Course Profile English: Contemporary Aboriginal Voices, Grade 11, College Preparation, Public

Unit 4: Challenges

Time: 25 hours

Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4

Unit Description

In this unit, students focus on current challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples. They assess the challenge of maintaining cultural identity as represented in Aboriginal literature, analyse Aboriginal writers’ depictions of such challenges as racism and marginalization, and identify solutions to challenges suggested in Aboriginal literary and media works.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Challenges, Writing

Overall Expectations

CHV.01 - assess the challenge of maintaining cultural identity facing Aboriginal peoples, as represented in Aboriginal literature;

CHV.02 - analyse and assess how stereotyping is depicted in works by Aboriginal creators;

CHV.03 - identify and assess solutions to challenges suggested in media works by Aboriginal creators;

CHV.04 - demonstrate an understanding of Aboriginal writers’ descriptions of the challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples;

WRV.01 - use a variety of print and electronic primary and secondary sources to gather and analyse information and develop ideas for writing;

WRV.02 - select and use appropriate writing forms for various purposes and audiences, focusing on reports, correspondence, and persuasive essays;

WRV.03 - use a variety of organizational structures and patterns to produce coherent and effective written work;

WRV.04 - revise their written work, independently and collaboratively, focusing on accuracy of information, clear expression, and consistent use of voice;

WRV.05 - edit and proofread to produce final drafts, using correctly the grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation conventions of standard Canadian English, as presented for this course, with the support of print and electronic resources when appropriate.

Specific Expectations

Aboriginal Voices in Literature

CH1.01 - identify challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples (e.g., challenges related to identity, urbanization, the need for improved educational and employment opportunities, the loss of extended family), as presented in the works of Aboriginal writers;

CH1.02 - analyse Aboriginal writers’ depictions of challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples that have resulted directly from societal influences (e.g., racism, ethnocentricity, marginalization);

CH1.03 - analyse efforts made by Aboriginal peoples to respond to challenges, as portrayed in the works of Aboriginal writers (e.g., Richard Wagamese, Jordan Wheeler, Beth Cuthand);

CH1.04 - assess how Aboriginal writers (e.g., Thomas King, Tomson Highway, Basil Johnston, Jeannette Armstrong) have adapted traditional story forms to modern prose in describing challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples.

Language

CH2.01 - demonstrate an understanding of how Aboriginal writers use literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, humour) to show how Aboriginal peoples are adapting to challenges;

CH2.02 - describe challenges to the maintenance of Aboriginal oral language traditions (e.g., preserving elders’ and grandparents’ stories);

CH2.03 - recognize, describe, and use correctly in oral and written language the language structures of standard Canadian English and its conventions of grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation, as prescribed for this course, when describing challenges identified in this course.

Aboriginal Voices in Media Works

CH3.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the positive nature of media works (e.g., by assessing how form, style, and language are used in newspapers, magazine articles, and video productions) in depicting challenges faced by Aboriginal communities;

CH3.02 - create media works (e.g., a radio documentary on the social changes occurring within an Aboriginal community, a photo essay on a day in the life of a community leader, a brochure on a local entrepreneur, a short video clip promoting an Aboriginal activity) that demonstrate an understanding of the issues associated with challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples.

Generating Ideas and Gathering Information

WR1.04 - use information and ideas from prior knowledge and research to develop content for writing (e.g., interview an employee for an essay about teamwork and cooperation in business; apply knowledge of characterization techniques to write a short essay about the major character in a novel by an Aboriginal writer).

Choosing the Form to Suit the Purpose and Audience

WR2.01 - select and use appropriate informational or literary forms to produce written work for specific audiences and purposes, with an emphasis on reports, correspondence, and persuasive essays (e.g., summarize a magazine article on a topic of personal interest for a report to the class; write a letter requesting information about a college program; write a short essay presenting a solution to a community problem);

WR2.02 - select and use a level of language and a voice appropriate to the specific purpose and intended audience for business, technical, and personal communications (e.g., use an appropriate voice to convey information about a policy in a memo).

