Course Plan: NBE3U

Name: Collin Campbell 5303502

Affiliation: Faculty of Education

Course: PED 4141

Submitted to: Dr. Sachin Maharaj

November 24, 2023

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Course Plan

NBE3U–English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices, Grade 11 University

Course Rationale

This course plan is designed to respond to a number of criticisms of typical First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) education taught by non-Indigenous educators. The types of
assessments and the order of the units were chosen in order to take into account specific political claims regarding what typically receives emphasis and attention and what gets left out. There
is a real danger that Indigenous education in mainstream education systems will simply repeat the very historical injustices and colonial structures that they seek to undo.
First, the course opens with a short Unit on the relationship between personal identity and larger histories on Turtle Island. The class attempts to adopt typical “welcoming” protocols
that are common in First Nations meetings—those protocols inform the structure of the first unit. Some courses immediately inundate students with the traumatic history of residential school
horrors. Many argue that doing so places too much emphasis on tragedy and trauma in FNMI life, and that this repeats the “vanishing I*dian” trope that has dominated mainstream Canadian
conceptualizations of FNMI communities. Instead, Unit 2 focuses on celebrations of the genius, skill, and creativity of a variety of FNMI individuals and communities in contemporary times.
The dominant impression, therefore, will be replaced by the understanding that Indigenous peoples do not come from “broken” cultures and are not simply relegated to past times: in spite of
the historical injustices, they have continued to thrive. After beginning with these important concepts, Unit 3 will explore the history of conflict on Turtle Island between FNMI peoples and
British North America (which would transform into the federal entity of Canada). We need to acknowledge and be informed about these troubling histories, so this unit will provide this
context for students. However, the unit will be sure not to cast FNMI peoples of the past as hapless victims too ill-educated to understand the mischievous yet brilliant colonial machine (of
France and Britain). Instead, a vision of the past more in-line with proper historical methodologies will be used, which means contextualizing issues like the treaties (the contexts are complex
and do not boil down simply to illiterate people being duped by clever scheming colonial officials) and focusing on moments of resistance that display the autonomy and power of historical
FNMI groups and individuals. Unit 4 adopts the Literature Circle model, where students can take the concepts they have learned in the first three units and apply them to a text of their
choosing. This allows students to have freedom in their choice of text and in the avenues of investigation and critical thinking that they would like to follow. Adding this freedom of thought
allows students to make authentic and original critical insights about the works and it helps make the learning meaningful and personal to students. The final unit depends on the learning done
in the first four: it focuses on the next steps and the current social and political goals of FNMI communities. Time will also be spent making connections between the goals of these
communities and of other marginalized groups in North America. Typically, many tend to think of Indigenous history and the history of the Atlantic Slave Trade in North America as having
little to do with each other. However, recent research suggests that British (and American) settler-colonialism in North America operated by dual oppressions of Indigenous peoples and Black
communities. Thinking through these interrelations is critical for creating education about FNMI issues that does not only see FNMI studies through a mainstream white-Anglo lens.
All units include Strand A: FNMI Text Forms in Canada (the curriculum really should read, “in Turtle Island” or something similar—this is a clear structural colonial holdover that is
at odds with the goals of the course). An encounter with FNMI texts is at the core of the learning here, so it is carried through the whole course. Each Strand is assessed in the summative
assignments of the units (Unit 1: Strand E, Unit 2: Strand D, Unit 3: Strand B, Unit 4: Strand C, and Unit 5 repeats Strand D). In addition, each Strand from B to E is assessed in another major
way, so that Strands B to E each have two major assessments or units that cover them. Often, the core texts of the unit focus on one Strand and the summative assessment uses the modality of
another. For example, Unit 4 focuses on Strand C: Reading and Literature Studies in the students’ investigation of a book for their Literature Circle group, but the summative assessment is a
Strand E: Media Studies task. This strategy forces students to forge connections between the skills of different Strands, since in English we learn how to express, explore, and communicate
the same ideas through different modalities (writing, speaking, reading, media). Doing this interconnected learning allows students to leverage areas of strength they have in one modality to
another. For instance, a student may have underdeveloped essay writing skills, but they can deliver very well-structured oral presentations. Interconnecting the skills will enable this student to
reflect on why the structures of their oral presentations are effective and then apply those same principles to the structure of their writing. The assessments also take a variety of different forms
so that the class can effectively respond to Universal Design for Learning: the assessments are adaptable to different accommodation needs and provide choice within a high standard for
assignments. The philosophy for assessments is that the tasks are generally challenging and students cannot “hide” from difficult work by choosing a task option that seems easier to them;
however, the lines of critical inquiry and investigation within those assignments contain near total freedom, which makes the work authentic and original (as opposed to students searching for
pre-determined answers and responses that the teacher is looking to receive). At the same time, lessons embed a lot of work toward how to create meaningful and critical research questions,
since freedom without guidance is likely worse that predefined content topics for assignments.

