medicines. Included in this book are practices in surgery, amputation, general wellness, dentistry, sterilization, and disease prevention. Specific quotes from the text:“Today three out of every four food crops raised throughout the world were once raised by American Indians.” (p. 12)“Archaeologists believe that thousands of ancient American Indian patients underwent [brain surgery]. More than half of the people who had brain surgery survived.” (p. 72)“When people had bad dreams, North American Indian healers performed ceremonies to restore their peace of mind.” (p. 102) Grades and subject areas recommended:Grade 5:Health ?S.5.8.A.3b Implement and evaluate a personal plan for healthy eating and activity.S.4.6.A.1?Assess and revise personal health and academic goals?(e.g., fitness goal, movement skill goal, nutrition goal, active living goal, personal health-practice goal, academic goal...)?to enhance health and well-being.Science 5-1-03 Describe the types of nutrients in foods and their functions in maintaining a healthy body.This book could be used as a reference when conducting research.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:This book describes the wonderful ways in which the Aboriginal people kept themselves safe, healthy, and spiritually happy before the Europeans arrived. It also describes how the Aboriginal people dealt with the different diseases, their foods, and new ways of life that the European brought and in many cases forced upon the aboriginal people of the Americas. The book is obviously well researched.My transformed thoughts: Modern day medicine seems to be very chemical and capitalist based, meaning that pharmaceutical companies primary goal is to make money. There should be more focus on natural remedies in the medical research field. There is a lot to be learned from Aboriginal medicine not only for physical well being but also for emotional and spiritual well being. Advances in modern day medicine cannot completely discount old remedies that had worked in the past. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts:ISBN-10: 0-8160-5396-0 Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: September 24th Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. (2008). First Nations Teachings and Practices. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. Why I chose this book:This book was chosen for its link to Manitoba First Nations. A large portion of Aboriginal literature is American based. This book was made and published in Manitoba making it useful for bringing ‘real world’ teaching into the classroom. The descriptions of the seven stages of life and the clan system are useful for group and class projects. It also allows for an Elder to visit the classroom to speak to the children about First Nations traditions in Manitoba. Summary/Overview of book:First Nations Teachings and Practices contains information on the conduct at ceremonies, the four sacred medicines, the seven stages of life and the traditional roles of men, women, and children. It is a short and colourful book which makes it an excellent reference for students to use at their leisure when conducting research. The writing is direct and simple. This book contains a section on selecting, approaching and compensating an Elder, which could be done as a class. Specific quotes from the text:“These sacred teachings are important for the future of all nations. The First Nations people are often referred to as the Red Nation and our traditional roles as Earth Keepers of the land; stewards of Mother Earth.” (In Note to the Reader) “Having a spirit name identifies who we are in the Spirit World and keeps us connected with the Creator.” (p. 5)“First Nations people have always had their own ways of passing on traditional knowledge to their young. One such way is through role modeling. This is when a person lives by example.” (p. 17) “Elders carry with them the original ways. They are considered Elders because of their life experiences and the lessons they have learned from those experiences, and the roles they play in their communities.” (p. 23)Grades and subject areas recommended: *Include details of how this resource might be knit into the various curricular areas to achieve stated curricular outcomes*Through a presentation and activity with an Elder, Grade 5 Social Studies:VH-008 Value oral tradition as an important source of knowledge about First Peoples.KL-017 Describe practices and beliefs that reflected First Peoples’ connections with the land and the natural environment.KP-046 Compare types of leadership in diverse First Peoples communities.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:Aboriginal practices and traditions are beautiful and can be appreciated by many people, whether they are Aboriginal or not. The traditions are peaceful and well-intentioned. Something that I appreciate about this book is that it also lists the responsibilities that one has if they are to follow through with any of the ceremonies or rituals that are outlined. Someone who wants to heal or be healthy through Aboriginal practices has to immerse themselves into the practice properly and with guidance from a respected elder. My transformed thoughts: After reading this book, I am wondering how one becomes an Elder and where they can be reached. Are there fewer Elders all the time? Are there different types of Elders? I am also curious to know how these traditions have changed over the past decades. It would be interesting to compare a naming ceremony that would have been done to a naming ceremony that would be conducted today. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts:ISBN: 978-9780808-3-9 Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: September 24th Aliki. (1976). Corn is maize: The gift of the Indians. New York, NY: Harper Collins. Why I chose this book: I chose this book because it appropriate for earlier years classrooms. It uses one central topic, corn, to tell a story that incorporates many different Aboriginal traditions. An entire science unit could be based on this one book. It has many descriptive pictures for students to see. The writing is child-friendly and it is centered around a topic that students can relate to. Summary/Overview of book:Corn, or Maize, has a very long history. This book begins with present day corn that is planted in personal gardens. It describes the corn from the planting stage, through the growing stage in the sun and the rain, to the harvesting time. Next, the book has a chart describing the different kinds of grains that exist such as barley and rice. The next focus is the history of corn in the Americas. The book details the evolution of corn which began as a tall stalk with one ear at the top. The Aboriginal people in different parts of the continents learned the best times to plant the corn and how to best care for the crop. The different uses for the corn by the Aboriginal people are outlined in this book. It ends with the different types of corn that exist all over the world today and their uses. Specific quotes from the text:“Corn cannot grow without the help of man.” (p. 9)“They [scientists] found scraps of plants and tiny ears of ancient corn, more than 5000 years old.” (p. 12)“Corn was so important to them, the various tribes prayed to the Corn Gods they believed had sent it to them.” (p. 22)“Scientists hope someday this new corn will help many hungry people in the world.” (p. 29) Grades and subject areas recommended: Grade 3 Science: 3-1-01 Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of growth and changes in plants.3-1-04 Conduct experiments to determine conditions needed for healthy plant growth.3-1-05 Recognize that a plant uses the Sun’s energy to make its own food.3-1-07 Identify the basic parts of plants and describe their functions.To incorporate health we could make corn bread. Measuring the ingredients could also incorporate math.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:Being a book for younger students, it does not have any political commentary, although it does describe the changes that corn underwent in the Americas after European contact. I like that this book illustrated many traditions simply through telling the story of the history of corn. As I read this book, I thought of how many hundreds of years it would have taken for Aboriginal people to learn how to grow corn into what it is today and how much patience it would take to learn about the corn through trial and error every planting and harvesting season. My transformed thoughts: I am now wondering how corn was received in Europe and other places after it was imported from the Americas. Today, much of the corn that is produced in the world is for fuel or to feed livestock. I would like more information on where corn is produced in other parts of the world. Other useful information would also be how corn is evolving and what new types of corn are being produced and to what purposes. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts: ISBN: 0-06-445026-0Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: September 28th, 2011 McLeod, E., Wood, C. (2002). Lessons from Mother Earth. Berkeley, CA: Groundwood Books. Why I chose this book:Lessons from Mother Earth will help students develop an appreciation of the Earth and all it has to offer. Teaching the students to view the earth as a gift is a way to teach social and environmental responsibility. Students in grade 3 will enjoy the colourful pictures. Summary/Overview of bookThis book follows a grandmother and her granddaughter, Tess, as they explore a garden. The grandmother teaches her granddaughter how to care for the garden. The grandmother emphasises the importance of thankfulness and responsibility in taking care of the garden. Uses for each plant are discussed. As the story continues, we learn, along with Tess, that the grandmother’s garden is actually the naturally occurring environment. Specific quotes from the text:“You are just about old enough to learn the rules of the garden.” “The number one rule is that you must always take good care of our garden.”“If you are careful and thankful, my granddaughter, our garden will care for you. There is plenty for everyone to share if we don’t destroy the soil.”“Great Spirit, thank you for such a wise grandma.”Grades and subject areas recommended:Grade 3 Science3-1-03 Show respect for plants as living things. Students could brainstorm ways to respect the environment. The first column could be titled What I do to respect the earth and the second column could be titled What I will do in the future to respect the earth.Grade 3 Health‘ K.5.2.C.1b Identify the function of a variety of food groups for growth and development (e.g., foods that help the body go, glow, andgrow...)Students could use this book as a starting point for discussing and choosing healthy options for snacks and meals. The students could discuss what foods we find at the grocery store that are directly from nature and are locally grown.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:This book has an element of mystery to it. The students, along with Tess, have to try and guess where the Grandmother’s garden is located. Some students may have a difficult time grasping the somewhat philosophical concept that it is not an actual garden with rows of planted vegetables. This will need to be discussed after the book is read to the class. This book does not only emphasize the fact that Mother Earth needs to be respected. It also highlights the gifts that come from nature if it is respected and taken care of. The setting of the book also allows for an opportunity for students to share their experiences with grandparents and with nature. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...Mother Earth and its offerings are great gifts not only from the earth itself but from our ancestors. If we take care of the earth and its resources, it will be passed on to future generations in healthy shape. The earth is something that every human being on earth shares. We may live in different climates, have borders and a variety of wildlife and vegetation but all of earths ecosystems are connected and reliant on each other. Therefore, if one ecosystem is destroyed, another one will suffer. By contrast, if one ecosystem is taken care of, the other ecosystems will benefit. Humans have an enormous influence on the health of the earth. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts: ISBN: 978-0-88899-832-3Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: September 29, 2011 Bruchac, J., Illustrations Vojtech, A. (1993) The first strawberries: A Cherokee story. New York, NY: Puffin Books.Why I chose this book:The First Strawberries is a Cherokee story about respect and friendship. It is important for middle years students to develop these traits. It is a time in their lives when they begin to explore themselves and they also begin to evaluate each other. This can lead to many arguments. This book can be used as a teaching tool for students to learn how to have respectful relationships. Summary/Overview of bookThis legend begins be explaining that the Creator made a man and a woman at the same time so that they would not be lonely. The pictures show that the husband and wife are happy in each others’ company. One day the husband comes home from hunting to find that his wife has not cooked him a meal. He finds that she has been picking flowers to share with him. He is angry and the wife walks away from him, as she also becomes hurt and angry. The husband feels sorry for being angry and so he tries to follow his wife. The sun helps by shining his light on the earth and growing berries in her path. Eventually the wife stops at some strawberries. The strawberries are so delicious that she feels the need to share them with her husband. He finds her, asks for her forgiveness, and they share the strawberries. Specific quotes from the text:“He went as fast as he could go, but his wife was much faster.” “I was foolish to speak angry words. But I cannot catch her to tell her I am sorry.”“At last the Sun tried its hardest. It shone its light down in the grass right in front of the women’s feet, and strawberries appeared. They glowed like fire in the grass, and the woman had to stop when she saw them in front of her.”“...remember that friendship and respect are as sweet as the taste of ripe, red berries.”Grades and subject areas recommended: Grade 5 Social Studies, Cluster 1VH-008: Value oral tradition as an important source of knowledge about First Peoples.KL-017: Describe practices and beliefs that reflected First Peoples’ connections with the land and the natural environment.Students could create their own oral stories connecting themselves with nature.Grade 5 ELA1.1.3: Experiment with language and form. Recognize and use favourite forms of self-expression.Students will be introduced to oral story telling, as was practiced by First Peoples. Students will listen to oral stories and recount their own oral stories to the class.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:After reading this book, I am wondering about other legends exist in the Cherokee culture and other First Peoples’ cultures. I am observing that Aboriginal people have many lessons that are learned through story telling. The stories that I hear and read are filled with imagery and insinuations. It is easier to learn and understand a moral if it is associated with imagery and an example. The pictures in this book are beautiful. They clearly illustrate the relationship that the husband and wife have with each other and the relationship they also have with nature. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...This book begins with the Creator making a man and a woman. I am wondering if that is a belief held only by the Cherokee people or if it is also held by other First Nations. Perhaps there are many stories of the Creator in different cultures. I would be interested to learn of the differences in legends among the Aboriginal people and also to see how they have changed over the years. Taking into account that legends were passed down orally in the past, I would assume that there are variations in all the legends. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts:ISBN: 0-14-056409-8 Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: October 4th, 2011 Eyvindson, Peter. (Illus. Wendy Wolsak). (1987). The wish wind. Winnipeg, MB: Pemmican Publications.Why I chose this book:This is a book that is written like a poem. It is a great book for musical learners in the classroom. Wind and other elements of nature have a personality. These elements are brought alive by the photos in the book. They are elegant and simple. This is a story that has a moral and a lesson like so many Aboriginal stories. I always try to bring local resources into the classroom and this is a Manitoba book. I think many students will be able to relate to this book because living in Manitoba, all students will have experienced wind and the harsh change of the seasons.Summary/Overview of book:This book begins by Wish Wind trying to have Boy be happy about winter by making snowflakes dance. Boy claims to hate winter and the bitter cold. He wishes for spring and Wish Wind grants Boy his wish. Boy is happy at first but soon becomes bored with this too and asks for summer. Wish Wind tries to convince Boy to enjoy the present moment. And so, a few months later, Boy is granted his wish. As he is swimming, Wish Wind warns Boy of the dangers of the water. Boy becomes angry and wishes he were older so Wish Wind would leave him alone. Wish Wind tumbles Boy through the years until finally it is autumn and Boy is an old man. The Old Man makes one final wish to be a boy again to be able to be patient enough to enjoy the time that is now. Wish Wind grants him this wish and Boy returns to Winter. Specific quotes from the text:“Teasing boy, Wish Wind joyfully caught up the snowflakes in a happy whirlwind dance. Still, Boy only sat there and scowled.” “Patience, Boy, and Spring will come.”