Organizing Ideas and Information in Written Work

WR3.01 - select and use appropriate organizational patterns to structure written work (e.g., use a question-and-answer format to organize an information pamphlet about a product or service; use chronological order and flashbacks to organize information about a character in a script; use classification to organize a class anthology of student writing);

WR3.03 - apply knowledge of essay structure to organize short essays, using (a) an introduction that engages the reader’s interest, introduces the thesis or controlling idea, and previews the organization or content of the essay; (b) a body that develops ideas logically and coherently and incorporates well-chosen, relevant evidence to support each idea; and (c) a conclusion that follows logically from the thesis and ideas developed in the body, summarizes the key points and organization in the body, and makes a thoughtful generalization related to the controlling idea.

Revising Drafts

WR4.01 - revise drafts to strengthen content and improve organization by adding details, deleting irrelevant information, and reordering ideas (e.g., revise a report to list a series of recommendations in order of priority; delete irrelevant arguments to enhance the impact of a persuasive essay; add details to reveal more about a character’s motivations);

WR4.02 - revise drafts to increase precision and clarity of expression by incorporating appropriate business and technical language and transition words (e.g., use a dictionary and thesaurus to find specialized vocabulary to replace vague or inaccurately used words; examine writing for use of inclusive and anti-discriminatory language);

WR4.03 - revise drafts to ensure consistent use of an appropriate voice and tone (e.g., highlight pronouns to check for consistent use of person in a report or memo; use feedback from a peer conference to assess the appropriateness of voice used in a set of instructions or tone in a character’s direct speech).

Editing, Proofreading, and Publishing

WR5.02 - produce, format, and publish written work, using appropriate technology, to share writing with intended audiences (e.g., incorporate effective typefaces, type styles, and graphics to enhance the impact of a report; adapt an electronic template for a formal letter);

WR5.04 - edit and proofread their own and others’ writing, identifying and correcting errors according to the requirements for grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation listed below.

Grammar and Usage: use parts of speech correctly, including participles and gerunds;

Grammar and Usage: construct a variety of correct sentences, including compound-complex sentences, using conjunctions; prepositional and gerund phrases; and noun, adjective, and adverb clauses;

Grammar and Usage: make pronouns agree with their antecedents, and subjects with their predicates, even when widely separated in a sentence or paragraph;

Grammar and Usage: use active and passive verb voice to suit purpose and audience;

Grammar and Usage: use correct parallel structure;

Grammar and Usage: identify and correct sentence errors in their own and others’ writing;

Grammar and Usage: identify deliberate uses of ungrammatical structures in advertisements, poetry, and oral language;

Spelling: demonstrate understanding of a variety of spelling patterns, rules, and strategies by analysing and correcting spelling errors;

Spelling: use homophones and commonly confused words correctly;

Spelling: spell correctly specific business, technical, and literary terms used in course materials;

Spelling: use a variety of print and electronic resources to flag possible errors and improve spelling;

Punctuation: use punctuation correctly and for rhetorical effect, including the question mark, exclamation mark, comma, semicolon, and colon, as well as quotation marks, parentheses, brackets, and ellipses.

Activity Titles (Time and Sequence)

Activity 1	Identifying Challenges	360 minutes
Activity 2	Comparing Challenges	240 minutes
Activity 3	Analysing Challenges	660 minutes
Activity 4	Assessing Solutions to Challenges	240 minutes

Prior Knowledge & Skills

This unit builds upon the analytic, reading, writing, oral communication, and thinking skills developed in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, English program. This unit extends the historical and contemporary issues examined in the Grade 10course Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.

Unit Planning Notes

Teachers should:

· ensure that resources listed are available in the classroom or the Library/Resource Centre. If resources are not available, then alternative materials should be selected in conjunction with the school library staff, other teachers, or information from the Internet;

· review An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature, which has been used as a primary resource to ensure easy access to materials by Aboriginal writers; however, other local resources may be used to supplement this anthology as required;

· confirm that Internet websites listed are currently active and available;

· review entire unit to develop an understanding of the sequence of activities, assignments needed, culminating activity requirements, and issues addressed, as well as grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation conventions;

· consider how to establish a safe and collaborative environment in the classroom. This can be achieved by researching and becoming familiar with contemporary Aboriginal voices in literature and media works prior to the unit being taught and, further, by creating a folder with information from current media works to which everybody contributes on an ongoing basis;

· be familiar with literature that illustrates the theme of Challenges and with other relevant material.