Table 1: Timeline and Sequencing

Unit Theme and Strand Time Rationale

Unit 1: Creation and Beginnings
Major
 Strand E: Media Studies
Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
Two Weeks The first unit begins with creation stories and learning the longer history of this place we now call Canada. Students
learn the concept behind “Turtle Island,” and are “welcomed in” to the class through FNMI understandings of
beginnings. This also includes a critical look at the protocol of Land Acknowledgements: the class will learn why some
Indigenous people find them to be important and welcome, and why other Indigenous people are hesitant or have
mixed feelings about Land Acknowledgements. Students will practice creating their own Land Acknowledgement.
This unit will also spend some time accounting for the class’s preconceptions about FNMI history, culture, life, and
literature. Part of the learning time will be spent exploring and dispelling common myths and misunderstandings that
learners may bring to class.

Unit 2: Celebrations and
The unit ends with a free choice media text where the students need to create a representation of their own background,
history, and/or identity. The choice to focus on Strand E: Media Studies in this unit is so that students have a large
selection of forms that they can use to express their own stories. For a first unit, the focus is on students becoming
welcomed into the class community and on starting to gain critical insight into the formation of their own personal,
familial, and communal histories. The difficulty in terms of the mechanics of the assignment is therefore kept low so
that there is more room for challenge on the conceptual or content level. Students need to start from the singular point
of their own identity and then understand how that connects outward to larger and longer histories, both on Turtle
Island and across the globe.
Three Weeks Unit 1 is a short primer unit, whereas Unit 2 is the first substantial unit of the course. In this unit, students will become

Contemporary Voices
Major
 Strand D: Writing
Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand B: Oral Communication
 Strand E: Media Studies
Unit 3: Friction, Trauma, and
Resistance
Major
 Strand B: Oral Communication
Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand C: Reading and Literature
Studies
Unit 4: Resurgence
Major
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand C: Reading and Literature
Studies
 Strand E: Media Studies
Minor
 Strand B: Oral Communication
Unit 5: Sovereignty, Hybridity,
Reconstruction
Major
 Strand D: Writing
Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand C: Reading and Literature
Studies
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familiar with FNMI cultures and life in the contemporary world. The focus is on celebration. Having this be one of
the first units is important for several reasons. The first is that we do not want the dominant impression of students to
be that FNMI life is synonymous with trauma. Many NBE3U courses begin with traumatic and tragic histories; first
impressions often last, so students often come away with mistaken notions that all Indigenous peoples live in
suffering and pain all of the time. This unit stresses the fact that FNMI peoples have worked hard to keep their
cultural traditions, skills, and experience alive and important in the contemporary world. Another important reason
for this unit occurring early in the course is that some students mistakenly assume that Indigenous peoples are relics
of the past, that they have “died out,” and so on. This unit focuses on today in order to dispel this myth.
The summative task is a personal essay in order to focus on writing skills. Writing skills are a fundamental part of
literacy and need to be a substantial emphasis of English class. However, some FNMI writers and thinkers claim that
a narrow focus on traditional structured academic writing is possibly colonial in nature. Therefore, writing skills will
be placed in a personal context to better account for a wider variety of critical thinking modalities that are becoming
more and more accepted even in academia. The personal essay will build off of the earlier work the students did in
Unit 1 for their summative task, so, although Unit 1 was brief, the learning and work they did remains valuable for a
longer period of time in this course.
Four Weeks Unit 3 addresses historical injustices and trauma. Students will engage with history in a variety of ways, including
documentary films, comics, nonfiction writing, and research skills. This unit will touch on the history of Residential
Schools as per the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. However, the unit will stress to students
that the history of conflict between FNMI communities and Canada/British North America does not start and end
with Residential Schools (e.g., treaties, the Sixties Scoop, colonialism, reservations, Riel Rebellions, etc.). The unit
will also begin to make connections to historical injustices in other communities in North America. Many classes
focus on a narrow history of conflict between the largely white, Anglo, Western European Canadian government and
FNMI peoples, so students from backgrounds outside of FNMI communities and Western Anglo/Franco Europe
struggle to understand how they fit into these histories. Thus, it is paramount to introduce a larger conceptual basis
for understanding wider injustices across North America. Early work will be done in this unit so that a deeper
exploration can be done in Unit 5.
For the summative task, students will create a seminar presentation and field a short (at least five minute) discussion
on a key topic of their choosing. The focus will be on Strand B: Oral Communication. Thus, many of the critical
issues will be presented by students to students, and they will be able to have meaningful conversations about these
topics.
Four Weeks This unit will be based around the concept of Literature Circles. Students will choose from a list of FNMI texts and
placed into groups of 4–5. Each Lit Circle group will read the same text over the weeks of the unit. Students will meet
multiple times a week to discuss their readings together. Students will have to be very responsible for their own
learning: groups need to independently devise a reading schedule, they will need to keep each other accountable for
being prepared for each meeting, they will have to develop a strategy of self-moderation of their discussion groups
(e.g., rotating formal moderators, democratic meeting styles, etc.), and they will have to create their own critical
discussion questions. Days not spent in Lit Circle Meetings will focus on developing skills to support literary
analysis, oral communication and discussion group skills, cooperation, accountability, and responsibility. The teacher
will make observations about students’ oral communication and teamwork skills during meetings, and the teacher will
provide ongoing feedback to students so that the group functions will improve over time. The Lit Circles will provide
a second major assessment of Strand B: Oral Communication.
The summative task returns to Strand E: Media Studies. Groups will create a book trailer to convince their audience
that their book is worth picking up. Because they had to put in a lot of challenging critical work in the meetings
themselves, the summative task is more lighthearted.
Four Weeks Unit 5 focuses on the play “Someday” by Drew Hayden Taylor. This text is taken up by the whole class. Since it is a
short text that touches on a variety of key topics in FNMI studies, it will be delivered to students in “linked text set”
format. This means that the play will be read in pieces, and texts that “link” to core issues in “Someday” will be
investigated along the way. After the play is read and follow-up analyses are done in later classes, we will continue to
provide linked texts in order to expand our intertextual knowledge and skills. The topics focus on political goals and
next steps for FNMI communities. The focus at the end of the class will mirror the focus at the beginning: not on
trauma and brokenness, but on reconstruction.
The summative task includes a comparison essay between “Someday” and their choice of one of our linked texts.
Students therefore select the key issue that their essay will investigate. This will allow students to feel more
connected to their academic writing, since they can choose a topic that is meaningful to them. They will also need to
design their own research question, which capitalizes on Unit 4, where they needed to design critical discussion
questions. The design of these questions will be monitored through ongoing thesis, proposal, and outline assignments.
There is an important tension here: as stated in the Unit 2 rationale, some FNMI thinkers argue that traditional
academic essays are products of colonial education systems. One mitigating factor about this essay assignment is that
it asks for connection and comparison, and it focuses on positive reconstructions in FNMI political life, which is an
inherently anti-colonial topic. However, the colonial structure of the assignment remains. This tension has to exist,
because students still need to be trained in essay writing if they are going to be successful in Grade 12 University

