Big Ideas
Big Ideas
The exploration of text
any type of oral, written, visual, or digital expression or communication:
and story- Visual texts include gestural and spatial components (as in dance) as well as images (some examples are posters, photographs, paintings, carvings, poles, textiles, regalia, and masks).
- Digital texts include electronic forms of oral, written, and visual expression.
- Multimodal texts include any combination of oral, written, visual, and/or digital elements and can be delivered via different media or technologies (some examples are dramatic presentations, web pages, music videos, online presentations, graphic novels, and close-captioned films).
a narrative text that shares ideas about human nature, motivation, behaviour, and experience. Stories can record history, reflect a personal journey, or explore identity. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and/or entertain listeners and readers.
deepens understanding of one’s identity, others, and the world.
Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed.
First Peoples texts and stories provide insight into key aspects of Canada’s past, present, and future.
Self-representation through authentic First Peoples text
a written, oral, visual, digital, or multimodal text that:
is a means to foster justice.
- presents authentic First Peoples voices (i.e., historical or contemporary texts created by First Peoples, or created through the substantial contributions of First Peoples)
- depicts themes and issues important to First Peoples cultures (e.g., loss of identity and affirmation of identity, tradition, healing, role of family, importance of Elders, connection to the land, the nature and place of spirituality as an aspect of wisdom, the relationships between individual and community, the importance of oral tradition, the experience of colonization and decolonization)
- incorporates First Peoples storytelling techniques and features as applicable (e.g., circular structure, repetition, weaving in of spirituality, humour)
- includes respectful portrayals or representation of First Peoples and their traditions and beliefs
First Peoples text plays a role within the process of Reconciliation
the movement to heal the relationship between First Peoples and Canada that was damaged by colonial policies such as the Indian residential school system
.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
Text forms
Within a type of communication, the writer, speaker, or designer chooses a form based on the purpose of the piece. Common written forms include narratives; journals; procedural, expository, and explanatory documents; news articles; e-mails; blogs; advertisements; poetry; novels; and letters.
and genres literary or thematic categories (e.g., science fiction, biography, satire, memoir, poem, visual essay, personal narrative, speech, oral history)
Common themes in First Peoples texts
- connection to the land
- the nature and place of spirituality as an aspect of wisdom
- the relationships between individual and community
- the importance of oral tradition
- the experience of colonization and decolonization
- loss of identity and affirmation of identity
- tradition
- healing
- role of family
- importance of Elders
Reconciliation in Canada
First Peoples oral traditions
Oral traditions are the means by which cultural transmission occurs over generations, other than through written records. Among First Peoples, oral traditions may consist of told stories, songs, and/or other types of distilled wisdom or information, often complemented by dance or various forms of visual representation such as carvings or masks. In addition to expressing spiritual and emotional truth (e.g., via symbol and metaphor), these traditions provide a record of literal truth (e.g., regarding events and/or situations). They were integrated into every facet of life and were the basis of First Peoples education systems. They continue to endure in contemporary contexts.
- purposes of First Peoples oral texts
Protocols
- Protocols are rules governing behaviour or interactions.
- Protocols can be general and apply to many First Peoples cultures, or specific to individual First Nations.
- protocols related to ownership and use of First Peoples oral textsStories often have protocols for when and where they can be shared, who owns them, and who can share them.
Text features
attributes or elements of the text that may include typography (bold, italics, underlining, font choice), guide words, key words, titles, diagrams, captions, labels, maps, charts, illustrations, tables, photographs, and sidebars/text boxes
and structures how text is organized
- narrative structures, including those found in First Peoples’ textsfor example, circular, iterative, cyclical
- form, functionthe intended purpose of a text, and genre of texts
Strategies and processes
- reading strategiesThere are many strategies that readers use when making sense of text. Students consider what strategies they need to use to “unpack” text. They employ strategies with increasing independence depending on the purpose, text, and context. Strategies include but may not be limited to predicting, inferring, questioning, paraphrasing, using context clues, using text features, visualizing, making connections, summarizing, identifying big ideas, synthesizing, and reflecting.
- metacognitive strategies
- thinking about our own thinking
- reflecting on our processes and determining strengths and challenges
- Students employ metacognitive strategies to gain increasing independence in learning.
- writing processesThere are various writing processes depending on context. These may include determining audience and purpose, generating or gathering ideas, free-writing, making notes, drafting, revising, and/or editing. Writers often have very personalized processes when writing. Writing is an iterative process.
- oral language strategiesspeaking with expression, connecting with listeners, asking questions to clarify, listening for specifics, summarizing, paraphrasing
Language features, structures, and conventions
- elements of stylestylistic choices that make a specific writer distinguishable from others, including diction, vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone
- usageavoiding common usage errors (e.g., double negatives, mixed metaphors, malapropisms, and word misuse)and conventionscommon practices of standard punctuation in capitalization, quoting, and spelling of Canadian and First Peoples words
- literary elements and devicesTexts use various literary devices, including figurative language, according to purpose and audience.
- citations and acknowledgementsformal acknowledgements of another person’s work, idea, or intellectual property
- literal and inferential meaning
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing)
Recognize and appreciate the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view
Recognize and appreciate the diversity within and across First Peoples societies as represented in texts
Apply appropriate strategies
Strategies used will depend on purpose and context. These may include making predictions, asking questions, paraphrasing, forming images, making inferences, determining importance, identifying themes, and drawing conclusions.
in a variety of contexts to guide inquiry, extend thinking, and comprehend texts
Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world
Writing can be a reflective and reflexive process, connecting individuals to others.
Think critically, creatively, and reflectively to explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts
Recognize and appreciate how different forms, structures, and features of texts reflect diverse purposes, audiences, and messages
Recognize the impact of personal, social, and cultural identities in First Peoples texts
The complexities of First Peoples personal, social, and cultural identities are often explored in First Peoples texts.
Examine how literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance and shape meaning and impact
Assess the authenticity of First Peoples texts
Identify bias, contradictions, and distortions
Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)
Respectfully exchange ideas and viewpoints from diverse perspectives to build shared understandings and extend thinking
- using active listening skills and receptive body language (e.g., paraphrasing and building on others’ ideas)
- disagreeing respectfully
- extending thinking (e.g., shifting, changing) to broader contexts (e.g., social media, digital environments)
- collaborating in large and small groups
Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
Demonstrate speaking and listening skills in a variety of formal and informal contexts for a range of purposes
- Strategies associated with speaking skills may include the conscious use of emotion, pauses, inflection, silence, and emphasis according to context.
- Strategies associated with listening skills may include receptive body language, eye contact, paraphrasing building on others’ ideas, asking clarifying questions, and disagreeing respectfully.
may include to understand, to inquire, to explore, to inform, to interpret, to explain, to take a position, to evaluate, to provoke, to problem solve, and to entertain
Recognize intellectual property rights and community protocols and apply them as necessary
Use the conventions of First Peoples and other Canadian spelling, syntax, and diction proficiently and as appropriate to the context
Express an opinion and support it with evidence
Use writing and design processes
There are various writing and/or design processes depending on context, and these may include determining audience and purpose, generating or gathering ideas, free-writing, making notes, drafting, revising and/or editing, and selecting appropriate format and layout.
to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful texts for a variety of purposes and audiences Students expand their understanding of the range of real-world audiences. These can include children, peers, and community members, as well as technical, academic, and business audiences.
Assess and refine texts to improve clarity and impact
- creatively and critically manipulating language for a desired effect
- Using techniques such as adjusting diction and form according to audience needs and preferences, using verbs effectively, using repetition and substitution for effect, maintaining parallelism, adding modifiers, and varying sentence types