Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1433180
Lesson One: Taylar Belanger 105 ACTIVATE: SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION Start the lesson by dividing students into groups of 3-4. Inform them that they will be posed with dierent questions and dilemmas in their small groups and the goal is that they have to work together to answer the questions as best they can. Hand out one piece of chart paper per group and enough markers for each group member. 1.Have groups number their chart papers 1-4 with lots of space. Ask the first question "What are some of our roles and responsibilities in looking after (Mother) Earth?" Allow stu- dents time to write down all their answers. 2.Hand-out one "Aspects of Ecosystems Cut-Outs" envelope per group. With the 8 cards in the envelope, ask groups to rank the words in order of importance. Go around the room and check students' rankings. Have students list their importance and reason why as Question 2. Do not give them any more context than "importance". Let students think about it and figure out if that means importance in the ecosystem, importance to them, importance in food webs, etc. 3.Now ask each group to remove the "Plant" card. Ask the question "How will removing plants impact the other parts and Earth? Have students write down the question as Ques- tion 3. Have groups discuss and come up with an answer they can all agree on. 4.Finally, ask each group to remove the "Person" card. Ask the question "How will remov- ing people impact the other parts and Earth?" Have students write down the question as Question 4. Have groups discuss and come up with an answer they can all agree on. Once groups have answered the questions to their best abilities, have them walk around and read the answers other groups came up with! Engage in a whole class discussion by asking stu- dents what they learned from this activity. Solicit student answers. Extension: Teachers may continue the exercise by removing more cards. Ask similar ques- tions about what would happen if you removed sun, cloud, rock, moose, bear, and spider from ecosystems. ACQUIRE: TAYLAR BELANGER'S FIRESIDE CHAT VIDEO Taylar Belanger, also known as Sōhka, is a traditionalist herbalist and R&B/Hip-hop artist from the northern community of Sakitawak Cree Nation (Ile-a-la-Crosse), Saskatchewan with roots in Ahtahkakoop First Nation. Taylar has always had a strong connection with Mother Earth and plants from a young age. Taylar has been attending Wild Rose College of Natural Healing in Calgary, Alberta in the Practical Herbalist program. Afterwards, Taylar hopes to attend the Clini- cal Herbalist program in the future. Taylar, aka Sōhka, has been establishing herself as a strong Indigenous female R&B/hip-hop artist over the past year. Taylar comes from a spoken word background, and brings a tremendous sense of strength and wisdom to her writing. Start the video of Taylar Belanger's interview with Fireside Chats. In the video, Taylar Belanger talks about her journey as a traditional herbalist and how self-expression and music have been a healing experience for her. Taylar talks about the word "protector" and how important the mean- ing is to her. Taylar's first debut self-produced song is by the same name. To debrief the video, ask the class the following questions: 1.What are some outlets that helped Taylar get through her personal obstacles? 2.Where does Taylar draw inspiration from? 3.As a traditional herbalist, what do you think a day in her life is like? 4.What does the word protector mean to you? In Taylar's interview, she talks about how Elders and Healers told her that she is meant to work with Mother Earth and medicines. Inform students that you will be comparing dierent view- points today - western science knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Lesson Plan