Exam Review One Week
All Strands
Unit Overall Expectations
Unit 1: Creation and Major
Beginnings  Strand E: Media Studies
Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
Unit 2: Celebrations Major
and Contemporary  Strand D: Writing
Voices Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand B: Oral Communication
 Strand E: Media Studies
English. This tension, though, needs to be expressed to the students themselves.
The final week will be spent preparing for the final exam. The final exam will be a written exam that touches on
aspects of each of the five units.
Table 2: Curriculum Map
Essential Questions and Learning
Goals
 Whose land are our schools
situated on? Why is that
important? Does history still
matter?
 What preconceptions about
FNMI life, culture, history, or
literature do we have?
 How do we talk about the place
that we live? What is Turtle
Island, and why is it important?
 What is a land
acknowledgement? Are there
potential problems with land
acknowledgements? What
different perspectives exist
among FNMI peoples?
 How to begin? Are there FNMI
protocols when it comes to
beginning?
 How are our lives constituted by
histories
 Why are we starting with
celebrations? Why is it
important to emphasize
contemporary life and cultural
celebrations?
 Where do our identities come
from? Does the land impact how
we define ourselves?
 Do FNMI histories and issues
intersect with my life? In what
ways are they relevant to
various cultural groups in our
society?
Evaluation Criteria (Specific
Expectations and
Achievement Chart)
A1.1 Identifying Text Forms
(KU/T)
A1.3 Exploring Identities
(C/A)
A1.4 Exploring Relationships
(C/A)
E.1.1 Purpose and Audience
(KU)
E1.2 Interpretating Messages
(KU/T)
E1.4 Audience Responses
(KU/T)
E2.2 Conventions and
Techniques (KU)
E3.1 Purpose and Audience
(C/A)
E3.2 Form (C/A)
E3.3 Conventions and
Techniques (C/A)
E3.4 Producing Media Texts
(A)
E4.1 Metacognition (T)
E4.2 Interconnected Skills
(T)
E5.1 Media Development
(KU)
A1.1 Identifying Text Forms
(KU/T)
A1.3 Exploring Identities
(C/A)
A1.4 Exploring Relationships
(C/A)
B2.2 Using Active Listening
Strategies (A)
B3.2 Interpersonal Speaking
Strategies (A)
D1.2 Generating and
Developing Ideas (C/A)
D1.3 Research (A)
D1.4 Organizing Ideas (C/A)
D1.5 Reviewing Content (A)
D2.1 Form (C/A)
D2.4 Sentence Craft and
Fluency (C/A)
D2.6 Revision (A)
D2.7 Producing Drafts (A)
D3.4 Grammar (C/A)
D4.1 Metacognition (T)
E.1.1 Purpose and Audience
(KU)
E1.2 Interpretating Messages
Assessment Evidence
For:
 Pear Deck idea sharing:
What do we know about
FNMI literature, history,
etc.?
 Create a Land
Acknowledgement
As:
 Journal Reflection: What do
media texts and typical
essays have in common?
What strategies will I use in
my own media text?
Of:
 Media Text: Where do I
come from? Choose a
media form and create a
text that represents the
histories (personal, familial,
communal) that make up
your background
For:
 Daily Reflective Journals
(ongoing feedback from
teacher, and a basis to
eventually create their
Personal Essay)
As:
 Journal Reflection: Which
literary devices will best
communicate my personal
story?
Of:
 Personal Essay: Narrate or
explore your own identity
and/or your family’s
identity and the significance
of how you came to be on
this land
4
Authentic Learning
Resources and Tools
 “The First Words” by Brian
Maracle
 “The Shivering Tree” by
John McLeod
 Visit from an
elder/Knowledge Keeper
(subject to scheduling and
availability)
 “How to talk about
Indigenous people,” video
by CBC News
 Storytelling and the Oral
Tradition, video by Louise
Profeit-LeBlanc
 “#HonorNativeLand,”
video by US Department of
Arts and Culture
 “Understanding
Awaadiziwin (knowledge)
and its Role in Achieving
Bimaadiziwin (life),”
livestream video with Joe
Pitawanakwat
 Inuit Games Learning
Experience (invited guest
Stranger Metcalfe; subject
to scheduling and
availability)
 “I Am My Grandmother,”
photo essay by Nadia
McLaren
 “We’re More than Just
Beads & Feathers,” short
comic by Jason
EagleSpeaker
 “Boundaries Like Bruises,”
personal essay by Alicia
Elliott

