TRADITIONAL VALUES IN 21ST CENTURY LEARNING

Can we teach primary aged students about traditional values today by using Native American literature? Can we use this

literature to encourage children the importance of being responsible to themselves and their environment?

ByDoreen Sharpe

Lindsay Park Elementary

Kindergarten – Grade 3 150 students Mixed cultures, predominantly Caucasian SMARTLearning Focus Environmental Focus

Earth Award School

Theme

Teaching traditional values and care of self, others and the environment using SMARTLearning sequences that are focussed on Native American literature .

“ Let us put our minds together and see whatkind of life we can make for our children.”

-Tatanka Iyotanka (Sitting Bull)

“Through over 25 years of action research, SmartLearning has evolved as a research-based and research-proven approach designed to develop important skills and meta-cognitive processes in all learners – regardless of background, needs or skill levels.”

-Susan Close(founder, SMARTLearning)

Significance

Children in Kimberley, BC live in an environment where they are used to having what they need, everything is ‘instant’ and they have a sense of entitlement. This community is not wealthy, yet it provides a very healthy and fulfilling lifestyle for most of us who live here. But it is also not very diverse and the children are not exposed to many other cultures. Kimberley is tourism oriented and therefore, how you treat others is very important so tying values and lifestyle together could produce well-rounded students.

Kimberley,BC is a community that is settled between three Ktunaxa bands. There are seven bands of the Ktunaxa Nation that reside in Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. South of Kimberley, BC, there is the Wood Land People (Aqamni(k’) of the St. Mary’s band, which is part of SD5 (East Kootenay School District). North of Kimberley and part of the SD6 (Rocky Mountain School District), are the Two Lakes People (A-kisqnuknik’) in Windermere and the Not Shirt People from Invermere (Kitqatwumat).

-Ktunaxa Legends, Kootenai Culture Committee, 1997

Benefits

All students would be learning the same language and values.

Being able to support the reading, writing and oral language outcomes while teaching traditional values.

Introducing the students to Native American cultures.

The Values

Respect of Self, Others, The Environment Belonging Mastery Independence Generosity

The Team

Seven full-time teachers and 150 students in Lindsay Park Elementary School, kindergarten to grade 3.

Student Services Support Teacher Aboriginal Support Teacher Principal Two District Superintendents Five Support staff

The Materials

Aboriginal literature appropriate for Kindergarten through grade 3 Ktunaxa Legends – Kootenai Culture Committee

Confederated Salish and Kootanai Tribes S is for Spirit Bear – A British Columbia Alphabet by

G. Gregory Roberts Lessons from Mother Earth by Elaine McLeod &

Coleen Wood A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac Storm Boy by Paul Owen Lewis Grandmother, Grandfather Series – Native

Reflections Inc SkySisters by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Aboriginal literature appropriate for Kindergarten through grade 3 Yetsa’s Sweater and Which Way Should I Go? by Sylvia Olson Raven Tales Series How we saw the world by C.J. Taylor Orca’s Family and More Northwest Coast Stories Just A Walk by Jordan Wheeler The Bead Pot by Thelma Poirer Native American Animal Stories & Native American Stories

Music, Art supplies, Games, Dances, Drama Activities

Smartboards, document cameras, access to computers and the internet

Materials

How are we going to do this?

In collaboration with other staff members and the Aboriginal Education support teacher, we will design SmartLearning sequences that will be based on the four core values while also interweaving the skills of reading, writing and oral development into the lessons.

Ideally, there would be eight sequences developed. Each sequence will be based on one piece of literature and will

focus on one or more value, depending on the focus of the story. Each sequence will follow the same format, giving the students

opportunity to stretch their thinking and delve deeper into what the true meaning is of each value.

The story and value will be introduced by activating prior knowledge to see what is known and understood. This would be done by using a variety of strategies such as showing the title of the story, showing key words or images and/or showing items that are related to the story or value.

How are we going to do this?

Next we would make connections between what is already known and the new information. The connections might be made to personal experience, to events in the world or to other stories that they are familiar with.

At this point, the students will be introduced to the task that they will do at the end of the exploration of the value and story.

Once connections have been made, the students will be encouraged to ask questions to encourage them to wonder about what they are going to learn. Throughout reading the story, the students will be encouraged to question and wonder to help them have deeper understanding.

Art and drama will be incorporated to help imprint an image in the students’ brains by focussing on their senses.

The students will be encouraged to ‘read between the lines’ and infer what they think is the main message and idea without it being told to them.

How are we going to do this?

They will be encouraged to figure out what is important and what the key points are. The students will have to justify why they think this, which can be a difficult skill at this level, but also one that will help understanding the value.

After the story has been worked with, the students will be taught to summarize and synthesize to narrow the text down to the value that is being taught. At the primary level, most of the children will just want to retell the story but some of the students will be able to state the main idea without guidance from the teacher. It is at this stage that the students will do a final task that will reinforce the value that is being taught.

How are we going to do this?

