TakingITGlobal

Whose Land? www.whose.land Whose Land? Grade 6-9 Introductory Lesson OVERVIEW This lesson serves to teach students about the land they are learning on by viewing and cre- ating original land acknowledgements and being introduced to complex topics concepts such as who Indigenous people are, what the term settler refers to and notions such as broken promises and renewed commitments to share the land. CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS While Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are being integrated into most subject areas through K-12 curricula, they are especially relevant while learning social studies and English Language Arts. This particular lesson - which introduces grade 6-9 students to the topic of Indigenous land acknowledgements - supports teachers in helping students develop a foundation for learning about the Indigenous people whose land they currently occupy while promoting mutual respect and harmonious relationships. Throughout this lesson students will be working through multiple social studies curriculum outcomes including reflecting on personal ties to land and significant places in the commu- nity, while engaging in inquiry processes by gathering information from personal experiences and multimedia sources in order to gather conclusions about local Indigenous communities and the importance of Indigenous land acknowledgements. The goal is to create a classroom community that celebrates and honours diverse cultures, backgrounds and perspectives through the recognition of historical agreements for the goal of fostering an understanding of roles, rights and responsibilities of community members. Students will also be working through multiple English Language Arts curriculum outcomes including accessing, using, and refining schema related to the importance of place, while making connections with learning experiences and contexts to internalize concepts of Indig- enous perspectives of the land to develop increasing clarity, fluency and focus through the writing processes where the students work together to cocreate the writing criteria then draft and self and peer edit a meaningful Indigenous land acknowledgement. DURATION 4-6 Hours MATERIALS • Computer with internet access • "Land Acknowledgement Rubric" PART 1 (ACTIVATING ACTIVITY): GROUNDING MEDITATION AND DISCUSSION Big Idea: Students will participate in a grounding mediation and then discuss the importance of land and place Begin the lesson by taking students outside, if possible. Have students sit in a circle on the grass. Guide students through an outdoor grounding meditation by instructing them to close their eyes and focus on their senses – hearing, feeling and smelling. Once everyone's eyes are closed, ask them concentrate on the following: 1. What do you hear right now? Do you hear the birds chirping, or the children laughing in the distance? Concentrate on hearing everything around you for a minute. 2. What are you feeling right now? Do you feel the grass tickling your leg, or the rays of the sun hit your skin? Concentrate on your sense of feeling for a minute. 3. What do you smell? Do you smell the freshly cut grass, or the food cooking in the dis- tance? Concentrate on your sense of smell for a minute. Lesson Plan

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