Unit 3: Friction, Major
Trauma, and  Strand B: Oral
Resistance Communication
Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand C: Reading and
Literature Studies
Unit 4: Resurgence Major
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand C: Reading and
Literature Studies
 Strand E: Media Studies
Minor
 Strand B: Oral
Communication
 Why is it important to
acknowledge loss and trauma in
the past? Are these stories still
relevant?
 Why do we need to look further
than the history of residential
schools when understanding
conflict between Canada (and
British North America) and
FNMI communities?
 What is colonialism? What is
Eurocentrism? Why are these
concepts important for
understanding these historical
conflicts?
 How do we acknowledge harm
done to FNMI communities in
the past without casting these
communities as hapless
victims? In what ways did these
communities show autonomy
and resistance?
 What are some common
features of FNMI literature?
How do they differ from the
literatures of other communities
in the world?
 What are the differences
between and among First
Nations, Métis, and Inuit
authors and literary
communities?
 How can I create critical
questions? What is a
problematic, and how can I
construct one?
 What is the history of
authorship and publication in
North America? What major
developments have happened to
support the publication of
(KU/T)
E1.4 Audience Responses
(KU/T)
E2.2 Conventions and
Techniques (KU)
E3.1 Purpose and Audience
(C/A)
E3.2 Form (C/A)
E3.3 Conventions and
Techniques (C/A)
A2.1 Viewpoint (T/C)
A2.3 Positioning (T/C)
A2.5 Asymmetries (T/C)
B1.4 Culturally Appropriate
Listening Practices (A)
B2.2 Using Active Listening
Strategies (A)
B2.4 Demonstrating
Understanding of Content
(KU)
B3.1 Purpose (C/A)
B3.2 Interpersonal Speaking
Strategies (A)
B3.5 Vocal Strategies (A)
B3.7 Audio-Visual Aids (A)
B4.1 Metacognition (T)
B4.2 Interconnected Skills
(T)
C1.2 Using Reading
Comprehension Strategies
(A)
C1.6 Analyzing Texts (C/A)
C2.2 Text Features (T/C)
C5.1 Development of
Contemporary Literature
(KU)
C5.2 Influence of
Contemporary Literature
(T/C)
A1.1 Identifying Text Forms
(KU/T)
A1.2 Formulating Questions
(T/C)
A1.3 Exploring Identities
(C/A)
A1.4 Exploring
Relationships (C/A)
A1.5 Exploring Self-
Determination, Sovereignty,
and Self-Governance (T)
A1.6 Comparing
Perspectives (T/C)
A2.1 Viewpoint (T/C)
A2.3 Positioning (T/C)
A2.5 Asymmetries (T/C)
A3.1 Acknowledging (KU)
A3.3 Diversity (T/C)
A3.4 Relevance (T/C)
For:
 Value Lines: Move about
the class in response to
questions. E.g., How much
do you know about FNMI
histories? Spark class
discussions about the topic.
 Message in a Bottle
Activity: Choose different
“islands” situated around
the class (different topic
and modality/exploration
choices, such as visual art
analysis, historical archive
investigation, etc.) and
leave a “message” that
records your key thoughts
for the next student
As:
 Seminar Proposal: How
will you structure your
seminar discussion?
(Provides early and
ongoing feedback on the
creation of the seminar)
Of:
 Seminar Presentation:
Choose a critical topic in
FNMI history and
contemporary issues.
Briefly present the key
issues and lead a short class
discussion on your topic.
For:
 Whiteboard Gallery Walk:
What skills are needed for
an effective discussion
group? How to design
critical discussion
questions?
As:
 Written: Self and Peer
Group Participation
Reflection
Of:
 Ongoing Observations of
Group Participation
(Feedback to be
communicated with
students)
5
 Searching for Winnetou,
documentary
 There’s Something in the
Water, documentary
 Jordan River Anderson:
The Messenger,
documentary
 Kanehsatake: 270 Years of
Resistance, documentary
 We Were Children,
documentary
 Selections from The
Inconvenient Indian,
nonfiction book by Thomas
King
 APTN News
 “Supporting Indigenous
Students and Youth
Activism” (guest speaker
Kyrstin Dumont; subject to
scheduling and availability)
 Selections from Indigenous
Writes, nonfiction book by
Chelsea Vowel
 Selections from Seven
Fallen Feathers, nonfiction
book by Tanya Talaga
 Selections from This Place:
150 Years Retold, an
anthology of short
historical comics
Literature Circle Text
Choices
 Motorcycles & Sweetgrass
by Drew Hayden Taylor
 The Marrow Thieves by
Cherie Dimaline
 Green Grass, Running
Water by Thomas King
 Indian Horse by Richard
Wagamese
 Rez Sisters by Tomson
Highway
 Crow Winter by Karen
McBride
 Monkey Beach by Eden
Robinson
 In Search of April Raintree

