TITLE: Aboriginal Curriculum Integration Project

SUMMARY : This site is intended to raise the profile of Aboriginal people

in B.C. It includes lesson indexes for English, Socials, P.E., Math and
Science. I found this article useful because it includes the lesson plans
for teaching and learning outcomes.
Sample lesson

English
Poetry Lesson
(Submitted by Heidi Wood - SD 41 Burnaby)
Poem: And My Heart Soars Poet: Chief Dan George
Learning Outcomes
Students will:

1.
2.

Listen critically to understand and analyse ideas and information, by making

inferences and drawing conclusions; interpreting the speakers verbal and
nonverbal messages, purposes and perspectives.
Read fluently and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation, including:
poetry in a variety of forms, stories from Aboriginal and other cultures.
Select and use various strategies during reading and viewing to construct,
monitor, and confirm meaning, including: making connections, visualizing,
determine the importance of ideas/events and reading selectively.
Create meaningful visual representations for a variety of purposes and
audiences that communicate a personal response, information, and ideas
relevant to the topic.
Goal of the Lessons
To allow the student to explore what is significant and important in their lives
through text and visual representation.
To build social responsibility through the use of the Circle of Courage
Activate Prior Knowledge
Question using Georgia Heards Poets Toolbox"
Review the four directions of the Circle of Courage (Dr. Martin Brokenleg ,
Larry Brendtro, Steve van Bockern)

www.reclaiming.com
Predict/Questions/Interpret
Teachers ask students to consider the following questions while completing
the poetry writing/reading tasks below:
Why is the natural world important? What senses can we use to describe
nature?
To improve student awareness/understanding, teachers may conduct a KWL
on climate and environment.
Task
Before Reading
Complete the cloze poem activity.- Share/discuss student word choices
During Reading

Read the original poem My Heart Soars

Take turns reading the original in pairs/two voices/round/etc.
Use a double entry journal page, on one half create a list of the adjectives,
adverbs, nouns, verbs, etc. in the poem, on the other half create a list of the
images using the five senses.
Beauty

Sight

Trees

Sight, smell, touch

Softness

touch

Fragrance

Smell, taste

Discuss what tools are being used.

What is the structure of the poem and how does it affect the rhythm of voice
when it is being read aloud?
After Reading
Scramble the word lists from the double journal entry. Using these words,
create a poem that reaches the same senses as My Heart Soars.

Do not repeat any of the same lines, or words in the same order.
Maintain the flow of the poem by using the same structure and form.
Illustrate what you are trying to say.
Reminder
I like to follow this poem up with some short stories that help promote ideas
around our role in nature and the environment.

The Elders are Watching

And Still the Turtle Watched
Demonstrate UnderstandingWord Scramble Poetry and Illustration set
the criteria with the students.
For example:

Has four stanzas plus a line

Repeats a common phrase/line at least three times
Uses 75% of the words from the original poem
Picture reflects the images and senses of the poem
(See Example and Pictures of student work)
Reflect on Learning

Continue with the KWL and complete the L (what have I learned)
Visual Journal activity that shows connections with ideas
Extended Learning Activities
Using the questions in the activity from Georgia Heards, Awakening the
Heart, create a map of the heart (samples included).
Have student create and fill in their own Circle of Courage using ideas from
their heart map.

Source
Author: Grant Mellemstrand/Norm Thorne
Title: Aboriginal Curriculum Integration Project
Web address: abed.scl79.bc.ca/ACIP/index.html
Copyright date: 2008
Date found: February 16,2015