Description
The purpose of this lesson plan is for pre-service teachers to explore lesson plans using an Indigenous Education checklist (provided by NCCIE). The checklist supports the development of wholism, localized cultural inclusion, intergenerational learning, and ethics in the classroom. The goal of this lesson is to show pre-service teachers how to apply aspects of Indigenous education (i.e. wholistic engagement and nurturing of their students) into their future lesson planning.
Acknowledgement Protocol
Please read this Acknowledgement before the start of this lesson to respect the knowledge that is being shared and the Land of the People where the knowledge originates.
This lesson plan was developed at Lakehead University, which is located on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation, signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850. The land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg.
Contributors
| Name | Role / Job Title | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Leisa Desmoulins | Curriculum developer | Thunder Bay |
| Melissa Oskineegish | Curriculum developer | Thunder Bay |
| Mackenzie Orlando | Curriculum developer | Thunder Bay |
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this lesson plan, students will be able to:
1. Identify components of wholism, Indigenous cultural perspectives, intergenerational learning, and reflection in lesson plans.
2. Revise a lesson plan to greater incorporate wholism, Indigenous cultural perspectives, intergenerational learning, and reflection.
Teacher's Guide
Background / Foundational Information
The foundations for this lesson plan activity emerge from the Association of Canadian Deans of Education (ACDE) Accord on Indigenous Education (AIE) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) Calls to Action. The authors of the Accord - Archibald, Lundy, Reynolds, and Williams - call for “increased national dialogue and cooperative action for improving Indigenous education” (p. 2) within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Indigenous Initial Teacher Education (IITE) programs.
Lakehead University is one of many Canadian universities that signed the Accord on Indigenous Education and agreed to aspire to its vision, principles, and goals in their education programs (p. 1). Relatedly, the TRC’s (2015) Calls to Action include action items for administrators and faculty members within post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge(s) and teaching methods into their classrooms. Teacher-educators are well-positioned to do this work with teacher candidates/pre-service teachers.
This lesson plan activity with pre-service teachers is grounded in calls from the AIE and the TRC. The specific areas that pre-service teachers will explore include: Community/Nation acknowledgement; the inclusion of Indigenous cultural perspectives and language; wholism; intergenerational learning; participatory and experiential learning activities; and manifesting ethics in the classroom. Each of these components can be explored in depth prior to this lesson plan.
Activities
Introduction0:20
Purpose
Pre-service teachers are provided the opportunity to explore different components of an Indigenous Education lesson plan.
- Ask students to brainstorm what they believe are necessary components of a lesson plan. For example, what are features of a lesson plan that they believe educators should include to support students?
- Students can respond individually or in small groups. As students share their responses, a recorder writes them down on a smart board or chart paper.
- Before distributing the 'Lesson Plan Review Handout' to students, review it with the class. If there were components listed on the handout that were not identified during the brainstorm or in the small groups, take time to review them.
- Distribute the 'Lesson Plan Review Handout.' Ask students to share an example for each component.
Learning styles this activity connects with
- Intellectual (e.g., Rational, Logical) Learners
This activity connects with intellectual learners through a brainstorming activity. Pre-service teachers share their prior knowledge on the topic.
Materials, Videos & Other Resources
- Lesson Plan Review HandoutPDF · 117 KB
Info
This handout is used in all activities in this lesson.
Small Group Activity0:35
Purpose
Pre-service teachers review a lesson plan provided by the instructor and identify the components listed in the 'Lesson Plan Review Handout.'
Ask pre-service teachers to form small groups. Hand out a sample lesson plan to each group, chart paper, and the 'Lesson Plan Review Handout' (if they do not already have it). Each pre-service teacher group can work on the same lesson plan (or different lesson plans).
Ask each small group to review the lesson plan to find examples of each component on the handout and note the examples in the 'Notes' column. When done, a group member transfers this information to chart paper.
Learning styles this activity connects with
- Spiritual (e.g., Relational) Learners
- Intellectual (e.g., Rational, Logical) Learners
This activity connects with spiritual learners as students work in small groups to complete handout. This activity connects to intellectual learners as students review and identify components from the handout.
Whole Class Sharing0:40
Purpose
Using the 'Lesson Plan Review Handout,' pre-service teachers share their small group responses for the purpose of reflection and discussion on the components presented in this lesson.
One member from each small group first explains the activity within their lesson plan, then describes how the lesson plan meets each component of the 'Lesson Plan Review Handout' with the whole class. In addition, each group submits this activity to the instructor for assessment.
Learning styles this activity connects with
- Physical (e.g., Tactile, Experiential, Visual) Learners
- Emotional (e.g., Feeling, Intuitive) Learners
This activity connects to physical learners as each small group provides one representative to share their group's responses to the class. This activity connects with emotional learners through the opportunity for reflection of the different components within the lesson plan.
Assessment
This section contains information for assessing progress in students' learning. While Indigenous approaches to assessment may be highlighted, conventional assessment methods may also be discussed.
Assessment can be done through using the Assessment "Feedback Form" (attached) that includes an area for notes. This can be done by the teacher with the pre-service teachers individually or in groups.
Also, as a learning tool individually or in their small groups, pre-service teachers can use the "Feedback Form" themselves to review their work and determine which of the items they addressed in their project(s) and which items were not addressed. They are provided the opportunity to make any changes.
Upon completion of the assessment, an open dialogue as a whole class provides an 'Assessment for Learning' approach.
Where can I find additional information?
- Resource for Instructors and Students: ACDE Accord on Indigenous EducationPDF · 330 KB
Info
The Association of Canadian Deans of Education (ACDE) produced this 'Accord' in 2010 and is used along with the TRC Calls to Action to ground this lesson plan.
- Resource for Instructors and Students: TRC Calls to ActionPDF · 300 KB
Info
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Calls to Action, published in 2015, along with the ACDE Accord on Indigenous Education are both used to ground this lesson plan.
- Video resource on Ethics in the ClassroomLink
Info
This resource, 'Acting on Our Ethics: Caring for Anishinaabe Children,' is presented by the Ontario College of Teachers.
- Our Words, Our WaysPDF · 3.8 MB
Info
This resource focuses on teaching First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Learners.
- Exploring the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession through Anishnaabe ArtLink
Info
This resource, published by the Ontario College of Teachers in collaboration with Bruce K. Beardy, shares insights about ethics in the classroom from an Indigenous perspective. The video on ethics in the classroom (also in this resource list) augments this written document.
Holism and All Our Relations
This lesson plan has been developed with an Indigenous lens that is holistic in nature, and addresses the following:
Ethics in the classroom: care, truthfulness and trust, respect, integrity
Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest, and insight. In this lesson, pre-service teachers reflect on lesson plans that emphasize care for the whole person. For more information about Ethics in the Classroom, please see Exploring the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession through Anishinaabe Art published by the Ontario College of Teachers in collaboration with Bruce K. Beardy. https://www.oct.ca/-/media/PDF/Exploring%20Ethical%20Standards%20through%20Anishinaabe%20Art/2015%20Ethical%20Stndrds%20and%20Anishinaabe%20Art_en%20web_accssble.pdf
Connections with everyday life
This lesson plan provides an interactive activity for pre-service teachers to support and enhance their lesson plan development skills within Indigenous education.
Healthy relationship with self and identity
By engaging in the activities of this lesson plan, pre-service teachers are considering who they are as teacher-educators. As teachers, how we design our lessons implicitly and explicitly indicates what we value how we evaluate learning. Using this approach, teacher-educators model how to integrate Indigenous ideas such as care for the whole person into their classrooms for students.
Personal reflection time (connecting with thoughts and feelings)
Pre-service teachers are provided time to reflect in different ways during the activities. For example: i) In the Introduction, pre-service teachers reflect on the features and components of a lesson plan. This draws on their prior knowledge and experience of developing and using lesson plans. ii) As pre-service teachers listen to each group share as a whole class, they are able to reflect on the examples shared and use this knowledge to complete their final activity.