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1. Language Arts 2.1. I can begin to make connections among sounds, letters, words,
pictures, and meaning.
1. Students can begin to make connections among sounds, letters, words, pictures, and
meaning.
Hook:
Dress up as your personal Totem Animals and begin the lesson by coming in the
classroom, singing the noise your animal makes. For example: Dress up as a beaver
to represent the Totem meaning, determined, and make the noise of a beaver to grab
the students’ attention. (2 Mins)
Learning Opportunities:
Time Learning Opportunity How do I check that students
understand what to do?
1. Ask students to form a circle on the carpet. Ask random students questions
15 2. Now, ask students to think of something about the instructions that have
Mins that is very important to them. This could been given. For example, Sarah
be an animal or friend. Then, encourage what are we thinking of?
students to describe what characteristics
and traits the ‘something’ has. Next, ask
students how they feel connected to them.
Students can draw their person, animal, or
item on a blank piece of paper.
3. Once students have their drawing, ask Materials Needed
them to Stand up, Hand Up, Pair up, and
share their important person, animal, item,
Paper
or friend and share why they are important
Pens
with their partner.
Erasers
4. Using this scaffolding technique through
something important, explain what a Totem
animal is and why it is significant to
Indigenous people. For more
understanding, talk about why I chose a
Beaver to be my Totem animal.
Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox
Beginning: Students share a story about their dog Tason needs a recording of the
noise his animal makes as he
Developing: Students can start identifying why something has a voice impairment.
is important to them.
Transition: (what will students do when they are finished?, how will we move to the
next learning opportunity?)
· Have students run on the spot for 10 seconds and then take 5 deep breaths in and out.Now
students to come back to the carpet.
1. At this point, students should be sitting on After each slide, ask students to
35 the carpet as I move onto presenting Totem say the name of the animal. Ask
mins Animals. Have an interactive presentation a random student to say the
on Smart Notebook. On this lesson, each meaning of the animal. Repeat
slide will have a picture of the animal, this multiple times and one last
words that represent the animal, and the time at the end of the
noise the animal makes. The animals are: presentation.
Bear - Brave
Deer - Loving Ask the question, “Do we draw
Beaver - Determined an apple on our whiteboard?”
Butterfly - Vulnerable students should say no. Ask, “do
Moose - Strong we draw our totem animal on our
Owl - Wise whiteboard?” students should
Rabbit - Creative say yes.
Turtle - Patient
Wolf - Loyal
Porcupine - Curious
Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox
Beginning: Students just simply pick one of the given Brayden does not like having
Totem animals. things cover his face. He can
simply hold the mask in his
Developing: Students can start identifying what Totem hands.
Animals are.
CLOSURE:
Reflect with students by once again going over the different Totem Animals and their meanings.
To close, have students color a picture of their animal. In a sharing circle, each student will
hold up their picture and explain why they chose the animal. (10 mins)
Lesson Plan Analysis: Using your lesson above, describe the following: (This
information MUST be in your learning opportunities)
Cooperative Learning Stand up, Hand Up, Pair up
Strategies used
Movement Breaks Run on the spot for 10 seconds, Walk outside, Walk back
into classroom
References:
Alberta Learning. (2000). Retrieved from: https://education.alberta.ca/media/160360/ela-pos-k-
9.pdf
Reflection
In the lesson, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, Kindergarten students will explore the topic
and meaning of Totem Animals. Indigenous people hold Totem Animals very close to their
culture and spirit as they are connected to these animals through the spirituality of the bear and
themselves. The Totem Pole is Totem animals represented together in a collective piece of art
that represents the interconnectedness of the Indigenous cultures. I chose to find a Language Arts
outcome to fit the story, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel. I felt these two fit
quite nicely together as students can begin to make connections among pictures, words, and
meaning. I thought this teaching could be a great way to start their understanding of the
interconnectedness of Indigenous persons. With that being said, I found this lesson plan quite
challenging to build as I changed a lot of my ideas. I started this lesson plan incorporating
imagination into it but I felt that it took away from the significance of Totem Animals. Then, I
decided to strictly stick with the idea of importance. My biggest challenge to writing this lesson
plan was trying to teach the First Nations culture with trying to do it justice but yet creating a
lesson that is engaging and appropriate for Kindergarten students. As I go into my practicum, I
think I will be constantly feeling this way for the first few weeks as I never want to offend their
culture or belittle the significance. As a pre-service teacher, I believe I will be on the same
journey as the students as I learn how to teach Indigenous studies and how to teach it in terms
Kindergarten students will understand. However, I feel it is invaluable for students to begin
learning about our heritage and culture at a young age to guide them in learning about those that
have walked before us.The teachings, inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge that can be gained
through Indigenous people is far beyond learning out of a textbook and this learning needs to
start in Kindergarten. If teachings on Indigiousnes studies begins at a young age, students will
feel more comfortable as they learn and connect with the thought, “all things in the universe are
Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox
related and influence each other” (Guiding Voices document). To close, although there may be
challenges to incorporating Indigenous studies into the classroom, there are many ways of doing
so. When I was finished this lesson, I could not believe how I integrated it to fit a Language Arts
outcome. Incorporating Indigenous studies into different outcomes can have a beautiful and
powerful effect on what and how students are learning as they learn how to view the world and
themselves as one.