Unit 5: Sovereignty, Major
Hybridity,  Strand D: Writing
Reconstruction Minor
 Strand A: FNMI Text Forms
 Strand C: Reading and
Literature Studies
FNMI literature?
 What major political goals are
FNMI communities currently
pursuing?
 What does it mean to “walk in
two worlds?” What is hybridity, A1.3 Exploring Identities
and how is it important for
understanding contemporary
FNMI literature?
 What do FNMI texts have to
say about mainstream gender
roles? What is
heteronormativity?
 How are FNMI communities
carving a path out of historical A2.1 Viewpoint (T/C)
injustices like the Sixties Scoop A2.3 Positioning (T/C)
and Residential Schools? How
is this reflected in FNMI
literature?
 How do FNMI histories in
North America intersect with
other communities’ historical
6
A3.5 Affirmation (T/C) by Beatrice Mosionier
 Book Trailer: Create a  From the Ashes by Jesse
B2.2 Using Active Listening video to convince the Thistle
Strategies (A) audience that your group’s
B3.2 Interpersonal Speaking book is compelling
Strategies (A)
B4.1 Metacognition (T)
C1.2 Using Reading
Comprehension Strategies
(A)
C1.6 Analyzing Texts (C/A)
C2.2 Text Features (T/C)
C5.1 Development of
Contemporary Literature
(KU)
C5.2 Influence of
Contemporary Literature
(T/C)
E.1.1 Purpose and Audience
(KU)
E1.2 Interpretating Messages
(KU/T)
E1.4 Audience Responses
(KU/T)
E2.2 Conventions and
Techniques (KU)
E3.1 Purpose and Audience
(C/A)
E3.2 Form (C/A)
E3.3 Conventions and
Techniques (C/A)
E3.4 Producing Media Texts
(A)
E4.1 Metacognition (T)
E4.2 Interconnected Skills
(T)
E5.1 Media Development
(KU)
E5.2 Influence of Media
Production (KU/T)
Media Literacy and Media
Access (KU/T)
A1.1 Identifying Text Forms For: Main Text
(KU/T)  Bake a Pie Activity:  Someday, a play by Drew
A1.2 Formulating Questions Whiteboard video analysis Hayden Taylor
(T/C) activity where each group Link Texts
discusses and records one  “Stadium Pow Wow” by
(C/A) “slice” of video analysis The Halluci Nation (for
A1.4 Exploring (e.g., setting, Bake a Pie)
Relationships (C/A) characterization, sonics,  “How to Steal a Canoe,”
A1.5 Exploring Self- image patterns, etc.) video poem by Leanne
Determination, Sovereignty, Betasamosake Simpson
and Self-Governance (T) As:  Various Poems by Billy-
A1.6 Comparing  Essay Outline Reflection Ray Belcourt
Perspectives (T/C) Component: What new  Documentary: The Power
ideas about essay writing was with Us: Idle No More
will you incorporate in  Black Soul, short film by
A2.5 Asymmetries (T/C) your own paper? How? Martine Chartrand
A3.1 Acknowledging (KU)
 “My Body Is My Own
A3.3 Diversity (T/C) Of: Business,” essay my
A3.4 Relevance (T/C)  Comparison Essay: Choose Naheed Mustafa
A3.5 Affirmation (T/C) one linked text that we  “The Fleshing,” short story
covered in this unit and by Richard Van Camp