“ “Boy,” whispered Wish Wind sadly, “tell me you do not want the wish. Tell me, instead, that you need to enjoy the time that is now.”” “ “Is it true,” whispered Old Man, who really was Boy, “is it true that life can pass you by so quickly?” Grades and subject areas recommended: Grade 5 ELA1.1.5 Set Goals. Set personal goals to enhance language learning and use.2.1.1 Prior Knowledge. Describe and build upon connections between previous experiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts. Aboriginal Curriculum1.4.1: A-6 Students produce a series of simple sentences in guided situation.After reading and discussing The Wish Wind, students will write a reflection response about what they enjoy about being a child or adolescent, what they enjoy about each season and what kinds of activities they can enjoy that adults may not enjoy as easily as middle years students. My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions: The way the artist brought the wind alive was really beautifully done. The wind was portrayed as a very strong force of nature. It makes waves, fly’s kites, blows leaves and snowflakes, and creates storms. This story is a great tool for teaching adolescent students patience. Adolescents often want to be treated like adults, yet they have so much to learn. It also teaches students that they must make the best of the time that they do have and to appreciate the time that they are in, even the winter season. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...I would like to have this book for an art class. The wind reaches so far in the illustrations. The photos could be photocopied for younger grades or an Elmo could be used, and they could color in the wind to see how the wind affects different aspects of nature. Students could also perform a play of this book with props. This book could also be paired with the medicine wheel. The medicine wheel has four sides that fit wonderfully with the four seasons.Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts: ISBN: 978-0-921827-03-0Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: October 8th, 2011 Eyvindson, P. (Illustrations Brynjolson, R.) 1993. The missing sun. Winnipeg, MB: Pemmican Publications.Why I chose this book:Many of the books I have chosen thus far have been set in the past. This book is set in the present day and can incorporate many different subject areas. It combines scientific understandings with traditional explanations.Summary/Overview of book:Emily and her mother are moving from Regina to Inuvik. Emily’s mother is a meteorologist and is teaching Emily the differences between Regina and Inuvik, such as weather and not having the sun shine all day on Christmas Day because of the tilt of the earth. Emily and her friend Josie wonder how the earth can be tilted when they stand straight up. The Inuit have a theory that the black raven steals the sun and hides it. The girls continue to go to school in darkness. After Christmas, the sun returns bigger and brighter than they remember. Specific quotes from the text:“When it came to this missing sun business, Emily didn’t know who to believe: her mother or her friend Josie Tucktoo. Maybe Josie was right. Maybe Raven did steal the sun.” “ “How can the earth be tilted? Don’t we all stand up straight? It the earth was tilted then we’d all stand up crooked.””“But how could she believe Josie? Raven couldn’t steal the sun?”“This sun was big. Definitely much bigger than she remembered. And so colourful. Pink and red. Yellow and purple. The whole world seemed to sparkle.” Grades and subject areas recommended: Grade 5 Science: 5-4-02 Describe how weather conditions may affect the activities of humans and other animals.Students could compare life while the sun is up and while the sun is down. Students could make predictions about how it would feel to be at school without the sun in the sky or how animals would react. ELA: Students could write their own stories about why or how they think the sun disappears. Art: Students would paint a picture of what the day time would look like in the dark. They could paint a play ground, a street, or the view looking outside a window.My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:This book is wonderful for a student’s imagination. Emily’s friend Josie insists that Raven stole the sun. It is an interesting explanation for the disappearance of the sun. The paintings in this book are very vivid. The expressions of the characters’ faces are not expressed in the writing but they are expressed in the paintings. They make for excellent teaching moments. The students can predict what the characters are feeling in different stages of the story and why. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...I am wondering how it would feel to live in darkness for days at a time. I have heard of rain in areas like Vancouver and London affecting peoples’ moods but I have not heard of how the darkness up north affects moods. Also, when the opposite happens and there is daylight for hours at a time in the summer, does this affect peoples’ sleep patterns? I am wondering how the animals in the region are affected by these changes in darkness and lightness. I would like to know more about how Aboriginal people up north dealt with the changes in light and dark and what kind of theories or tales they had for explaining these changes, prior to contact. On a side note, I think it would be interesting to have students study the northern lights. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts: ISBN: 978-0-921827-29-0Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: October 8th, 2011 Flett Kruger, L. Illustrated by Hamelin, M-M. (2005). Taking care of Mother Earth. Penticton, BC: Theytus Books.Why I chose this book:This book would be a useful tool for introducing a recycling, environment care and sustainability unit. Taking care of the earth has moved beyond simple recycling. Sustainable growth is now a hot topic. It is important for students to know how to be environmentally conscious and why it is important. Many Aboriginal teachings are centered around nature so they make for excellent teaching tools for discussing the importance of a healthy earth with students. Summary/Overview of book:Grandma is working in the kitchen canning peaches and Charlie is helping her. As they work, Grandma tells Charlie about the importance of taking care of nature. They discuss the reuse of glass jars, shutting the water off quickly, composting, recycling and planting a garden without the use of pesticides. Grandma explains to Charlie that his sister is a responsible fisherman because she only brings enough fish home for the family to eat and she returns small fish to the water. Through discussions with Grandma, Charlie learns how to take of Mother Earth and that Mother Earth is a provider of everything needed. Specific quotes from the text:“”Water is special for everyone.” Grandma says, “Everything around us is connected to water. We need water to be healthy.””“”Plastic and cans cannot break down and turn into soil. You can put the pop can into the recycling bin.””“”Pesticides are poisons that kill the bugs that eat the garden plants and food. They are bad for the bugs and they are bad for you, too.””“”You are a good helper, Charlie. And you have learned a lot about how we can take care of Mother Earth.”” Grades and subject areas recommended:ELA: Students can write a reflection journal entry on all the things they do at home that help the environment, things they could do better, and what they could do at school to try and make less garbage. Grade 6 Math 6.SP.3: Graph collected data and analyze the graph to solve problems. Students could begin tracking the amount of plastic that students to bring to school in their lunches and make a graph of how much is recyclable and how much will go into the landfills. Grade 5 Science: 5-1-13: Identify and describe factors necessary to maintain a healthy body. Students could start their own organic garden in the classroom. They will plant the seeds, tend to the garden by making sure it gets enough sunlight and water and harvest the vegetables. My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:The writing of this book is very simple which makes it useful for early years students. There are no hidden messages in this book. It is straight forward and easy to follow. The drawings clearly illustrate what is happening in the story. It is useful in bringing real world teaching into the classroom. The environment and nature is something that can be incorporated into many different curricular areas. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...Aboriginal culture speaks of a deep love and respect for nature and the environment. Before colonization, Aboriginal People were able to live in harmony with nature and create equilibrium with nature and themselves by taking only what was needed, respecting nature’s gifts and sharing with others. Europeans had a completely different view of nature. To the Europeans, nature was a resource for the taking. When Europeans had ownership of land and with industrialization, their use of nature’s resources increased. I would be interested to know how other cultures of the world viewed nature before exploration by other regions. Today, many nations are striving to find a happy medium between development and capitalism and saving the environment. Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts: ISBN: 978-1-894778-55-8Review/CritiqueReviewer’s Name: Cheryl KruchakDate: October 9th, 2011French, F. (1997) Lord of the animals: A native American creation myth. London, UK: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. Why I chose this book:I chose this book because the photos are reminiscent of ‘x-ray’ art in which the creature has sharp, strong, and thick lines. These photos portray the spiritual side of the creatures. In the Aboriginal culture, all animals have a spiritual side. This book illustrates the different strengths and qualities that each creature has. This would be an excellent book to use for an Aboriginal unit in Art class. Summary/Overview of book:Coyote creates the world and all the creatures. He asks the animals to gather around the river. Here they discuss making a Lord of the Animals that is superior to all. The various animals make suggestions of the qualities that the Lord of the Animals should have. Each animal has a suggestion. The grizzly bear thinks the Lord should have a big growl, the beaver thinks the Lord should have a tail to guide itself under water and the eagle thinks it should have wings to soar above them all. The coyote says that all of qualities are important. The animals begin to disagree and to fight so Coyote suggests that they all form a lump of clay into the shape of the Lord of the Animals. All the creatures fall asleep while forming their clay except Coyote. Coyote works late into the night creating the model and giving it life. The Lord of the Animals has all the right qualities and is in the form of a human. Specific quotes from the text:“”The Lord of the Animals must have antlers,” said the deer. “His eyes must hear the lightest footsteps in the grass.””“The Lord of the Animals should be better than any of us. His voice should be even more tuneful than mine. He should run fast and silently after his prey.”“Crafty Coyote stayed awake all night and made his model by the light of the moon.”“Above all, he is Lord of the Animals because he is cunning and clever – just like Coyote!” Grades and subject areas recommended: Middle Years Art: Creative Expression?