A1. Application: Why Roles and Responsibilities Change
Specific Expectations
A1.1
describe how and why a person’s roles, relationships, and responsibilities, in relation to others and to the environment, may change in different places or situations and at different times (e.g., how and why a student’s relationship with a teacher is different from that with a peer; how and why a student’s relationship with the natural environment, such as taking part in harvesting or fishing, could support learning that deepens family and/or community cultural connections; how their parents’/caregivers’ roles differ at home and at work; how a child’s responsibilities at home may change as the child gets older)
- Why do you think your role at school is different from your role at home?
- In what ways might your responsibilities at home, or to the land, change as you get older?
- In what ways do you show that you care for and respect the natural environment?
- “My mom works in an office with lots of other people. She goes to work when I am at school. She picks me up after school. We go home and she makes supper. I help set the table. She reads to me before I go to sleep.”
- “I show that I care for Mother Earth by taking only what I need and saying thank you.”
- “It is important for everyone to care for the land and the environment so that the future will be good. I tell people that it is everyone’s responsibility to pick up their own garbage. Every little bit helps.”
- “I used to need help getting dressed when we went outside in the winter. Now I remember to get my scarf and mittens.”
A1.2
describe how some significant events in their lives (e.g., the birth of a sibling, starting school, moving to a new home, getting a pet; participating in various cultural ceremonies and traditions specific to their family, community, or nation such as taking part in a naming ceremony, joining in seasonal ceremonies, building a personal sacred bundle, making noodles for Lunar New Year, lighting a menorah or Kwanzaa candle, collecting maple sap to make maple syrup, building a family canoe, participating in a Khalsa Day parade, setting up an ofrenda for the Day of the Dead) led to changes in their roles, relationships, and/or responsibilities
- Has anything joyful happened this year that changed your responsibilities at home and/or in your community? How did things change? Why did they change?
- How might your relationship with the natural environment or your community change as you get older or as the seasons change?
- How do your family’s outdoor activities that are connected to the land change with each season?
- How has your role in your family’s cultural or ceremonial traditions changed? Are your responsibilities different from what they used to be? Will your responsibilities change as you grow older?
- “We got a puppy last year. I make sure his water dish is always full.”
- “Now that I am stronger, I help my mom bring clean water to the house for us to drink.”
- “Last year I helped harvest the school garden. We made tomato sauce to share with the community.”
- “Last summer I danced at a powwow for the first time. My First Nation community calls it a dancing-out ceremony.”
- “When I started to walk, my family held a walking-out ceremony in James Bay. I took my first steps on the Earth, walking out from a tipi with my family to show I was ready to start learning about my Cree culture.”
- “When I turned six I was able to go fishing with my grandpa during summer. I was excited to catch my first fish.”
- “I went hunting in October with my grandpa and uncle, who showed me how they harvest a moose. I learned how we share the meat with the rest of our Métis family.”
- “While I was visiting my family’s community, Igloolik, we celebrated the return of the sun with drum dancing.”
A1.3
compare some of the significant events in their own lives and/or the lives of their family members with those in the lives of their peers
- What are some positive moments in your life? Create an image that shows some of these experiences.
- When you shared your finished timeline with a classmate, what did you learn about each other’s lives?
- What are some special memories that you have of spending time with people in your family?
- “You said you live with your two parents and a sister. I have a baby brother and my mom.”
- “My grandmother moved in with us this spring. Who lives with you?”
- “We went to visit my aunt and uncle in Montreal last summer. What did you do in the summer?”
- “I’m playing in a hockey tournament. My older brother who got his driver’s license is bringing me. What hobby or sport do you like?”
- “I got my first Métis sash when I attended my first Métis cultural camp. Have you received any special gifts from others?”
A1.4
describe the impact that people can have on each other in some different situations (e.g., when a person helps a child who is lost, when a child upsets another child, when a teacher helps a student find the answer to a problem, when schoolmates share toys or art supplies) and some of the ways in which interactions between people can affect a person’s sense of self
- When you started school this year, how did you feel when you first came into the classroom? If you were shy or nervous, did someone help you to feel better? How did they do that? How could you do that for some other student?
- How do you think you would feel if you were having a bad day and someone sat down beside you and asked you what was wrong and how they could help?
- “I was scared on the first day of school. My big brother helped me in the lunchroom that day. That made me feel better.”
- “My kokum (grandmother) sits with me when I am frustrated with learning something new, like making pies. She always asks me what’s going on and we find ways to make it easier.”
A1.5
identify some of the ways in which First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities are reclaiming and revitalizing aspects of their identity that were lost or taken away due to colonization, including the residential school system (e.g., traditional practices and rituals being taught and celebrated in community; strengthening of family, clan, and/or extended family relationships; language learning and revitalization; acts of resilience and healing; reclaiming of identity), and the role that these aspects play in their sense of self (e.g., personal pride in self and community; sense of belonging – who they are, where they come from, and how they relate to one another)
- How did the residential school system impact the children, families, and/or communities mentioned in these picture books written by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit authors? How are communities today learning about the impacts, and what is being done to make sure children learn about this history in school today?
- What First Nations, Métis, and Inuit languages were spoken by the Indigenous nations that lived, or still live, in this area? Do we hear these languages spoken on a regular basis now? Why not? What can someone do to learn an Indigenous language? How might a person choose which language to learn?
- How can traditional art forms help teach children about the histories and cultures of specific First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities using art, music, dance, and song? What are some of the objects that people make when they learn traditional art forms, and how are they used?
- How can families learn about locally harvested foods and recipes that use those foods?
- “I go to the Friendship Centre to learn how to fancy shawl dance. I really like the youth leader. My favourite dance to watch is the hoop dance.”
- “I am proud to be learning my family’s language, Anishinaabemowin, at the community centre.”
- “I wear an orange shirt on Orange Shirt Day to remember the children who were taken away from their homes and forced to attend residential and day schools.”
- “When I was in Ottawa, we went to the Inuuqatigiit Centre and had some traditional foods. I ate muktuk and Arctic char.”
- “My mémère (grandmother) speaks Michif. She was not allowed to speak it at residential school. She never passed it on to my mom as a kid. My mémère is now teaching the family. Not many people speak it now. I want to help bring back the language, so I’m learning to speak it.”
- “There are many recipes online. My mom helped me to find a Haudenosaunee cornbread recipe on our community’s website.”