Resources

Primary

King, Thomas. Medicine River. Markham, ON: Penguin Books, 1990.

Moses, Daniel David and Terry Goldie, eds. An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Tyman, James. Inside Out: An Autobiography by a Native Canadian. Saskatoon, SK: Fifth House Publishers, 1989.

Wagamese, Richard. Keeper ’N Me. Toronto: Doubleday Canada Ltd., 1994.

Video

Medicine River. Medicine River Productions Ltd., 1992. 96 min. Distr. Sullivan Releasing Inc.

Secondary

Armitage, Andrew. “Family and Child Welfare in First Nations Communities.” In Wharf, Brian, ed. Rethinking Child Welfare in Canada. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1993, pp. 131-171.

Fournier, Suzanne and Ernie Crey. Stolen From Our Embrace: The Abduction of First Nations Children and the Restoration of Aboriginal Communities. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1998.

Wagamese, Richard. The Terrible Summer: The National Newspaper Award-winning Writings of Richard Wagamese. Toronto: Warwick Publishing, 1996.

Wagamese, Richard. “The Big Sleep.” Ottawa Citizen. July 22, 2000. A13

Activity 1: Identifying Challenges

Time: 360 minutes

Description

Students are encouraged to become aware of challenges in their own lives and their responses to them. They then proceed to generate ideas about challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples today and continue with a discussion of two non-fiction texts and a poem by Aboriginal writers who emphasize the challenges of the loss of language and of a way of life. The activity concludes with a personal essay in which students summarize the learning from a personal perspective.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Challenges, Writing

Overall Expectations

CHV.01 - assess the challenge of maintaining cultural identity facing Aboriginal peoples, as represented in Aboriginal literature;

CHV.02 - analyse and assess how stereotyping is depicted in works by Aboriginal creators;

CHV.03 - identify and assess solutions to challenges suggested in media works by Aboriginal creators;

CHV.04 - demonstrate an understanding of Aboriginal writers’ descriptions of the challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples;

WRV.01 - use a variety of print and electronic primary and secondary sources to gather and analyse information and develop ideas for writing;

WRV.04 - revise their written work, independently and collaboratively, focusing on accuracy of information, clear expression, and consistent use of voice;

Specific Expectations

CH1.01 identify challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples (e.g., challenges related to identity, urbanization, the need for improved educational and employment opportunities, the loss of extended family), as presented in the works of Aboriginal writers;

CH1.02 analyse Aboriginal writers’ depictions of challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples that have resulted directly from societal influences (e.g., racism, ethnocentricity, marginalization);

CH2.02 describe challenges to the maintenance of Aboriginal oral language traditions (e.g., preserving elders’ and grandparents’ stories);

WR5.04 - edit and proofread their own and others’ writing, identifying and correcting errors according to the requirements for grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation listed below.

Grammar and Usage: use parts of speech correctly, including participles and gerunds;

Grammar and Usage: construct a variety of correct sentences, including compound-complex sentences, using conjunctions; prepositional and gerund phrases; and noun, adjective, and adverb clauses;

Grammar and Usage: make pronouns agree with their antecedents, and subjects with their predicates, even when widely separated in a sentence or paragraph;

Grammar and Usage: use active and passive verb voice to suit purpose and audience;

Grammar and Usage: use correct parallel structure;

Grammar and Usage: identify and correct sentence errors in their own and others’ writing;

Grammar and Usage: identify deliberate uses of ungrammatical structures in advertisements, poetry, and oral language;

Spelling: demonstrate understanding of a variety of spelling patterns, rules, and strategies by analysing and correcting spelling errors;

Spelling: use homophones and commonly confused words correctly;

Spelling: spell correctly specific business, technical, and literary terms used in course materials;

Spelling: use a variety of print and electronic resources to flag possible errors and improve spelling;

Prior Knowledge & Skills

Students should be familiar with generating ideas and getting information from text materials. They should also be knowledgeable of the use and conventions of various types of writing and should have experience with revising their own and other students’ drafts.