(A-C1):?Students generate and use ideas from a variety of sources for creating art. Generate and extend ideas for art-making in response to analyzing artworks created by others. Students would create an artwork of a creature and highlight its qualities using the ‘x-ray’ technique. Students could also draw themselves using the x-ray technique to highlight their own qualities, strengths and spirituality. ELA: Students would make predictions of what the Lord of the Animals will look like and what its qualities would be. Students will write about what traits from animals they think are important for a leader of all animals to possess. The students would reflect on leadership traits they themselves possess or traits of leaders in their own communities. My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions:This book can be used to help students recognize each others’ strengths. Recognizing traits in one self and in others is a difficult task in middle years. If students are put into groups where they are required to each have a different role, this task will be easier if they know each others’ strengths and how they can best be applied. It is important to build students self esteem. This also leads to self discovery and identity. Students need a teacher’s guidance to discover their own identity and to apply their strengths accordingly. My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...What are the types of Aboriginal art that exist? The art in this book reminds me of cave drawings, hieroglyphs, and pottery designs. From what I understand this is called ‘x-ray’ art. I am wondering how old this art form is and where it began. I would also like to know what Aboriginal people used from nature to create paint.Highly recommendRecommendMaybe for additional readingAny additional thoughts: ISBN: 978-1-84507-916-1LESSON PLANSLesson PlanSubject: ScienceTopic: CornUnit:How Plants GrowGrade: 3Learning Outcomes:Science, Grade 3:3-1-07 Identify the basic parts of plants.Aboriginal Curriculum:3.2.2: C-4 Illustrate the connection of things in the physical environment to natural and human resources development.Assessment: Students will hand in their corn stalk labelling sheets. Each student will bring in an item (or a box that used to contain something) from home that contains corn on the ingredients label (e.g.: cereals, corn starch, corn syrup, corn flour, ...). Each student will write a sentence or two about how this product is used at home. Ex: Cereal is eaten for breakfast, corn starch is used in for baking, etc.Connection to Last Lesson: Last class, students read the book Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians, by Aliki. We discussed where different things that we buy at grocery stores come from and how they are made (e.g.: Oranges can come from California and potatoes can come from Manitoba.) We discussed the different ways in which those oranges might make their way from a seed all the way to our refrigerators. Using corn as our example, together as a class we labelled the parts of the corn stalk on the smart board. Flexible Groupings: Class discussions will be done as a class, brainstorming will be done in table groups and the worksheet will be done individually.Activating Strategies:5 minutes: Review the parts of a corn stalk on the smart board. Discuss what types of products the students might have at home or in their lunches that contain corn (cereal, corn starch, canned corn, ...) Acquiring Strategies:The teacher will show students a cob of corn (still wrapped in the leaves with the silk hanging out the top) or a whole stalk, if possible. The teacher will pass a few cobs around so that the student can look at it and touch it. The teacher will point to the different parts of the cob and the stalk and will unpeel the cob to show the kernels on the cob. Just like the Aboriginal people in our story who transformed the corn into bedding, fuel and pipes, how do we transform the corn into cereal today? Students will brainstorm together. Applying Strategies:Students will label the parts of a corn stalk on a worksheet. From the cobs that were brought to class, students will each take a few strands of silk, a piece of the leaves, parts of the roots and some kernels to glue onto their worksheets in the appropriate places. Learning Resources:Aliki. (1976). Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians. New York, NY: Harper Collins (worksheet)Cobs of corn still wrapped in leaves or a whole stalkGlue and scissorsSmartBoard or poster showing a stalk of cornDifferent product packages using corn as an ingredient (teacher as well as students will bring these to class)Different Ways of Learning:Visual/Spatial: looking at the corn diagram, the cob or stalk, the worksheet and the pictures and words in the storybook.Verbal/Linguistic: listening to the teacher, listening to the teacher and sharing thoughts during class discussions.Logical/Mathematical: labelling the parts of the corn stalk, connecting the real pieces of the stalk to their diagrams and participating in the class discussion.Bodily/Kinesthetic: handling the cob of corn and using pieces of the corn stalk to glue onto their diagrams. Interpersonal: sharing with peers through class discussions, thinking of who produces the corn and corn products and listening to the story through the eyes of the aboriginal people. Lesson PlanSubject: Social StudiesTopic: Respect and RelationshipsUnit: First Peoples Grade: 5Learning Outcomes: Grade 5, Social StudiesVH-008 Value oral tradition as an important source of knowledge about First Peoples.KL-017 Describe practices and beliefs that reflected First Peoples’ connections with the land and the natural environment.Aboriginal Curriculum1.1.1: D-4 Participate in a variety of oral text forms.1.1.2: A-4 Derive meaning from and respond to a variety of visuals and other forms of non-verbal communication in guided situationAssessment:Formative Assessment: The teacher will collect the students’ stories. The teacher will also conduct informal observation while listening to the students’ oral stories as well as the students’ reactions and discussion points to these oral stories.Connection to Last Lesson:The students discussed traditions or activities last class that are practiced in each of their families involving nature. Examples could include: planting a garden or flowers, going for a walk, feeding birds, or climbing trees. Students shared their experiences with nature in partners. They discussed what feelings or emotions they experienced while outside and experiencing nature. The teacher emphasized that by doing this they were orally sharing their knowledge with others. Flexible Groupings:This lesson will be done individually. A class discussion will follow