Tag Archives: curriculum

Module 4: Post 4 – Teaching Students About Australian Aboriginals Rights and the Stolen Generations

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The Australian Government has a wealth of unit and lesson plans available to teachers to utilize when teaching students about Australian Aboriginals Rights and the Stolen Generations. These plans directly relate to curriculum strands and learning outcomes of various Australian states.

The units cover topics such as: the Stolen Generations, Sally Morgan, Aboriginal values, beliefs and relationships with others and the environment, Indigenous issues on local and national levels, and self-governance. Units largely are created for English, Social Studies/History and the arts disciplines.

One unit that I found particularly interesting began with students taking a field trip to the city of Ballarat. The main goal of the day, which involved visiting museums and learning about the impact of Europeans on Aborigines, was for students to evaluate the accuracy of recorded history. I find this an interesting/progressive topic for students. I appreciate  curriculum that asks students to question the essence of the discipline.

Module 4: Post 3 – Teaching Students About Residential Schools

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My focus thus far has been in educating myself about Canadian residential schools as well as Australia’s policy of assimilation of Aboriginal peoples. I am now interested in learning more about current curricula available to teach students about residential schools and government policies of assimilation.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has created a comprehensive Residential Schools Curriculum for grades 9 – 12. They have an impressive website that is rich in information, resources and lesson plans. What I particularly like about this curriculum is that residential schools are examined in many countries across the world: USA, Australia, China/Mongolia and New Zealand.  Lesson plans cover topics such as: traditional knowledge systems, residential/boarding schools around the world, survivors’ stories, Prime Minister of Canada’s apology, healing, intergenerational impacts and so on.  This website/curriculum is an excellent resource for any secondary teachers wishing to teach students about residential schools.

Previously, I have discussed the website Where are the Children on this blog. It bears mentioning again with a more specific focus on its resources and teachers guide. Each resource is written for a specific age group, grades 9/10, grades 11/12 and lifelong learners, and contains age appropriate information divided into similar chapters (Government policy, implementation, outcomes, impacts, revitalization). The accompanying Teachers Guide identifies learning objectives and alludes to unit and lesson plans but does not provide information on where those lesson and unit plans are. Although frustrating to not be able to access the unit/lesson plans, the textbooks provided on the website as well as the website itself are a valuable teaching resource for secondary teachers.

Although there is not an extensive amount of curricula/resources available currently, it appears that what is available will enable teachers to effectively teach students about residential schools. It is also promising that there seems to be a push to develop more curricula/resources about residential schools.

 

Module #2 – Post #4: An Argument for Arts-Based Education

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At the core of the DAREarts philosophy is the desire to empower students, to build their self-esteem and leadership potential, and to encourage students to become agents of change in their own lives and communities.

With its arts-based, community and holistic approach to education, its no surprise that the DAREarts program has been attractive to many First Nations (mainly in Ontario where the foundation originates) that have struggled with a steady decline in high school completion for decades. This has and continues to lead to issues such as unemployment, poverty and suicide in First Nations communities where a lack of education has resulted in a lack of opportunities for young people especially.

What leaders in communities such as Webequie FN have observed, however, is that the DAREarts program has infused the youth in their communities with a sense of purpose and belonging that the regular curriculum and school system has failed to do. Chief Cornelius Wabasse of the Webequie FN cites the fact that since the curriculum is arts-based, there is greater room for adaptability and a general feeling of accomplishment. I’d go a bit further by placing a value on indigenous knowledge, skills and culture, in addition to the holistic philosophy of the program, provides students with a greater sense of emotional fulfillment that translates into greater confidence.

Click here to read more about the impact of the DAREarts program on First Nations communities in Ontario and Nova Scotia.