Category: SOCIAL STUDIES

via Huffington Post

This info-graphic really emphasized, for me, the the need for teachers to carefully consider the  literature that we make available to our students and include within our lesson plans! As part of a mini-inquiry into Decolonization practices that can be applied within the classroom, I wanted to create a tangible resource focusing on the work of BIPOC, and especially First Nations authors and artists from Canada.

In order to decide on which books to include (and there are  many more wonderful books out there) I went through the curriculum for each grade, noting  the big ideas and curricular content requirements.  I pulled out the main themes and then cross referenced them with other grades to see if I could combine any of the grades ( as this was a very quick project).  Once I had determined the major themes, I chose three books, with the goal of  including local and global BIPOC authors & stories,  books about pre-colonial history and a selection of brilliant graphic novels that tell inspirational stories of indigenous futurism, paired with incredible art.  Each of these  books looks fantastic, and I hope to add those that I still do not have  to my personal collection very soon.

Resources

Kids Books Still Have a Lack-of-Diversity Problem, Powerful Image Shows by Natalie Stechyson

lessLie (2007). Sun, Salmon, Frogs and Raven via Salish Weave Collection

lessLie is one of my favourite artists found in the Salish Weave Collection.  Although I have not had the  opportunity to see the collection in person, I am  excited to incorporate the collection into my future lesson.  Each of the  pieces in the collection are engaging and could be applied within a framework of cross-curricular learning.

I included the Salish Weave Collection, combined with Coast Salish shapes, in a recent mini-unit looking at community.  In my unit students were hypothetically read the stories of Robert Budd &  Roy Henry Vickers;  Orca Chief and Raven Brings the Light and asked to consider “community”; what it means to them and how it was represented in the stories. Students were then given the opportunity to explore the Coast Salish shapes,  working towards the design and creating around a classroom community mural.

I hope to one day soon be able to use this unit in my practice.

J. Riddell Matte (2021) Inquiry Sketchnotes for EDCI 490.

The assessment strategies and benefits of Inquiry based learning, which are highlighted in Trevor McKenzie’s new book, Inquiry Mindset; Assessment Edition, have been summarized in the above set of ten sketch-notes! The set emphasizes: centring students as part of something bigger, fostering student’s ability to grow&change, co-creating criteria, scaffolding learning, equitable entry into all lessons, self and peer evaluations as learning, student agency over learning, spiderweb thinking (which requires the teacher to throughly observer the students interaction and engagement) and partner talk.

When used in a wholistic way, woven throught your teaching, these techniques ensure that students have choice+voice over their own learning, and that that learning is authentic+meaningful.

Resource

Empowering Students to own the Assessment Processby John Spencer

J. Riddell Matte (2021). Community Map.

Involving students in the greater community fosters their connection to place and encourages them to take responsibility for the space.  One way to do this, with elementary aged children is to connect them to the land by taking them out and having them participate in authentic and  meaningful engagements within the area that surrounds the school ie. community mapping!

These maps do not have to  focus only on the geographical features, they can extend to include; neighbourhood mapping (above is a map of the places that I walk my dogs around my neighbourhood), sound mapping, species mapping, color mapping, mapping that records special places in the community, safe routes to school,  green spaces and as a way to identify and deal with local issues. The possibilities are endless but the result of community mapping  is always  creating deeper relationships between students , their community and the land.

Resources:

National Geogprahic- Map Skills for Elementary Students 

Canadian Institute of Planners – A Kids Guide To Building Great Communities: A Manual for Planners and Educators 

Sonny Assu, You Mess With Me You Mess With My Cousins (2014). Digital Intervention on Fredrick Alexcee painting

The story that Canada has been telling for the past 153 years is entrenched in the singular narrative of colonial success and it holds a deep pride in this.

ReStorying is the decolonizing process of reclaiming this history, a way of sharing “the living history and truths [of Indigenous people] that need to be conveyed to future generations so that decolonization and
justice can be realized” (Chaw-win-is et al, p.5).  It is a process that has the power to disrupt the ongoing colonial narrative which perpetuates systemic racism, capitalism and the patriarchy.

@decolonialgram is the art work of Sonny Assu, a Ligwilda’xw of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations artist. These images are part of the  artist ‘Interventions on the Imaginary‘ series, in which he takes historical works and layers ‘digital interventions’ of his artwork over the pieces.

Sonny Assu, Home Coming (2014) Digital Intervention on Paul Kane painting

As a pre-service teacher I intend on making ReStorying  a cornerstone of my pedagogy.  Implementing the First Peoples Principles of learning within our future classrooms and throughout our own lives is a start. The principles themselves create space for meaningful and authentic learning and embrace humans as complex beings, but this is not enough. As settlers on this land, we must actively decolonize our practices by questioning the intention and the ongoing colonial influence within the curriculum, as well as the classroom construct and expectations.

::References::

Indigenous Storytelling, Truth-telling, and Community approaches to Reconciliation by Jeff Corntassel, Chaw-win-is and T’lakwadzi. University of Victoria. http://www.corntassel.net/IndigenousStorytelling.pdf

When I asked how I would create a safe space within my future classroom, I immediately thought of  Dr. Martin Brokenleg’s Circle of Courage (above).   This video discusses the philosophy and practice, of nurturing confident, kind and self-determining young people, much better than I could.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”

– Alexander Den Heijer

In practice I believe this looks like; mindful relationship building, open communication with families. I believe that this means holding space for my students to show up every day as their authentic selves and making each student’s wholistic well-being a priority during out time together.   I believe that this means ensuring equitable access for all learners for all lessons and the representation of diversity in the materials that I choose to incorporate into the learning. I believe that this means providing  students with choice+voice over spaces that they choose to work in, the material that we cover, how they would best like to demonstrate their learning and fostering practice of  self-reflection/assessment that is built into the learning.  I believe that this means co-creating clear criteria, using the proficiency scale over grades,  teaching to the core competencies and incorporating FPPL as pedagogy within the classroom community. 

“Our real job as adults is to empower our young people so that they do not need us anymore”

-Dr. Martin Brokenleg

::Resource::

Circle of Courage graphic via the Government of Manitoba

Dr. Martin Brokenleg’s Website

The Circle of Courage and Positive Psychology by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg and Steve Van Bockern

Riddell Matte, J.(2021) Untitled Lands. Paper [collage]

I made this collage, with images taken from vintage National Geographic magazines, as a reflection of Social Studies, with the intention of representing the complexity, diversity and beauty of the world.

After having read through several province’s definitions of Social Studies, I struggle with the  inclusion of “what they want to become” as a goal.  In my opinion, including this centres the definition within a capitalistic-colonial framework.   I understand that this sentiment is speaking directly to what children might want to become as productive, contributing, tax paying  adult members of society, but I would argue this notion of defining who we are in terms of ‘work’ needs to change. I do not believe that is what Social Studies should be. Children already ARE. They do not need to become anything else, they simply need to BE.

The following definition  was concieved, in a small breakout room, one sunny Monday morning in early July….

DEFINITION OF SOCIAL STUDIES

(a working definition, co-created by pre-service teachers):

Social Studies is the fostering of Student’s curiosities around the interconnectivity of past + present, within local communities, environments and the greater world. 

This definition positions Social Studies as a gateway to the whole world, a tool for locating our selves within this space and an area of learning that is full of possibility! An exploration of self, environment, community and the greater world, all rooted in curiosity and facilitated through inquiry based learning.