each oral story told by a student. Students will share their stories at the end of the writing activity. A class discussion may follow.Activating Strategies: The teacher will show a few scanned pictures from the story, The First Strawberries, using an Elmo. Students will observe the pictures. The teacher will ask them to think to themselves what this story will be about. After giving the students a few minutes to think, the teacher will read the story to the class. Acquiring Strategies:The class will be divided in half. Students will be instructed to choose a character, either the wife or the husband. Each student, individually, will write down at least five emotions that their chosen character felt throughout the story. These emotions will be used in the applying phase of the lesson. Applying Strategies:Students will use these five emotions to write their own story about an interaction with the natural environment. They can base their story on personal experience or they can use their imaginations to make a new story or write a story combining these two concepts. The students will be directed to use all five of the emotions somewhere in their story. They will be reminded that their emotions must connect to nature. Students are given creative control of their stories. Students will be given a few periods to complete this task.Once the stories are complete, some students will be invited to tell their story orally to the class, as was traditionally done by the First Peoples. The teacher will guide the class in providing feedback in the form of a discussion following each orally presented story. Note: Students are not expected to memorize their stories. Learning Resources:Elmo document camera for SMARTboardThe First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story Retold by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Anna VojtechDifferent Ways of Learning/Resources: Visual/spatial: connecting emotions to pictures, looking at the pictures while the story is being told Verbal/linguistic: listening to peers present their stories, creating a story, sharing their stories orally with peersLogical/Mathematical: relating a picture to an emotion, putting the emotions in a logical order to tell a story based on personal experiences with natureBodily/kinesthetic: telling a story in front of the classMusical/rhythmic: writing their story in the form of a poem or a songInterpersonal: seeing the story through the eyes of the husband or wife in order to describe their emotions, listening to peers tell their stories, presenting their story in front of the classIntrapersonal: recognizing their own emotions when listening to a story, understanding their relationship to natureLesson PlanSubject: ArtTopic: IdentityUnit: Aboriginal ArtGrade: 6Learning Outcomes:Art - Creative Expression?(A-C1):?Students generate and use ideas from a variety of sources for creating art. Generate and extend ideas for art-making in response to analyzing artworks created by others.Generate multiple ideas and images from personally meaningful and relevant sources (e.g., feelings, memories, imagination, observations, associations, current learning in other subjects areas;?cultural traditions; personal responses to current events, social?and environmental?issues, media and technology).Aboriginal Curriculum:1.1.2: A-6 Derive meaning from and respond to the visual elements of a variety of media in guided situations.3.3.1: A-6 Describe individual gifts, strengths, values/beliefs, and strategies for achieving individual success, a positive self-image, and a sense of belonging.Assessment:Summative Assessment: Students will be assessed on their art assignment and their written explanation using a student created rubric.Connection to Last Lesson:Last class, students read the book Lord of the Animals: A Native American Creation Myth. We discussed how the art form ‘x-ray’ highlighted each animal’s strengths. We discussed as a class the different strengths that a leader should have and why these qualities are important for someone in a leadership role. Flexible Groupings:Students will discuss in small groups followed by individual work on the assignment.Activating Strategies: As a class, we will brainstorm some words that could be used to describe a person’s strengths. Ask the students what they like about others and about themselves. These will be posted on the board. We will discuss why these words described are strengths.Acquiring Strategies:In small groups of two or three, students will discuss the strengths that they have. Each student should think of at least 3 for themselves. The purpose of brainstorming in groups is to support those students who may not believe that they have any strengths. The groups will have to be made beforehand to ensure respectful discussions. Expectations for the discussion will also be reviewed with the class.Applying Strategies:Students will create self portraits using the x-ray technique. The x-ray technique will highlight at least three strengths that they believe they possess. They can choose to use water colors, collages or chalk. This will be done individually.Students will also submit a small written explanation of each personal strength and why they chose to highlight them the way they did.Learning Resources:French, F. (1997) Lord of the Animals: A Native American Creation Myth. London, UK: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.Various Art supplies Different Ways of Learning/Resources:Visual/spatial: viewing and creating pictures and art formsVerbal/linguistic: listening to the story, writing about their art piece, discussing with the class and peersLogical/Mathematical: working with geometric shapes using the x-ray techniqueBodily/kinesthetic: using the different materials available to create their art work, expressing emotions through visual and tactile (collage) artInterpersonal: helping others realize their strengths and qualities through discussionIntrapersonal: recognizing their own strengths and qualities through self reflection, self-awareness Lesson PlanSubject: