This lesson plan is part of a larger unit on physical and chemical changes. I have included this particular lesson to widen the students scope of knowledge on landscapes. This lesson primarily focuses on physical change, and introduces students to the conception of “Turtle Island” and “The Woman Who Fell From The Sky”. Done respectfully this lesson is meant to decolonize the students thinking about how the land was formed. It confronts with with notions of Indigenous epistemology and asks them to be respectful of all ways of being and knowing.
EDSC_3200-Turtle-Island-Lesson-PlanEnglish and Modern Languages Department Award for Excellence in Indigenous Learning
In the Fall 2019 I was enrolled in an upper level English course centred around literature from the BC interior; which, focused heavily on Indigenous content. The essay I wrote was on George Bowering’s book “Shoot!”. It is a historical fiction read about the McLean gang, and it takes place on Chilcotin territory in the later 1870s. The McLean’s had both, Indigenous and non-Indigenous blood, so my thesis was on colonizing the soul and the difficulty of living in two worlds when you do not feel accepted by either or.
I feel like this issue infects our youth all too often. For myself, I know that writing this essay felt very familiar. My father is Greek, Ukrainian, and my mother is Dakelh and Swedish. I had a difficult time trying to figure out where I fit into society. I feel like persevering through those times has placed me into a position where I can try and help kids deal with those same struggles with identity, whatever their background may be.
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