Planning Notes

Teachers should:

· know about the continuing importance of Native languages;

· find a map with the location of Native language groups in North America;

· read information about the radical changes of Inuit cultures in order to provide some context for Alootook Ipellie’s poem, “Waking Up”;

· know other works by Anishnabe author Basil Johnston;

· read Richard Wagamese’s article “The Big Sleep” in the Ottawa Citizen (see Resources).

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. The teacher discusses definitions of “challenge” and asks students to give examples.

2. Summarize and quote points from the Ottawa Citizen article by Richard Wagamese in order to illustrate a response to a personal challenge faced by a major Aboriginal author.

3. Use the introductory discussion as a brainstorming exercise for the personal essay.

4. Divide the class into groups and ask students to generate ideas about challenges faced by Aboriginal people today, utilizing their knowledge from the previous units on Identity, Relationships, and Sovereignty. Groups then share their findings with the whole class by creating a chart with CHALLENGES on one side and RESPONSES/SOLUTIONS on the other.

5. Read Rita Joe’s poem “I lost my talk” (see the Course Profile for English Contemporary Aboriginal Voices, University Preparation NBE3U: Unit 2, Activity 3) and remind students of the impact of residential schools which created major challenges in the lives of Aboriginal peoples, including the loss of language.

6. Let students read aloud passages from the essay “One Generation from Extinction” by Anishnabe author Basil Johnston which pertain to the effects of language loss.

7. Link his comments on “the trickster” with respective discussions in previous units. How does Basil Johnston use the “trickster” idea in the context of challenges to Aboriginal oral language traditions?

8. Discuss “We, the Inuit, Are Changing” by Martin Martin, Inuk (see course profile for English Contemporary Aboriginal Voices, University Preparation NBE3U: Unit 1, Activity 1), and draw attention to the fact that it is translated. Read the poem “Waking Up” by the Inuk author Alootook Ipellie. Ask students to think about cultural changes in general. How do people adapt?

9. Review principles of essay writing; students complete the process of writing a personal essay.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

· formative assessment of class discussion for Knowledge/Understanding and Communication, by teacher using anecdotal comments

· formative and diagnostic assessment of group discussion and presentations for Knowledge/Understanding and Communication, by teacher and peers using anecdotal comments

· formative assessment of oral reading for Communication and Application, by teacher and peers using anecdotal comments

· summative assessment of short essay for Knowledge/Understanding, Communication, Thinking/Inquiry, and Application, by teacher using a marking scheme

Accommodations

This activity lends itself well to encourage not only Aboriginal students but also all students who have experienced cross-cultural changes in their lives to think about the challenges of adaptation. Specific accommodations may include providing pre-selected passages to be read aloud.

Resources

The texts by Rita Joe, Basil Johnston, Martin Martin, and Alootook Ipellie are published in Moses, Daniel David and Terry Goldie, eds. An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Richard Wagamese. “The Big Sleep.” Ottawa Citizen. July 22, 2000. A13.

Activity 2: Comparing Challenges

Time: 240 minutes

Description

This activity focuses on variations of content, style, tone, and voice in depictions of various challenges facing Aboriginal peoples, such as alienation, racism, and stereotyping. It emphasizes variations in cultural background and individual experience. For example, the tone of “lament” in the texts from the previous activity is contrasted with the humour in other texts. Students are introduced to the novel Keeper ’N Me, which is the main text in Activity 3.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Challenges, Writing

Overall Expectations

CHV.01 - assess the challenge of maintaining cultural identity facing Aboriginal peoples, as represented in Aboriginal literature;

CHV.02 - analyse and assess how stereotyping is depicted in works by Aboriginal creators;

CHV.03 - identify and assess solutions to challenges suggested in media works by Aboriginal creators;

CHV.04 - demonstrate an understanding of Aboriginal writers’ descriptions of the challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples;

WRV.03 - use a variety of organizational structures and patterns to produce coherent and effective written work.