ScienceTopic: The weather and meUnit: WeatherGrade: 5Learning Outcomes:Science5-4-02: Describe how weather conditions may affect the activities of humans and other animals. ELA3.1.4 Create and follow a plan: Gather and record information and ideas using a plan. Assessment:The teacher will have individual conferences with each student and their timelines. The timeline will be explained in the following lesson. The teacher will use a checklist with criteria.Connection to Last Lesson:During the last few classes students read the book The Missing Sun and conducted research in groups on the effects of prolonged darkness on people and animals. Students also researched various weather phenomena that occur in Manitoba. Flexible Groupings:Discussions will be conducted as a class and in groups. The time line assignment is to be done individually. Activating Strategies:The class will go outside. The teacher will guide discussion of how the weather affects people and animals. How does the weather today affect you? How does it affect you in the winter? What do you do when it rains, snows or is very hot? Inside, students will watch videos of Canadian weather conditions such as wind, tornadoes, rain, and blizzards. Acquiring Strategies:Students are put into groups. Each group is given a weather condition and a picture of that weather condition (simply for visual reference). They will write down all of the different vocabulary words that come to mind when they think of or see that weather condition. These poster papers will be mounted around the classroom. Students will conduct a gallery walk and add any words that they think of for each weather condition on the posters. Applying Strategies:Students will construct a time line using the changing of the four seasons in Manitoba as a guideline. Students will conduct research to fill in the timeline with effects that various weather conditions could have on their communities.As a follow up lesson, students will be given various First Peoples traditional weather predictions (ex: When summer birds linger longer than usual, we will have a long fall), similar to Raven in the book The Missing Sun. Students will have to predict the logic behind these sayings. They will record their predictions on a graphic organizer. Learning Resources:Eyvindson, P. (Illustrations Brynjolson, R.) 1993. The missing sun. Winnipeg, MB: Pemmican Publications.Weather videosPoster paperAboriginal Weather Signs: SDEA/NEA South Dakota Native American K-6 Curriculum ProjectDifferent Ways of Learning/Resources: Visual/spatial: going outside, watching weather videos, creating a timeline, creating visual metaphors with traditional weather predictionsVerbal/linguistic: class and group discussions, understanding research, writing metaphors for the traditional weather signsLogical/Mathematical: classifying information onto a time line, manipulating the abstract concept of traditional weather signs and finding the logic in the weather signs, using a graphic organizerBodily/kinesthetic: going outside, conducting a gallery walkInterpersonal: sharing ideas during class and group discussions, understanding that weather has an effect on others in many different ways, Intrapersonal: recognizing how different weather conditions effect them Annotated BibliographyGreen, S. (Producer), & Malick, T. (Director). (2005). The New World [Motion Picture]. United States: New Line Cinema. This movie is a more realistic version of the story/legend of Pocahontas. Interestingly, the title of the movie actually refers to Europe, which is a new place to Pocahontas. The special features highlight Native Americans who contributed to the movie, their feelings of this legend and their personal life stories. The movie illustrates the bond that the Native Americans have with the earth beautifully. The slow pace of this movie would make it difficult to watch for any grade level, including adults. I would watch it in pieces with high school students. Métis Cookbook and Guide to Healthy Living (2nd edition). Ottawa, Ontario: National Aboriginal Health Organization.This cookbook is filled with healthy versions of traditional recipes. It includes recipes incorporating wild game, stews, vegetables, wild rice, bannock, desserts and home remedies. The ingredients are fresh and the instructions are simple. This book could be used in health class, math (measurements) or social studies. your own totem pole. Students learn what each animal represented on the totem pole. This would be used in an early years classroom. website includes aboriginal stories in English, with translations in Cree and Dene. There is an option on this page to listen to an Elder tell the stories. Native American Weather Signs and Their Meaning. SDEA/NEA South Dakota Native American K-6 Curriculum Project. web site contains instruction on creating an Inuit sculpture, reflection activities, and a pre and post contact timeline. Manitoba First Nations Education Resource CentreThe MFNERC provides resources to First Nations schools in Manitoba. Their resources include technology, books, activities and services in special education, languages and assessment.Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into Curricula: A Resource for Curriculum Developers, Teachers, and AdministratorsThis document serves as a good starting point for teachers seeking to indigenize the curriculum. It contains general information about the Aboriginal culture in Manitoba, outcomes and a glossary.Maps of Canada and ManitobaThese maps should not have any political borders. Students can map out the territories of various First Nations pre contact. this web site there are lesson plans organized by themes and grade level.Alexie, S. Eyre, C. (1998) Smoke Signals. Miramax Films.The teacher could divide this film into ‘chapters’ and the students could watch the film and conduct a film review (similar to a novel study). Students in high school could use different forms of writing such as reviews, critiques, or adaptations. ................
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