SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON PLAN- ALBERTA’S BEGINNINGS

Instructor Name:Colleen TrumbleClass:Dr. Hamman Elementary School- Grade ¾ Time: 2:14-3:15Lesson Title: Alberta’s beginningsChapter 1Tech Requirements: (list all materials you might need. Include special materials like balloons and also basic classroom materials like chalkboards).

Fossil Rock which teacher has Smart Board Internet Blank Map of Pangaea-17 copies Whiteboard Whiteboard markers

Administrative Notes: (if relevant, include any information needed to share with the teacher or the class).

General Outcome:

Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how elements of physical geography, geology and paleontology are integral to the landscapes and environment of Alberta

Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the role of stories , history and culture in strengthening communities and contributing to identity and a sense of belonging

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Specific Learning Objectives: Students will recognize that every person has a different point of view Students will define what perspective is by physically showing it. Students will label the map of Pangaea

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KSA’S:1)How contextual variables affect teaching and learning4) Subject Disciplines you teach5) All students can learn albeit at different rates in different ways6) The purposes of short, medium and long range planning7) Student’s need for physical, social, cultural and psychological security8) Importance of respecting student’s human dignity

9) There are many approaches to teaching and learning10) The functions of traditional and electronic teaching/learning technologies11) The purposes of student assessment12) The importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully, in all aspects of teaching and learning13) Student learning is enhanced though the use of home and community resources16) The importance of guiding your actions with a personal, overall vision of the purpose of teaching17) You are expected to achieve the teaching quality standard

______________________________________________ACTIVITIES

Name of Exercise:What do you see?

Expected Length: (in minutes)10 minutes

Purpose: (why is this exercise included in the lesson)To explain the meaning of “point of view” to the students, and explain how multiple points of view create a larger pictureDetailed instructions: (how will this exercise be explained to the group)

The instructor will show the first slide on the smart board, this will have a few pictures and a link to the Cochrane mural mosaic.

The instructor will ask the class “What do you think this is a picture of”? The picture on the board will be a painting of a pilot

Once the class has confirmed that they believe it is a pilot, the instructor will click on the button which returns the mural.

The instructor will then reveal that the “picture of the pilot” is actually part of a bigger painting of a native woman and a horse. The picture of the pilot actually serves as the horse’s eye.

The instructor will explain that each of these tiny pictures is a person’s point of view, however when put together; they all add up to one big picture. This is very much like Alberta.

There are many different points of view on how Alberta or the world began; together they make up Alberta’s identity.

We need to be able to look at all points of view to see the whole picture Link for this website is http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cochrane.html Students will be given the opportunity to come up and pick pictures to

look at in closer detail from the bigger mosaic.

Name of Exercise:What is your perspective?

Expected Length: (in minutes)10 minutes

Purpose: (why is this exercise included in the lesson)To introduce the students to the word “perspective” and how it relates to Alberta’s beginnings.Detailed instructions: (how will this exercise be explained to the group)

Split the class in ½

Ask one group to face one direction Ask the other group to face the other direction Ask each group what they can see Record what each group can see on the board Ask the class why they think they saw different things, how could they

achieve a clear view of everything in the classroom. Then point out that there are still two directions that both groups cannot see.

Write perspective on the board. Explain that perspective is what a group’s point of view is.

Explain that we have to share each other’s perspective to visualize the whole picture

Explain that we will be hearing different perspectives about Alberta’s beginnings.

Name of Exercise:Story Time

Expected Length: (in minutes)15 minutes

Purpose: (why is this exercise included in the lesson)To tell the class on version of how Alberta was created. Cree creation storyDetailed instructions: (how will this exercise be explained to the group)

Describe who (wee suh kee chahk) Wisahhkecahk is (Trickster figure in Cree folklore)

Laughter was extremely important to the aboriginal people, therefore the Trickster character was an extremely important part of their stories.

Instructor will now read the following story to the class.

After the Creator had developed all the animals and people, he said to Wisakedjak to take care of the people and show them how to live. He was to show them, which are the good roots and which are the bad roots and especially the roots  which would kill them. The Creator also warned Wisakedjak to not let the people and animals quarrel with each other.  

Wisakedjak did not obey and he allowed the animals and people to fight with one another and shed much blood upon the earth. The Creator was not pleased by this and warned Wisakedjak to keep the ground clean and not to let the people and animals fight with one another.  

Again Wisakedjak did not obey. He began to trick the animals and the people into becoming angry with each other. Both groups quarreled and the ground became red with blood. This made the Creator extremely angry, as he told Wisakedjak, he was going to take everything away from him and clean the ground. 

Soon rains fell from the sky and the water began to rise. After a time it rose over the banks and flooded the land. Wisakedjak tried to stop the water from flooding the land,

but it was no use as he sat on top of the water and cried. Everything drowned except one otter, one beaver, one muskrat and all three sat beside him and rested their heads on his thigh. 

Wisakedjak did not have the power to create, but only to expand on what already existed. He didn’t know what to do, as he couldn’t dive and didn’t know how far underwater the old earth was. The Creator took pity on him and told him he could re-create everything if he used the materials, which were underwater. 

Wisakedjak turned to his three animal companions and exclaimed they would all starve if only one of them could bring up a piece of the earth from under the water so he could create an island for them to live on. 

He first turned to otter. “You are brave, strong and active,” if you can dive down and bring back a piece of the earth, Wisakedjak promised the otter plenty of fish to eat. Three times otter dove under water and three times he was unable to bring up a piece of the earth. The last time he was so exhausted he was unable to dive again. Wisakedjak called the otter a coward and turned to the beaver, “You are brave, strong and wise. If you were to dive down and obtain a piece of the earth for me to make an island for us to live on, I will make you a home, which will keep you warm in the winter months. Twice the beaver dove but he was unable to get a piece of soil for Wisakedjak. This time Wisakedjak begged beaver to dive once more and he will provide him with a wife. The beaver obliged, diving down once more. He was underwater quite a long time, and when he came up he was almost lifeless. He had not obtained a piece of the earth. 

Wisakedjak was disheartened by this, as he felt if otter and beaver couldn’t succeed, certainly muskrat wouldn’t either, but Wisakedjak knew muskrat must try, as he was the last hope. He explained to muskrat, “You are brave, strong and quick, even if you are strong.” He promised to make the muskrat many roots for which to eat and rushes so the muskrat could make his home with them. 

He told otter and beaver that they were foolish, as they had gotten lost in the water. He urged muskrat to dive straight down in order to find the flooded ground.  Muskrat dove down the first time only to come up empty handed. He made a second attempt. He stayed under water for a long time. When he returned Wisakedjak sniffed the front paws of the muskrat. He could smell the scent of the dirt. 

Muskrat was urged to dive again, as Wisakedjak promised to give him a wife even if he was able to only bring back a small piece of earth. The muskrat dove straight down again, trying to go as far down as he could go. Muskrat was underwater so long, the others at the surface began to believe he had drowned. Then bubbles rose from the water. Wisakedjak reached down and pulled muskrat from the water. The poor creature was almost dead, but he was clutching a piece of the earth close to him.  

Wisakedjak happily seized this small piece of ground and made an island from it where

he and the three animals celebrating surviving the flood. Wisakedjak then took a bit of wood and made the trees and a piece of bone where he created the second race of animals. 

The Creator then commanded the rivers to take all the salt water back to the sea. He created the rest of mankind and animals. He also took Wisakedjak’s powers over people and animals away and left him only with the ability to flatter and deceive. 

Wisakedjak turned to playing much mischief on the animals and this is why the First Nations people tell many stories about him in the winter months to amuse themselves. 

Several forms of this Creator Story and of the Great Flood Story have been told by different segments of the Algonquian tribes. Wisakedjak is a character in many Cree stories. His name means the flatterer. 

After this story, instructor will ask if anybody else can think of any other creation stories that they have heard, for how the world was created.

If no ideas are given, suggest ideas such as God creating the world (bible story), Adam and Eve, Mother Earth creating the world.

Students have been sitting for quite awhile now; instructor will ask them to do 20 jumping jacks to get their bodies and brains moving.

Name of Exercise:Discovering Pangaea

Expected Length: (in minutes)30 minutes

Purpose: (why is this exercise included in the lesson)So the students will be able to identify what Pangaea is, and understand the location of all of the present day continents in Pangaea. Detailed instructions: (how will this exercise be explained to the group)

First the instructor will put up a smart board slide of Pangaea’s migrating continents.

Instructor will explain that according to science facts, when the world first began, all of the continents were one giant continent called “Pangaea”

As the sun warmed the waters and the land, plants and animals evolved from the water and moved to the land.

Throughout the years, parts of Pangaea kept rising and falling and it broke apart into several continents which drifted to where they are now. This took millions of years.

Instructor will then place link to Pangaea game on the smart board and click on it.

Instructor will get student helper to hand out the blank Pangaea maps Instructor will then explain that the class is going to label Pangaea

together. For the game, Instructor will ask for volunteers to come up and label

each continent on the smart board. Once it is labeled on the smart board, students will be asked to copy it on the maps in their neatest printing. Students will also be asked to place a compass on their maps.

After they have finished labeling the map, the instructor will ask them to color the map, coloring each continent a different color, and the ocean blue. **If students do not finish coloring before end of class, send this home for homework**

Name of Exercise:Closing

Expected Length: (in minutes)5 minutes

Purpose: (why is this exercise included in the lesson)To introduce the students to the upcoming lesson about fossils

Detailed instructions: (how will this exercise be explained to the group) Instructor will now peak the students interests by explaining that

next class they will be looking at fossils and dinosaurs. Instructor will tell the students that when they go home that night,

talk to their families about fossils and dinosaurs. If they have a fossil at home, ask their parents if they can bring it in next social class ***will need to find out when this is*** If they do not have a fossil, do they have a dinosaur figure that they can bring in. Find out what kind of dinosaur it is. Be ready to share with the class