injustices and calls for
reconstruction (namely, Black
history in North America)?
C1.2 Using Reading
Comprehension Strategies
(A)
C1.6 Analyzing Texts (C/A)
C2.2 Text Features (T/C)
C5.1 Development of
Contemporary Literature
(KU)
C5.2 Influence of
Contemporary Literature
(T/C)
7
compare it to Someday by
Drew Hayden Taylor.
Students will focus on one
key idea that we have
covered for the basis of
their essay question (e.g.,
sovereignty, hybridity,
nature/environmentalism,
resistance, etc.).

D1.2 Generating and

Developing Ideas (C/A)
D1.3 Research (A)
D1.4 Organizing Ideas (C/A)
D1.5 Reviewing Content (A)
D2.1 Form (C/A)
D2.4 Sentence Craft and
Fluency (C/A)
D2.6 Revision (A)
D2.7 Producing Drafts (A)
D3.4 Grammar (C/A)
D4.1 Metacognition (T)

Table 3: Overall Expectations Analysis

Overall Expectations

Units A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 D1 D2 D3 D4 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5

Unit 1: Creation and ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Beginnings
Unit 2: Celebrations ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
and Contemporary
Voices
Unit 3: Friction, ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Trauma, and
Resistance
Unit 4: Resurgence ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Unit 5: Sovereignty, ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Hybridity,
Reconstruction

Table 4: Student Profile

Class: NBE3U (Grade 11 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit literature)

Size: 26 Students
Student (De- Areas of Areas for Favourite Aspects of Access to Preferred Preferred Learning
Identified) Competence Growth Subject Technology Group Format Modalities
Procrastination and
A.1 No specific area work habits Learning about history Yes
A.2
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A.3 Small groups Hands on, videos, reading
A.4
Reading
comprehension and
familiar with a
variety of texts and Grammar and Intrepreting complex
B.1 media forms vocabulary material on their own Yes Medium groups Slideshows, videos, reading
Providing more
details in essay Pairs, sometimes
B.2 Grammar writing Silent reading Yes individual Slideshows when short, hands on
Writing and Oral communication
reading and public speaking Many videos and not too Hands on, guided task when watching
B.3 comprehension anxiety many tests Yes Small groups videos or slideshows
High pressure exams Generally much more
B.4 Group work and tests engaging than other classes Yes Small groups Hands on
Building on others' Tests and test Collaborating and working Hands on, guided task when watching
C.1 ideas pressure with others Yes Small groups videos or slideshows
Reading Listening, telling stories,
comprehension and watching videos, and group
C.2 analysis Long-form writing work Yes
Comprehending
difficult texts (e.g.,
C.3 Fast reader Shakespeare) Enjoys reading good books Yes
Fast reader and
reading Thesis design in Talking about books and Hands on, visual formats (slideshows,
C.4 comprehension essay writing ideas with others Yes Small groups videos, etc.), not just verbal explanation
Individual for
Communication Procrastination and Opportunities to work with learning, small
D.1 and collaboration attendance others Yes groups for tasks Slideshows, hands on, videos if short
Reading
comprehension and
creating and
delivering All formats/no Hands on, interactive, good slideshows--
D.2 presentations Essay writing Learning new things Yes preference low quality slideshows are distracting
Individual for
learning, pairs for
D.3 tasks Especially hands on
Individual, small Hands on, slideshows, quick and direct
D.4 groups videos
Creative thinking Writer's block and Sharing opinions and Slideshows, interactive, hands on, no
E.1 and theory burnout working in groups Yes Small groups videos
Individual and small
groups for learning,
small groups for
projects, individual
E.2 for presentations Slideshows and videos if brief
Reading Presentations and The opportunity to be
E.3 comprehension Performances creative Yes Small groups Hands on, slideshows
Oral presentations,
essay writing, being
an English Language Group presentations, book
E.4 No specific area Learner club, and silent reading Yes
Small groups for
Reading learning, individual
F.1 Essay writing comprehension N/A Yes for tasks If interested then all formats

