The People and Stories of Canada

Aboriginal Storytelling Activity

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Aboriginal People Profiles (2004). Retrieved September 29, 2007 from http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ks/3000_e.html.

Aboriginal Canada Portal (2007). Retrieved September 29, 2007 from http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/en/ao04580.html.

Storytelling, The First Peoples of Canada (2001). Retrieved September 29, 2007 from http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/storytel/introeng.html.


Grade 5 Social Studies

Stories provide an ideal opportunity to bring history to life. They illustrate and provide information about different cultures, values, beliefs, and attitudes. In social studies, stories provide students with a glimpse into the lives of different peoples, cultures, places, issues, and events that have contributed to shaping Canada’s rich history and diverse society.

An activity involving the sharing of traditional First Nations myths and legends provides an ideal opportunity for students to become aware of the role that Canada’s Aboriginal population played in making Canada what it is today. My activity would involve internet research about First Nations groups. Each student would choose a Canadian Aboriginal group and research their customs, values and beliefs. They would also search for traditional stories, songs, or legends. The students would then prepare a presentation for the class highlighting the unique customs and traditions of their chosen tribe and would share a traditional story. Their presentation would include a visual representation of what they had learned (poster), on which they would show printed pictures and their information would be word processed.

The general learning outcome that this activity would cover is Social Studies 5.2 Histories and Stories of Ways of Life in Canada: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the people and the stories of Canada and their ways of life over time, and appreciate the diversity of Canada’s heritage.

The specific learning outcomes that this activity would achieve are 5.2.1 Students will appreciate the complexity of identity in the Canadian context: by acknowledging oral traditions, narratives, and stories as valid sources of knowledge about the land and diverse Aboriginal cultures and history, and by acknowledging the contributions made by diverse cultural groups to the evolution of Canada.

Several ICT outcomes will also be addressed by this activity. Students will seek alternative viewpoints using information technologies (C2). Students will use electronic research techniques to construct personal knowledge and meaning (C7). Students will also compose, revise, and edit text (P1) to create their visual representation.

This activity utilizes technology to provide students with an opportunity to access information that is not always readily available in the classroom. Searching for pictures and information on the internet can be more interesting for students than simply listening to the teacher speak, and provides images of culture and artifacts that are not easily conveyed by a lecture. It is also possible to hear stories and legends spoken out loud on the internet, allowing students to hear stories spoken by the people for whom they mean something.