First Peoples Lesson Ideas

Rajneet Nittu Chima

 Lesson 1
First Peoples Principle of Learning: Learning is
embedded in memory, history, and story.

Big Idea: Everyone has a unique story to share

Curricular Competencies: Engage actively as listeners,
viewers and readers, as appropriate, to develop
understanding of self, identity, and community.
Content: Oral language strategies
(BC New Curriculum)

Read the book Shi-Shi-etko by Nicola Campbell, a book about the experience of a
young girl a few days before she is sent to a residential school. The book focuses on
Shi-Shi-etko observing the nature around her in order to remember her home.

Activity: As a class discuss the importance of Shi-Shi-etko’s memories before she went
to Residential School and why they were important to her. How she must have felt
before leaving, have students put themselves in her perspective if they were moving to
a new school how would they feel, discuss with a partner. Discuss how we ourselves
have memories or valuable items from our pasts, that might be important to our
families. Students will find a item with the help of their parents to bring back to class,
so that we can as a class share from a memory bag.
Lesson 2
First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning
requires exploration of ones identity.

Big Idea: Stories and other texts help us learn about

ourselves and our families
Curricular Competencies: Use personal experience
and knowledge to connect to stories and other texts to
make meaning.
Content: Oral language strategies
(BC New Curriculum)

Read the book “Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox” by Danielle Daniel to the
students.

Start with reviewing some of the animals from the book. Put students into pairs
to discuss with one another, what animal they connected to?
As a class we will have a discussion about the different animals in the story and
what animal they connected to, and why?
As an activity be given a picture of the animal and write the words that they
connected to i.e. strong, brave. Students will present and then share with the
class once they are done. This will be displayed in the classroom.
Lesson 3
First Peoples Principles of Learning:
Learning involves generational roles and
responsibilities.

Big Idea: Stories and other texts help us learn

about ourselves and our families
Curricular Competencies: Use personal
experience and knowledge to connect to stories
and other texts to make meanings.
Content: Oral language strategies
(BC New Curriculum)

Read the book “The Thundermaker” by Alan Syliboy to the students.

This book is about sharing of traditions i.e. Big thunder shares the
traditional teaching of making thunder and passes on this responsibility
to Little Thunder. As a class we will focus on some traditions that were
followed by Indigenous people’s whose land which we live and learn on.
Show a map of what the area looked like before. (This can turned into a
long term project to, to further research the people who lived on the
land).

Talk about traditions and let students know they will be focusing on
traditions they may have. Students and families will make a short video
at home (explaining) or bring in a picture of a of a tradition that there
 Resources
BC New Curriculum. Retrieved on February 1, 2021
from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum

(FNESC). (2007). First Nations Education Steering

Committee. Retrieved on January 31, 2021 from
http://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-
learning/