Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 2L-Speaking
Sharing Information

Indigenization

Real-World Task

Name the Indigenous territory that you live in and name an Indigenous group from that nation.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Provinces in Canada

Context:

Indigenous Peoples were the first peoples in Canada and live everywhere in Canada.
There are three groups of Indigenous Peoples in Canada: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
Every place in Canada is traditional Indigenous land.
We acknowledge the land we are on as a sign of respect.
There are many different Indigenous Peoples and cultures in Canada.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Indigenous
land
culture
territory
live
specific local Indigenous Peoples in your area

Sample Grammar:

Simple present
Questions with where
Prepositions from, in, and on

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

No specific requirements for this task.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Using the correct name for someone’s culture is a sign of respect.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Who are Indigenous Peoples? Where do they live? What languages do they speak (some speak English, French, and Indigenous languages)?
Discuss as a class that Indigenous Peoples were in Canada first and have been in Canada since time immemorial. Discuss: When did European people first arrive in Canada? When did other groups of people arrive in Canada?
As a class, look at a map of Canada. Find your province or territory on the map. Find your city, town, or community on the map.
As a class, explore the website: Whose Land. Look up whose territory you are in.
Practice saying the name(s) of the Indigenous Peoples whose traditional land you are on. Focus on one Nation at first.
Practice saying where each learner is from. Ask if there are Indigenous peoples.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Have learners interview each other: Where do you live? Whose traditional territory are you in?
Practice a short dialogue as a class and then in pairs. Adapt for your local area. Where do you live? I live in Calgary. Where is Calgary? Alberta. Whose traditional territory are you in? I am in Blackfoot Territory, including the Siksika.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Name the Indigenous territory that you live in and name an Indigenous group from that nation.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Indigenous Peoples have traditional territory in different parts of Canada.
Indigenous cultures are an important part of Canadian culture.

Digital Literacy Strategies:

Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.

Learners may need to:

Have keyboarding and typing skills.
Locate, navigate and use websites.
Read information from a screen.
Navigate camera and microphone
Adjust volume on device

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners
Make and/ or adapt digital materials.
Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
Show learners how to zoom in and zoom out on a digital map.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

It is optimal to ask an Indigenous person to share their Indigenous stories and knowledge; however, at CLB 2L this may present some challenges for learners. The communication for CLB 2L is expected to be spoken at a slow rate and short. The communication should use short phrases and simple sentences.
Ensure that the images and cultural representations of Indigenous peoples are diverse and free from stereotypes and biases.
Raise learner awareness of the need for using appropriate language when discussing and addressing Indigenous peoples.
Use authentic Indigenous content, sources and materials whenever possible to support discussion and learning.
Discuss the harms of stereotypes and generalization on other equity-seeking group
Celebrate Indigenous cultures.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have been forced to flee from their own land may be triggered by discussions of traditional territory and home.
Newcomers who come from Indigenous groups in their home countries may be triggered by considerations of the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Teaching an Indigenization theme will result in some difficult conversations and may revisit past trauma, oppression and discrimination your learners have experienced.
When teaching about Canada, you may teach about things that are triggering to learners who have experienced trauma, such as the treatment of Indigenous people in residential schools. Be aware of this and be prepared to support learners as needed. However, it is important for all learners, including learners who have experienced trauma, to learn as complete a story of Canada as possible, and it may be helpful to learners to know that the Canadian government has issued an official apology and made a commitment to work towards reconciliation. Knowing that a government can recognize when it has been wrong and can work towards reconciliation can help learners who have experienced trauma to begin to regain a sense of trust.
If you are not Indigenous, acknowledge that you are learning too, and avoid speaking for Indigenous peoples.
Use resources and voices from Indigenous communities when possible (e.g., guest speakers, videos, or approved materials).
When teaching about Canada, you may teach about things that are triggering to learners who have experienced trauma. We can’t know what the triggers might be and what seems commonplace to us may have a triggering component for learners. Be aware of this and be prepared to support learners as needed.

Strategies:

Tell learners that acknowledging traditional Indigenous territory is a way to show respect to the Peoples who have been on this land since time immemorial.
Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine. Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions.
Learners will benefit from positive relationships established in the classroom with the instructor and peers.
Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choices.
- Allow learners choice:
  - the choice to work on a different topic
  - the choice to share or not share their own experiences
  - the choice to work alone or to work with others
  - the choice to take care of themselves
  - the choice to step out of the learning environment
When learners have shared personal distressing or traumatic experiences, make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences. Follow the activities which may make learners feel vulnerable with routine, predictable and comforting activities.
Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.

Resources

Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:

Watch a video of Indigenous singers, dancers, or drummers.
Attend a local Indigenous event if possible.
Invite an Elder to visit the class.
Learn a few words of a local Indigenous language.

Realia:

Images of Indigenous Peoples and cultural objects
Maps

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Canadian Indigenous Content
The Granddaughter Who was Eaten by a Big Fish (Not literacy but can be adapted)
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 2L
Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: