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My
Very Good Dear Friends
Subject
Area
This activity
lends itself to use in a variety of contexts within the English
curriculum. It has been designed to fit into the ENG 3A1 course
in a unit based on a selection of stories, essays, and poems
from Literary Experiences and selected readings on global concerns
(to be) read, analyzed and discussed, with a view to generating
models and ideas for student written responses, mainly creative
in nature.
The consideration
of global concerns is now usually deemed central to the English
curriculum. As part of this approach, it seems particularly appropriate
to consider aspects of aboriginal North American environmental
philosophy. As teachers and students strive to find their place
within the larger sphere of global environmental concerns, they
would be well served to look into North Americas past and
observe societies which have always held oneness with the earth
as an essential part of their life and thought. Traditional perspectives
and values will hopefully shed light on the causes and solutions
for the conflicts which exist among the various societies which
make up modern North America.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus on the students ability
to:
- Identify
and describe aspects of political and environmental philosophy
within aboriginal North American traditions;
- Evaluate
concepts and principles of aboriginal North American traditions,
politics and environmental philosophy;
- Conceptualize
ways in which these concepts and principles can be incorporated
into modern Western culture;
- Extend
and creatively develop ideas through research, writing and speaking.
Classroom
Development
The classroom
teacher may wish to accomplish some or all of these steps with
the class.
- Direct
students to read My Very Good Dear Friends or the
chosen alternative piece as preparation for classroom activities.
If students keep some form of journal or log of their reading,
remind them to include their response to this reading.
- Provide
students with the opportunity to share their ideas on their
reading, either in formal discussion groups or informally in
a general discussion.
- View
or audit background material with the students to familiarize
them with traditional concepts of aboriginal North American
life, thought, and current issues of conflict.
- Invite
an aboriginal North American speaker to talk with students.
This is not a substitution for step three. Students must have
a basic background knowledge of the relevant issues for this
step to have educational value.
- Analyze
and draft responses to My Very Good Dear Friends
or the selected piece. Share and discuss these formal responses.
Put the draft responses through whatever editing procedures
are used in your class and submit final pieces for evaluation.
Timing
Allow 23
class (75 min) periods for this activity.
Resources
- The
best resources for teachers and students in the Metro Toronto
Area is the Toronto Public Library Branch at Spadina and Bloor
(10 Spadina Road) and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto
(16 Spadina Road). As either a research or field trip, these
resources are full of information in the form of texts, tapes
of music, videos and displays related to Native North American
culture. Call in advance to discuss possibilities and arrange
for a visit with the administrators. The Native Canadian Centre
is primarily designed for assisting various Native groups.
If you
live outside a major urban centre, you may be able to contact
a local native band in your area. Asking them for assistance,
resource information, and perhaps an opportunity for classroom
exchange would provide students the best opportunity to explore
aspects of Native culture.
Around
My Very Good Dear Friends
- In groups
of 3-4, students consider issues arising from My Very
Good Dear Friends. They may simply talk together about
the speech as a whole, or together choose topics of discussion
arising from the speech. Students may wish to examine questions
such as Do you feel aboriginal North American philosophy
should adjust itself to North American society, or should North
American society adopt aboriginal environmental philosophies
and practises? Insist that students are able to support
their ideas with carefully thought out reasons. Also, an open
discussion such as this should be preceded at some point by
a discussion of issues of racism and intolerance for social
and cultural difference so that students will have more of a
background with which to discuss the issues. A debate may arise
from this preliminary discussion.
- Look
at the speech dispassionately for its rhetorical devices. What
appeals are made to North American society? How does Chief Dan
George engage the sympathy of his audience? What issues organize
the speech and how does the speaker insure that these will linger
in his listeners mind long enough to insure a response?
Around
Winds of Change
Prior to
viewing of Winds of Change, inform students that they will be
asked to form groups of 3-4 to consider and evaluate the ideas,
philosophies and conflicts they intend to pursue further. After
they have seen the film, students may select the issues they found
to be most important, divide to talk about these, and present
their ideas to the class.
Around a Guest Speakers Visit
It is useful
for students to have some background ideas prior to the speakers
visit. The video study is one way to prepare the students.
- Students
prepare interview questions for the visitor. This can be done
in groups of 3-4 with the group responsible for recording and
preparing a write-up of the speakers responses both in
and after his/her formal talk or workshop.
- Students
write responses to the speaker on issues arising from his/her
talk as a writing folder assignment, a formal letter to be sent
to the speaker, or as a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.
- Students
write or orally present a comparative response to ideas presented
by the speaker, the video and the printed source material.
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