Suggestions of tasks: Write what you learned from this story Act out the story Draw a series of pictures showing the big idea in the

story Tell a friend what your favourite part of the story was Pretend you are one of the characters and write about

how you felt in the story Write a story about how you would apply the value that

you learned from the story into your own life our favourite part of the story was Pretend you are one of the characters and write about

how you felt in the story Write a story about how you would apply the value that

you learned from the story into your own life

Reflection & Assessment

Reflection As a class, discuss the understanding that the students

got from the story. Check for understanding from all students, which will be different for each child. Allow sharing in a safe environment to reinforce the value that is being taught. Use the class talking stick to reinforce respectful listening and speaking.

Based on the task, assessment should be focused on the growth from the prior knowledge to the understanding demonstrated on the end task.

Quick scale rubrics can be used to assess written and oral responses.

Example: Learning Sequence for Grade Two and Three, pg. 1

Text: Lessons from Mother Earth – Elaine Wood & Colleen Wood, 2002 Value: Respect for the environment, Belonging The Task: Tess discovers a garden. Write in role as one of the plants Tess

discovers on how you feel about the way Tess and her grandmother care for you.

The Sequence Activating prior knowledge and Making Connections

Give the title of story and ask students to talk with a partner about what they think that the story might be about. Share with the class. Then show a healthy plant and a dead plant. Let the students reflect on what those symbols might mean in relation to the title. Have the students draw a picture related to the title and the symbols that is meaningful to them.

Using a coaching card (SMARTLearning tool), ask the students to focus on one or two of the icons that they think might help them learn the most.

Chunk One Read to end of page 6 “Grandma pinched her lips and just ignored me.” Have the

students talk with a partner about what they think is happening in the story, what is going through Tess’s mind and if they have any connections. Draw an image from the first part of the reading that is meaningful.

Have the students write down a wonder or question that they have about the next part of the story.

Chunk Two Read page 7 – 13. Have students discuss with a partner what they

think now and what they think the big idea is. Have the partners report out to the rest of the class what their partner thought the big idea was in that section of the story. Allow everyone to report out, focussing on respectful speaking and listening. Using the coaching cards, have the students draw an image that is powerful to them from this chunk of reading and write a prediction about how they think the story is going to end.

Chunk Three Read to the end of the story. Have the students discuss with a partner

while walking and talking whether their prediction was correct, close or completely different than the end of the story. Allow the students time to draw the most powerful image that they got from this chunk of the story. Do a gallery walk and let the students look at all of the images generated and to see how everyone has different ideas. With a partner, have the students discuss what they think Tess and Grandma talked about waling back from the ‘garden’.

Example: Learning Sequence for Grade Two and Three, pg. 2

Summarizing and Synthesizing the Information Have the students work in partners. One is the Earth, the other is a

reporter. With the class, generate questions that a reporter could ask the earth. Then have the students work with their partner. Have the reporter ask the Earth how she feels about the way people treat her. Switch roles, but have a reporter and a plant. Have a class discussion about some of the answers that were given by the Earth and the plant.

The Task Tess discovers a garden. Write in role as one of the plants Tess discovers

on how you feel about the way Tess and her grandmother care for you.

Assessment Through the student’s oral participation and writing is there

understanding shown about the importance of taking care of the earth and of belonging?

Example: Learning Sequence for Grade Two and Three, pg. 3

Challenges

Accessing appropriate Native American literature for Kindergarten to Grade 3 that demonstrate and teach the values being taught.

Having all teachers willing to teach the values through Native American literature.

Working around the schedule of the Aboriginal Support teacher who is only at the school for 1 and a half days per week.

It is easy to assess reading and writing but how will we assess the depth of understanding of the value?

Getting parents on side so that the values can be reinforced at home.

References Kootenai Culture Committee Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

(1997). Ktunaxa Legends. Pablo, Montana, USA: Salish Kootenai College Press.

Close, S. (2012) With G.R.E.A.T. learning in mind. Drafts prepared for the “Full Sail Ahead Conference: charting a course for G.R.E.A.T. learning”, Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Vancouver, BC

Close, S. (2009) The New Fundamentals. Susan Close Learning.

Chambers, C. (2008) Where are we? finding common ground in a curriculum of place. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, 6(2) 113 – 128.

Brokenleg, M. (2012). Culture in Education – Power Point Presentation. Retrieved from http://www.prn.bc.ca/abed/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CULTURE-IN-EDUCATION-Compatibility-Mode.pdf

References

Alberta Education. Aboriginal Services Branch and Learning and Teaching Resources Branch. (2005) Our words, our ways : Teaching first nations, métis and inuit learners (Alberta Education Cataloguing in Publication Data).

Retrieved from: https://education.alberta.ca/media/307199/words.pdf

Cummins, J. (2007). What Works? Research into Practice. A research-into-practice series produced by a partnership between The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and the Ontario Association of Deans of Education. Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/Toulouse.pdf

Aboriginal Education: A Research Brief for Practitioners University of Alberta. Effective Practices For First Nations, Métis and Inuit Learner Programs. Aboriginal Services Branch, Alberta Retrieved from: http://www.sd61.bc.ca/edsrvs/ANED/educationalResources/Research/Univeristy_of_Alberta_Effective_Practices_Aboriginal_Education.pdf