Specific Expectations

CH1.02 - analyse Aboriginal writers’ depictions of challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples that have resulted directly from societal influences (e.g., racism, ethnocentricity, marginalization);

CH1.03 - analyse efforts made by Aboriginal peoples to respond to challenges, as portrayed in the works of Aboriginal writers (e.g., Richard Wagamese, Jordan Wheeler, Beth Cuthand);

CH2.01 - demonstrate an understanding of how Aboriginal writers use literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, humour) to show how Aboriginal peoples are adapting to challenges;

CH2.02 - describe challenges to the maintenance of Aboriginal oral language traditions (e.g., preserving elders’ and grandparents’ stories);

Prior Knowledge & Skills

This activity develops students’ understanding of the theme of challenges in Aboriginal writing by utilizing their knowledge of textual analysis, oral presentations, and writing skills.

Planning Notes

Teachers should:

· have an understanding of certain assimilationist child-welfare policies (e.g., residential schools,
the 60s scoop, adoption and foster care for Aboriginal children; see Resources) and the problems they created;

· read the novel Keeper ’N Me to be able to select appropriate passages to compare with the other texts and know how the excerpt in the anthology fits into the whole work;

· read the autobiography Inside Out to be able to understand the excerpt and select passages for comparison.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. The teacher reviews texts from the previous activity and generates a discussion with the whole class about the tone of voice.

2. The class reviews the poem “Indian Woman” by Jeannette Armstrong (see Activity 3) and discusses how racist stereotypes are “turned around” in the second half.

3. Link the above poem with a discussion of the essay “Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue Eyed Ojibway” by Drew Hayden Taylor (see course profile for English Contemporary Aboriginal Voices, University Preparation NBE3U, Activity 1). Ask students to select the passages they like best and to read them aloud. Compare the two different literary responses to similar challenges.

4. Give an introductory lecture on child-welfare policies that caused major disruptions in the lives of Aboriginal people. Introduce two Aboriginal authors who write about adoption and foster care, James Tyman and Richard Wagamese.

5. Select passages that articulate responses to identity problems from the excerpts from Inside Out and Keeper ’N Me. Students read them aloud and then discuss the authors’ responses in small groups.

6. Read aloud the poem “My Ledders”, by poet Louise Halfe, and engage students’ responses to this different (also humorous) voice speaking about the challenge of culture theft which Aboriginal people also experience. Link the poet’s choice of the vernacular with Dumont’s poem “The Devil’s Language” (see Activity 3).

7. Conclude by assigning a personal journal response to the use of humour in one of the studied texts.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

· formative assessment of class discussions for Knowledge/Understanding and Communication, by teacher using anecdotal comments

· formative assessment of oral reading for Communication and Application, by teacher and peers using anecdotal comments

· formative assessment of note-taking for Communication and Application, by teacher and self using checklist and anecdotal comments

· formative assessment of journal writing for Thinking/Inquiry and Knowledge/Understanding, by teacher and self using checklist and anecdotal comments

Accommodations

Student achievement in communication may be demonstrated both orally and in writing. The emphasis on reading aloud in class and the flexible character of the journal assignment may help students with exceptional needs to process the varied forms of literary responses to challenges.

Resources

Drew Hayden Taylor’s essay, Louise Halfe’s poem as well as excerpts from the two long narratives by Tyman and Wagamese are in Moses, Daniel David and Terry Goldie, eds. An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Tyman, James. Inside Out: An Autobiography by a Native Canadian. Saskatoon, SK: Fifth House Publishers, 1989.

Wagamese, Richard. Keeper ’N Me. Toronto: Doubleday Canada Ltd., 1994.

Child-Welfare Policies relating to Aboriginal People

Armitage, Andrew. “Family and Child Welfare in First Nations Communities.” In Wharf, Brian, ed. Rethinking Child Welfare in Canada. Toronto, ON: McClelland and Stewart, 1993, pp. 131-171.

Fournier, Suzanne and Ernie Crey. Stolen From Our Embrace: The Abduction of First Nations Children and the Restoration of Aboriginal Communities. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1998.

Activity 3: Analysing Challenges

Time: 660 minutes

Description

This activity focuses on the analysis of a video production and a novel by two Aboriginal creators. Both works describe the challenges faced when returning home as an adult after being displaced from home, family, and culture as a child.