F.2 Story writing Long-form writing N/A Yes Individual Slideshows, video, reading, hands on
Reading for long
Generating ideas periods of time due Learning about stories and Individual, pairs for
F.3 for essay writing to IEP reasons the meanings behind them Yes big projects Hands on, short explanations or videos
Motivated, creative, Being overwhelmed Computer half Small groups for
and original and stressed, and oral of the time at learning, individual
F.4 thinking presentations Enjoys the material home for tasks Hands on
Learning from Essay writing and
G.1 mistakes long answers Expressing their thoughts Yes
Presentations and Writing and reading news
G.2 Writing essays oral communication books Yes
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IEPs
Students (De-Identified) Measured Needs
1 ELL accommodations
2 ELL accommodations
3 ELL accommodations
Chunking, Positive reinforcement, Support with organization, time management and study skills, Provide course
outline and important dates in advance, Strategic seating (close to teacher and/or away from distractions), Regular
4
movement breaks, agreed upon with the teacher, Noise-cancellation headphones, if needed, Extended time limits,
Prompts, verbal and non-verbal, specific to focus/attention
Give clear, concise instructions both visually and verbally, Positive reinforcement, Additional breaks when needed,
Check with the student frequently to give help before frustration begins, Chunking, Provide visuals/anchor charts,
Assistive technology, Strategic seating, Assist with organization of notebooks & materials, Give frequent
5 opportunities to move, Seat away from distractions, Use of headphones if needed, Work while standing, Check for
comprehension of test instructions, Rephrase for clarity, Extended time limits, Alternative settings for tests if
needed, Chunking, Breaks when needed, Prompts, verbal & non-verbal, Use of calculator/grids, Written
assignments; reduce length/increase time, Assistive technology
Assistive technology, Use mnemonic devices, Chunking, Multi-sensory teaching, Prompts, Frequent repetition and
6 summarizing, Assistive technology, Extended time limits, Use of a calculator, Spelling (don't penalize unless it's
Language class), Oral responses (when possible)
Assistive technology, Check with the student frequently to give help before frustration begins, Chunking, assist with
the break down of longer assignments, Allow for breaks, (plan must be agreed upon with teacher), Give clear,
concise verbal instructions, Assist with proofreading, especially for grammar and spelling, Assistive technology, use
7
of computer to type responses, Extended time limits, Check for comprehension of test instructions, Chunking: 1
page at a time for tests & ensure all questions have been attempted before accepting the work, Visual aids and
models
Additional breaks and body breaks (as needed), Chunking, Cue for topic change or transition, Extra time for
8 processing, Graphic organizers, Allow for adequate response time, oral or written, Alternative settings (as needed),
Chunking, Extended time limits

Universal Design Accommodations

Eight students in the class have IEPs. Of these, three have significant needs that require specific planning for differentiated lessons and tasks. However, the universal design for

learning model asks teachers to consider that all students may benefit from differentiated instruction, and that access to psychological testing and the formal IPRC process may be inequitable

or unequal, so some non-identified students could also have unrecognized learning needs. Therefore, common themes in the IEPs can be used to inform lesson and assessment design for all

students. Lessons will be created with clear language and chunking in mind in order to speak to ELL students as well as those with visual or linguistic processing needs. Thus, when possible

information will be provided both orally and visually, e.g., carefully going over key terms on slideshows, providing closed captioning for videos, and offering audiobook versions of texts

alongside written texts. At the same time, these accommodations cannot also stand in the way of students being challenged on aspects of the curriculum, such as reading (which is Strand C of

the NBE3U curriculum). Therefore, students will have access to assistive technology, but encouraged only to use it to supplement their primary engagement with course materials (direct

reading and writing).

During timed assessments, all students will be offered time and a half (this class occurs in second period, so generally teacher allows students to continue working into the lunch

period). Lessons are generally delivered in multi-modal formats, depending on the needs and suitability of the content. Lessons move between full class engagement and small group or

individual work so that teacher has a chance to do individual check-ins for understanding with students (which, again, is offered to all students). When the class first arrived, students were

encouraged to sit according to their own needs and preferences, so students were able to choose strategic seating for themselves. Desks are placed in groups or pods to facilitate small group

familiarity and a measure of control for students regarding which direction they face and where in the room they are located. The class has 12 Chromebooks, and many students bring their

own laptop/Chromebook, so all students who benefit from Chromebooks are able to access them.

