Indigenous Perspectives
Shin Chi’s Canoe – Part 2 of 2
Author: Nicola Campbell
Illustrator: Kim Lafave
Links:
Amazon: https://amz.run/4pNH
Indigo: https://bit.ly/3j0U6hW
Social Justice focus: Equity, FNMI
Synopsis: When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko reminds Shinchi, her six-year-old brother, that they can only use their English names and that they can’t speak to each other. For Shinchi, life becomes an endless cycle of church mass, school, and work, punctuated by skimpy meals. He finds solace at the river, clutching a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from his father, and dreaming of the day when the salmon return to the river — a sign that it’s almost time to return home. This poignant story about a devastating chapter in First Nations history is told at a child’s level of understanding.
Rationale: I am teaching this lesson to further student knowledge of the concept of assimilation and as an introduction to Residential Schools in Canada.
Lesson Plan: Ceilidh Stidwill
Primary/Junior/Intermediate Lesson Plan (Abbreviated Template)
Consecutive and Concurrent Programs
Unit/Topic: Equity, FNMI
Grade: 6/7
Lesson: Shin Chi’s Canoe – Part 2 of 2
Curriculum Areas: Language Arts:
Curriculum Expectations:
Overall:
Grade 6 Writing 1: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience
Grade 7 Writing 1: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
Grades 6 & 7 Oral Communication 1: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
Grades 6 & 7 Oral Communication 2: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes
Specific:
Grade 6 Writing 1.2: generate ideas about a potential topic and identify those most appropriate for the purpose
Grade 6 Writing 1.4 sort and classify information for their writing in a variety of ways that allow them to view information from different perspectives and make connections between ideas
Grade 6 Oral 1.2 demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a variety of situations, including work in groups
Grade 6 Oral 2.2 demonstrate an increasingly sophisticated understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations, including paired sharing, dialogue, and small- and large-group discussions
Grade 7 Writing 1.2: generate ideas about more challenging topics and identify those most appropriate for the purpose
Grade 7 Writing 1.4 sort and classify information for their writing in a variety of ways that allow them to view information from different perspectives and make connections between ideas
Grade 7 Oral 1.2: demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a wide variety of situations, including work in groups
Grade 7 Oral 2.2: demonstrate an increasingly s