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Learning for Life
Learning for Life
Meaningful Integration of Indigenous Epistemologies and Pedagogies into Curriculum Design and Development
The following learning experience is a redesign of a series of lesson plans that I used with a kindergarten class during my preservice teaching assignment. For a more meaningful integration of Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being, the following is a waypoint that can help focus the learning; not a lesson plan. The students will guide the path the learning takes.
The central object that will help guide the learning outcomes we explore is the 2019 children's book "The Scarecrow" written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by The Fan Brothers.
- The key themes that will guide our lessons are:
- storytelling & meaning making
- inclusion & community
- weather & seasons
Theme 1: Storytelling & Meaning Making
Theme 1: Storytelling & Meaning Making
Indigenous Education Learning Outcomes:
Indigenous Education Learning Outcomes:
- Highlight the importance of storytelling to First Nations oral traditions
- Use stories to teach shared Indigenous values and encourage self-reflection
- Explore meaning making in stories,
The Readaloud
The Readaloud
Stories were an important communal teaching tool for many First Nations people and continue to be widely used for sharing histories, knowledge and meaning making.
The choice for a central book to guide the learning over the course of several lessons is based on the idea of repetition in First Nations storytelling. The stories should be told and felt time and time again for greater understanding and forming connections to lived experiences.
Storytelling is not an exclusive activity in Indigenous cultures, but very much the opposite. I want a classroom culture that encourages story making. My students' memories and circumstances tell their story and there is meaning that can be found, just as effectively as in a traditional legend. My classroom will create an inclusive and safe space to share personal stories and create new ones.
As the narrator, I rehearse the story and identify the critical elements I want to highlight.
I try to bring the story alive for the children. With some readalouds, I would pause to ask questions. This story reads more like a poem, so I read continuously and then reflect.
The Scarecrow - Book Synopsis
The Scarecrow - Book Synopsis
The themes present in this book are also common themes in many Indigenous cultures' stories and legends. It is a tale of unlikely friendships, self-sacrifice and gratitude, sharing and caring, natural instincts, the life cycle and seasonal changes, loneliness and community,
In the beginning, the protagonist is shown to live in isolation and there is a longing for friendship in his lamentations:
“No one enters / no one dares/ Scarecrow stands alone and scares / the fox and deer, / the mice and crows. / It’s all he does. It’s all he knows.”
Then, one Spring day a small scared baby crow falls from the sky with a broken wing. In an incredible move of self-sacrifice and empathy, the scarecrow abandons his role as an enemy of the crow and instead protects and nurtures the baby crow back to health.
"He snaps his pole / bends down low / saves the tiny baby crow."
A new unlikely friendship forms over the Spring season, but once the crow's wing is mended enough to fly, natural instinct kicks in.
"But as he watches / Scarecrow knows/ that he must stay / and Crow must go."
"Summer sunshine / Autumn chill / Snowflakes make it colder still / No one visits / No one cares / Scarecrow sags alone and stares."
"Broken heart/ Broken pole / Nothing fills the empty hole."
Happily, as springtime returns, so does the now adult crow. He fixes the scarecrow's broken pole and builds a nest with new baby crows.
"And he will love them from the start / And they will grow up in his heart."
"And as the seasons come and go, / they will love their dear Scarecrow."
One of key messages that can be interpreted from this tale is that love and kindness are reciprocal and that the more you put out into the world, the more will eventually come back to you. These values are entrenched in most Indigenous cultures.
This is also a story of reconciliation, self-sacrifice, and overcoming antagonistic histories to form new friendships. This is highly relevant to current efforts to reconcile Canada's past grievances and form new partnerships and friendships together with our Indigenous communities.
Meaning Making: Text to Self
Meaning Making: Text to Self
- Non-Aboriginal people often recorded First Nations legends as fairy tales or myths, adding convenient morals to sum up the story. However, the stories of Elders and accomplished storytellers often have no such ready explanation. The listener was expected to take time to think about the story and its meanings. Students need to be made familiar with this format, if your stories follow this method.
Meaning Making: Text to Text
Meaning Making: Text to Text
- There are many Indigenous stories and legends that carry similar themes,
- Animals play major roles in Indigenous storytelling oral traditions. They often have symbolic meanings. The crow is particularly featured in many Indigenous stories.
Incorporating an Indigenous worldview, "Crow: The Legend" is based on a Native American legend about the bird's cultural genesis.
Crow was once the most revered animal of them all, with his colourful feathers and melodic song.
Much like the Scarecrow, he makes an incredible self-sacrifice for the other animals when he must save them from the harshness of winter. On his search for help, he damages his voice and his beautiful colourful plumage. In the end, he discovers that his self-sacrifice for the communal good is far more beautiful than the physical transformation of his outer appearance.
Sharing is a central value in most Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing. It is widely believed that we share the Earth with all other living things. Over generations, survival has often depended on communal sharing of resources and these values become central to the way of life of Indigenous communities.
This story, much like The Scarecrow involves an unlikely friendship and self-sacrifice and the reciprocation of kindness.
Theme 2: Inclusion & Community
Theme 2: Inclusion & Community
"Care Crows" Project
"Care Crows" Project
In this art project, the children are creating scarecrow gift bags for classroom communication and relationship building.
Coloured dyes and beadwork are prevalent in many First Nations cultures. Inviting a First Nations artisan to demonstrate techniques and explain the significance of colours for Indigenous ways of knowing would be a unique learning experience.
"Care Crows" Project
"Care Crows" Project
The "scarecrow" can easily be adapted to another symbol that is more in line with Indigenous cultures, such as the totem poles created by First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.
Text to Self
Text to Self
The purpose of this Care Crows project is to build a classroom community through kindness in relationships.
The children can leave "care crow" notes, compliments, drawings, stories for their friends and receive the same in return.
Text to World
Text to World
Making connections with holders of knowledge and sharing stories is relevant to Indigenous ways of being and knowing.
My kindergarten students were very excited to see the response from the actual illustrator of the book to my Twitter post.
Theme 3: Weather & Seasons
Theme 3: Weather & Seasons
Connections to Land
Connections to Land
Field trip to Lester's Farm.
Corn field.
Connections to Animals
Connections to Animals
Field Trip to Lester's Farm.
Animal farm.
Activities
Activities
How a Tree Might Feel
Much like a scarecrow, a tree is rooted in place. But they are living things and it important to feel the connection Using roleplay dramatizations, I will ask students how a tree would "feel," using large and small muscle movements to move like a tree under different conditions.
Which Way the Wind Blows
First Nations knew that wind patterns vary according to the seasons. Noting the pattern helped them make predictions about hunting and travelling. Teaching the children to observe the wind will help them understand the seasonal changes.
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