Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock: Unit Plan by Shelagh Finnigan

Learning Goals
Read a variety of texts, identifying topic, purpose audience
Generate and expand ideas from a story
Demonstrate research, annotation and bibliography skills
Locate information to support writing
Establish a distinctive tone in their writing, modifying language and tone to suit form.

p. 13-22

Jot Note Activity:

Today, you will take notes as we get started on “Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock”. Feel free to question
anything at all that you are learning. Jot notes can be arranged in a variety of ways. By the end of class,
you should be able to summarize what learning occurred throughout the day, establish questions to
drive your thinking and hopefully start to answer some of the questions you have.

Strategy One:

It says, I say, And so

For jot notes on the text, when an idea seems well expressed and thoughtful, write it down in the “It
says” column. If it is from a page, poem, or text indicate where you got the information. Reflect on the
quotation during the time that is given and make your own conclusions about what you have read. Try
to make sure that you are incorporating useful ideas that will help you to generate a main idea about
the day’s reading and learning.

Reading Vocabulary

Indentation

Geed

Oblivious

Predicament

Critic

Hesitant
Symbols: What do you think these items represent? Don’t forget to put it on your chart!!

Beer

Crow

Walkman

Drumming

Levis

Focussing questions: (Some of these are out of order for grouping purposes.)

Why is Rusty concerned about if Keesic vomits on Dreamer’s Rock? What does this say about his
character?

Humour:

How does Rusty share his ideas about his family? Why does he use humour to discuss something that is
ultimately sad?

Levis. How does Keesic’s line develop humour? What’s the difference between their styles of humour?

Benching pounds: What is Keesic’s confusion? How does this humour give us further insight into his
language? Give other examples of his literal humour found in the text.

Keesic describes drinking beer through natural elements. Why do you think he does that?

The Nomitive Form: (Naming)

Why does Rusty change his name from something Keesic finds powerful?

Why does Keesic think Rusty’s nick name is odd?

What do you think Keesic means when he discusses “naming”?

It says I say And so
Strategy Three: Character Study in Dreamer’s Rock p.23-33

What does this section insinuate about Dreamer’s Rock?

What is the importance of a dream/ vision quest?

How do you think that the lack of this ceremony would impact the present and future generations?

What do we learn about the characters? Use a highlighter for each character: Keesic, Rusty and Michael
on the following chart.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under

Vocabulary: Startles, stunned, intrigued, disbelieving, metaphysical
Path of Medicine:
“’Well, whisky keeps things away that some people don’t want around neither. Like dreams,
recollections, wishes, other people sometimes.’ The old man turned on the stool and set the milk pail
down on the floor between his feet. ‘Things get busted sometimes. When they happen in the world
you can fix ’em most times. But when they happen inside a person they’re harder to mend.’”

Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese

The path of Medicine Walk is about a young boy who has been raised by an older man he presumes is
his grandfather. He is asked to go and get his alcoholic father and then goes to meet him only to find out
he is dying. They take a medicine walk to help him sober up while leading him to a ledge to die as a
warrior. While on the path, the young man experiences some healing by hearing his father’s story of
how he came to be the way he is.

Strategy Three:

Good readers make predictions about what will happen in the text. By taking guesses, the reader stays
engaged with the content and learns about the predictability of the text. The following questions are
meant to help you start to predict the future of the characters.

Making Predictions:

What do you think has happened to Rusty that he is trying to mend?

Do you think that the characters will continue to get along?

What do you think these characters have in common? (Please think critically about this question.)

What do you think the climax of the story might be?

Michael’s perspective 30-39

Vocabulary: Authentic, woodland, outfitting. Synthetic, contagious, philosophically, psychologically,

economically, culturally

Michael has adopted negative language around traditional ideals. Why do you think Drew Hayden
Taylor presents the future as acting superior to the present and past? What terminology is he using that
could be offensive?

What do Keesic and Rusty think of Michael?

What is the audience supposed to take from this section?

What is Michael’s tone and how do you think the audience will perceive him as a result?

Colonial Impact 40-47

Class Vocabulary List : (students find the difficult words and contribute to the word list)

Strategy Four: Research around the text

During the research section, look at details around Dreamer’s Rock and how someone from Keesic’s
time would view the changes that have occurred.

What are the ways that settlers have impacted Dreamer’s Rock? How do you think Keesic sees it? Rusty?
Michael?

Themes

Land Development

How do Keesic, Rusty and Michael see the changes in the landscape and what does that say about
them? Express your ideas in a thematic statement.

Research:

What is the meaning of sweetgrass according to the text?

Themes

Sweetgrass

The past weaves the sweetgrass for the future. Explain how sweetgrass is representative of what Keesic
thinks the present (Rusty) and the future (Michael) lack. How would you express this in a thematic
statement?

What is the use of a smudge or ceremony?

Why do you think that Keesic sees the loss of this ceremony as a loss of culture?
Relationships 47-62

Class Vocabulary List:

What is the difference in tone between Keesic, Rusty and Michael when they share their ideas?

Why do you think each character struggles with finding a relationship that works out for them?

What are the similarities and differences in their searches for love?

Family and Honor

p.62

Rusty divulges his essential truth; he’s scared and too big to hide so he goes to Dreamer’s Rock.

Michael’s problem is the water quality, but other than that he measures his success as scholastic.

Keesic denies heritage to the present and thus future. He says that they aren’t Odawa because they
don’t have culture and traditions. He uses language as the vehicle for culture.

Humour is used again to break up the argument. What are the characters arguing about?

What are the gifts of past and present that are given to Rusty? How do you think they will change his
life?

The Final Stage Directions p.75

Keesic has them face east and give a prayer of thanksgiving to the Creator.

Rusty drums, sings of far off voices and finds a crow feather he turns and holds It up to the four
directions, then thanks Dreamer’s Rock.

Discussion:

Why do you think the play ends this way?

Did you find it satisfying?

Essay Assignment to demonstrate knowledge of the play, its characters and its meaning.

Write a short essay discussing how Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock and how its central message develops
through the three characters.

Criteria:

The introduction is directed, appropriate and prepares readers for the argument

The characters are defined

There is sufficient evidence, cited properly, of the claims made

It is well-written

The reader makes their thesis evident with relation to themes of the text

The writing is organized, well developed, and fully explanatory

All paragraphs have a strong topic and details are tightly connected

Transitions are present

Sentence variety is evident with clear and thoughtful use of vocabulary

The writer is firmly in charge of the flow, style and diction of their writing

MLA citations are done correctly and Works Cited are done accurately

The student demonstrates critical thinking and methodical editing

Extension Activity

Write an extra scene for the end of this play. What do you think should be included?

What more do you think you could add?

Would you consider writing it in one of the other time periods?

What else do you think should be included?