Group Formats
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Only one student reported that they prefer full class discussions. One other student reported enjoying half class discussions. All other students preferred small groups for discussions.

Many preferred working in small groups, and a good number of others preferred working individually. One student generally refuses to work even in small groups, and avoids doing so by

requesting to go to the resource centre whenever they are asked to work in any group size. This class is generally very quiet and abides exceptionally well by classroom decorum standards.

The only kinds of behavioural considerations are that some students will quietly distract themeslves on their cellphones or Chromebooks, or will try to sneak in naps when they can. In short,

nearly the entire class feels comfortable working in the small groups that correspond to their seating pod.

They either arrived with prior familiarity and friendships with their seatmates, or they developed that level of comfort in the first few weeks of the course. They are generally hesitant

to step outside of these small comfortable groups. One reason for this difficulty is actually the context of the school itself. St. Francis Xavier has an enrollment of over 2,200 students. Thus,

students frequently enter classes where they only know a small amount of students, and they have prior friendships with even fewer. In smaller schools, students arrive with much more

familiarity and comfort around their peers, but in this school they frequently find themselves among strangers. So, it would be easy to simply allow the students to continue to work in their

self-selected comfort groups, but it would be a disservice to them. Therefore, our aim is to bridge this comfort gap and work on fostering a class community that extends between these

friendship groups.

Our strategy basically begins with developing comfort at the beginning of the term and gradually moving students into zones of challenge as they develop more confidence with

themselves and with others. We experimented first by carefully selecting small groups that strategically mix specific students together in order to bridge two friend groups/pods together. Full

class discussions have been implemented since the beginning of term, but it is clear that only the most outgoing students are willing participants in full class formats. As we continue to

develop new familiarities between students, more and more are engaging in full group discussions. We have also experimented with full group participation that includes optional speaking,

such as a value lines activity where students place themselves in the class on a spectrum from "I agree" to "I disagree." This activity demands that all students "participate" by moving around

the room and letting their opinions be heard through the placement of their body in space. Students are also more willing to be called on and to justify their placement in this activity because

of the informal atmosphere of the activity.

These early experiments help to build a level of confidence in students so that they feel more able to meet new and unexpected challenges with regards to groupings in the classroom.

We are going to create stable, long-lasting groups for the upcoming "book club" unit, where we will create strategic groups that fully mix members of the class together. However, there are

still some special considerations that we have to take into account for specific students. For example, my AT, coming herself from a Middle Eastern family background, has special insight

into the needs of Muslim girls in the class; for these students, they will be placed in groups that consist of girls. For one of the boys in the class with accommodations, the resource teacher

informed us that his anxiety increases when placed in unfamiliar social situations, and it is exacerbated when working in groups with girls. So, his group will consist of only boys. Other than

these few considerations, the groups will be chosen based on how to challenge and get the best out of the class as a whole; some keen and organized students will be placed with distracted

students, since the keen students will be able to keep the group on task and accountable. Teacher will likely have to work specifically with the one student who refuses to work in groups; this

group will probably need specific coaching in order to become functional.

Strengths

The class as a whole is very adapated to working independently, either in groups or individually. They are very able to take task instructions and then work on achieving the goals of

the task with minimal teacher guidance. They have generally shown a good propensity to collaborate well in their small groups with their familiar deskmates, and they have begun to show a

willingness to work with others in the class outside of their deskmates. Although their work is perhaps not quite as extensive and in depth as other Grade 11 University English classes, most

of the class is self-motivated and interested in challenging themselves. For instance, one student works really hard on assignments and puts a great deal of care and effort into finished

products, but they recently mentioned that they do not like English class. A really good sign of a motivated learner is one who will apply themselves to a task that they may not specifically
 11
enjoy. And, because they are willing to engage in the class and try hard, we have an opportunity to attempt to tap into their interests and make them, if not a lover of English class, at least a

neutral party.

Other students bring unique passions to the class, like coding and astrophysics, that have provided opportunities for us to bridge an "interest gap" between our class and the passions of

the students. We have also discussed issues surrounding decolonization, historical inequities, and social frictions, and many students have demonstrated good thoughtfulness and critical

thinking on these challenging subjects. These passions and prior skills can be leveraged in order to improve the work that is done on assignments. For instance, we can create assignments that

allow students to showcase their previously developed critical thinking about history and colonialism. Several students are also very pro-social; these students are willing to forge new social

connections with quieter students who may find it difficult to quickly make new friends with people they do not know well. All students are generally respectful of each other, of teachers, and

of the difficult subject matter that this class deals with.