Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 4 - Reading
Getting Things Done

Indigenization

Real-World Task

Read a notice about a Truth and Reconciliation event to understand the purpose and how you can participate.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Vocabulary related to Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Background information about residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Context:

Canada is a very diverse country where Peoples from around the world have come to make a home. Indigenous Peoples have called this land home since time immemorial and have distinct traditions and cultures which may vary across Canada.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Canada was set up to learn the truth about what happened to Indigenous children in residential schools. These schools were places where many children were taken from their families by the government and churches. They were not allowed to speak their language or follow their culture.
The TRC listened to survivors’ stories and helped teach Canadians what happened. It also gave ideas on how Canada and Canadians can make things better for and be fair to Indigenous people.
Workplaces, and communities, often host events like this to show respect and learn about Indigenous cultures, to build inclusion and celebrate diversity. Events are usually optional, short, and casual such as those held during a lunch break.
Some of the content surrounding Truth and Reconciliation and residential schools can be triggering for learners.
This task reflects the intention to include all people in Canada in the themes.
The language skills in this task could be applied to other contexts.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Modal verbs to express possibility

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Recognition of main ideas and text types.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Recognition of textual clues to interpret the purposes of a text.
Recognition of typical formats for event notices.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Where are you from? Who were the first people to live in your country? Is there knowledge and information that has been passed down many generations in your culture? What traditional beliefs did you learn about as a child from your own cultural background?
Explain that the Indigenous Peoples, including the Metis and Inuit, were the first people and caretakers of Canada. Discuss as a class: Have you visited any Indigenous museums or attended any Indigenous cultural events? Have you met any Indigenous people or heard any presentations from Indigenous Elders or community leaders? Match the vocabulary words to images on flash cards. Then match the image and word to a third set of cards with a simple definition of the word. Add these new words to a vocabulary journal in a notebook or a digital document.
Elicit learners previous experience with Indigenous Peoples in Canada or previous countries where they have lived.
Discuss the meaning of each word in the vocabulary list and build a set of simplified definitions for the word list. Learners create a set of word cards with the vocabulary words on one side and definitions on the other. Learners use these words to complete a simple gap fill text about the benefits of attending workplace events.
Listen to a conversation, instructor-made if necessary, between two friends discussing an event about Truth and Reconciliation. Answer a short set of true / false questions about the listening.
In small groups, learners read a simple description of Indigenous or other cultural events at different workplaces. Discuss how these events might encourage a more inclusive workplace and also brainstorm different ways you could offer to help with events like these.
Review the grammar rules for modal verbs and focus on the modals used to request offers of assistance or support politely, such as You can support the event by bringing a small snack to share. In pairs, review a set of sentences using modal verbs with errors in the form of the modal verbs. Correct the errors and re-write the sentences into a digital document.
As a class, look at several event posters. Identify the key information including the purpose. Decide on one to attend and share with the class, reiterating the reason for the event and the details.
Read several different invitations to workplace events. Identify the event and
the purpose, time and place and the
contact information. Fill in a chart about
the different events and their applicable information.
Read a sample email to a colleague offering to help with a workplace holiday party. Highlight key parts of the email, including the greeting, purpose, correction, and closing of the email. Answer basic questions about the email. Now highlight phrases which make the email formal and polite. Discuss these as a class.
Look at an instructor-created paragraph about common team building events at work. Working with a partner, list 3-4 ways you could offer to help with one of these events. Write your list in full sentences and share with another pair.
Listen to a short conversation between two co-workers talking about an Indigenous Peoples Day event they attended. Answer 5 questions about the conversation.
Complete an email template to write an email to a colleague to let them know about a workplace event coming up.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Read a simple event poster and locate
the key pieces of information. Identify the purpose of the event, as well as the date and location of the event.
Read a simple workplace email inviting all staff to an event. The email is missing some key information. List 3 two key details that you would need to know if you plan to attend this event.
Visit a local library or community centre and look for the posters that advertise upcoming community events. Choose one to report on and share the information with the class including what the event is, why it is being held, and how you can support the event.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Read a notice about a Truth and Reconciliation event to understand the purpose and how you can participate.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Recognize and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Canadian culture includes the cultures of all people in Canada, including Indigenous Peoples.
In Canada, “Indigenous” means the first Peoples who lived here before settlers came. However, Indigenous does not mean one identical group. There are many different Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Each one has its own language, culture, traditions, and teachings. Indigenous Peoples in the forest, mountains, prairies, or North have different foods, homes, stories and ceremonies. So we say there are many Indigenous Nations, not just one way of being Indigenous.

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.
Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages.
Read information from a screen.
Scan online resources to find information.
Send and receive text messages and messages on other texting apps.
Send and receive email messages
Read formatted texts online, such as forms
Navigate and use online learning management systems (LMS) such as Avenue.
Recognize a phishing attempt of a scam message.
Evaluate online search results.
Open and read PDF attachments to email

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.
Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites.
Use digital tools such as translation or pronunciation tools to support language learning and foster autonomous learning.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Ensure that the images and cultural representations of Indigenous Peoples are free from stereotypes and biases.
Raise learner awareness of the need for using appropriate language when discussing and addressing Indigenous Peoples.
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).
Use Indigenous sources for researching information related to Indigenous Peoples and traditional ways of being.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma triggers:

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.
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.

Strategies:

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:

Visit a local Indigenous cultural centre or museum to learn about aspects of Indigenous culture.
Invite a guest speaker from the local library to present simple information about cultural heritage events.
Invite representatives from other cultural groups to learn about the traditional knowledge of that culture. This may be another person from the community, someone from the class or someone from another class in the organization.

Realia:

Authentic posters for Orange Shirt Day, Truth & Reconciliation Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day events and other community heritage events.
Images of Indigenous cultural practices such as land-based learning, Medicine Wheel, smudging, Powwows, and so on.
Other objects from other cultures representing other cultural groups in the class.
Posters advertising other community events.

Units and Modules:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Canadian Indigenous Content

Lessons and Activities:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Going to a Powwow 3L/4L
Kichi-Asotamatowin: Land and Treaties 3L/4L
ATESL: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism: a 3/4 Module
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Canadian Indigenous Readers
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia:

Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
of Canada: Child-friendly calls to action
Government of Canada: First Nations Profiles Interactive Map
YouTube: Indigenous Culture | Spectacular NWT
YouTube: Indigenous Canada – A Story to Tell
YouTube: CBC News What’s a powwow?