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Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
Written By Rachael Freed
Image By: A. Davey
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild
animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1: 26-27 (NIV) (New International Version: http://www.biblegateway.com/)
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Welcome!
This is unit is designed for children in grades three and four. This is a social studies unit
that focuses on the indigenous peoples of Canada. It is designed to be a
comprehensive and engaging look at a variety of Aboriginal peoples, their locations in
Canada and how where they lived shaped their culture. The unit presents an overview
of a variety of Aboriginal groups throughout Canada, their unique cultures, languages
and way of life. Primary focus is on the following:
● Plains Culture
● Woodlands Culture
● Inuit Culture
● West Coast First Nations
The unit study uses a mix of informational readings, videos, games, crafts and fictional
stories to paint a portrait of Aboriginal culture. It is designed to be completed over five
weeks, each lesson builds off ideas in the previous lesson. Some activities require
additional supplies. Feel free to choose the projects and activities that work best for
your family.
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Provincial Learning Outcomes Met
British Columbia’s curriculum is currently being rewritten. At this time, the Provincial
learning outcomes for this topic are found in the fourth grade curriculum.
Image By: Ruth Hartnup
Fourth Grade students will know and understand the following concepts
and content:
● distinguish characteristics of various Aboriginal cultures in BC and Canada
● compare governance in Aboriginal cultures with governance in early European
settlements in BC and Canada
● identify the impact of Canadian governance on Aboriginal people’s rights
● describe technologies used by Aboriginal people in BC and Canada
● use maps and globes to locate the world’s hemispheres the world’s continents
and oceans Aboriginal groups studied
● describe Aboriginal peoples’ relationship with the land and natural resources
Fourth Grade students will be able to inquire by:
● apply critical thinking skills – including comparing, imagining, inferring, identifying
patterns, and summarizing – to selected problems and issues
● gather information from a variety of sources.
● identify alternative perspectives on a selected event or issue.
● create a presentation on a selected historical event or topic.
● formulate strategies to address problems or issues.
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Provincial Learning Outcomes Met
British Columbia’s curriculum will soon be undergoing significant revision. This unit
study is correlated with the new B.C. draft curriculum which will go into effect sometime
in 2015.
Third Grade students will know and understand the following concepts and
content:
● Cultures are influenced by the local environment and contact with other cultures.
● Indigenous cultures have developed a variety of systems to organize and govern
themselves.
● Cultural knowledge can be passed down through oral history, traditions, and
collective memory.
● Cultural characteristics and ways of life of indigenous people, including local
Aboriginal groups
● The impact of the environment on cultural characteristics and ways of life in
indigenous societies
● Cultural and technological accomplishments of global indigenous people,
including local Aboriginal cultures
● How indigenous societies, including local Aboriginal groups, meet their needs
and wants
● Governance and social organization in indigenous societies, including local
Aboriginal groups
● The role of oral history, stories, and artifacts as evidence about pre-contact
Aboriginal cultures
Third Grade students will be able to inquire by:
● Use Social Studies inquiry processes (ask questions, gather, interpret and
analyze ideas, and communicate findings and decisions)
● Explain how and why people, events, and places are significant (significance)
● Ask questions and make inferences about the content and features of different
types of sources (evidence)
● Determine multiple causes and consequences of an event, decision, or
development (cause and consequence)
● Examine reasons why people have different perspectives on people, places,
issues, and events, and identify different perspectives on past or present people,
places, issues, or events (perspective)
● Make a value judgment about an event, decision, or action in their lives (ethical
judgment)
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Aboriginal Cultures of Canada
Digital Resources for Use With This Kit:
Please note: the digital library will only allow you to check-out three books at the time. I
recommend borrowing Secret of the Dance by Andrea Spalding first, and then returning
it when finished to enable you to borrow Buffalo Before Breakfast. To learn more about
the different types of digital PDF resources, and how to download them the help
page has excellent instructions.
First Nations: Native Cultures of Canada by Doug Sylvester
Secret of the Dance by Andrea Spalding
Buffalo Before Breakfast by Mary Pope Osborne
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Online Resources:
Bible Gateway
Discovery Education
Additional Information:
There are many crafts and activities included throughout the unit. I recommend looking
at the plans for a week at a time to see if there are any supplies you would like to
purchase or gather beforehand.
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Overview of Unit Study
Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 1
Focus: Intro to Aboriginal People
Make a KWL chart (see
page #13)
Listen to the Cree story
The Granddaughter Who
Was Eaten by a Big Fish.
After listening to the
story, discuss it with your
child. As an optional
activity, have your child
draw a picture illustrating
a scene from the story.
Read more about
Aboriginal peoples here.
Day 2
Focus: Traditions--Secret of the Dance
Page 32 followed by pages 1-20
Make an West Coast whale (see page #14)
Day 3
Focus: Traditions--Secret of the Dance
Read pages
20-33
Make a canoe from cork (see page #15)
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Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 4
Focus: Secret of the Dance
Listen to the Ojibwe story
The Lily Root. Use the
discussion questions at
the end of the story to
have a conversation with
your child. Have your
child draw a picture
illustrating their favourite
scene from the story.
Write a myth. Storytelling
is very important in
Aboriginal culture (see
page #15).
Day 5
Focus: Buffalo Before Breakfast
Chapters 1 & 2
Make a coffee can drum (see page #16).
Day 6:
Focus: Woodlands Culture
Print page 5 of First Nations: Native Cultures of Canada.
Watch Aboriginal Peoples of Canada: Then and Now
chapters 3 & 4
Look at the page on
Woodlands Tribes on
first peoples of Canada.
Explore the sections
entitled
Environment/Housing
and Food/Hunting Tools.
Look at the Did You
Know? Add to your KWL
chart.
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Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 7:
Focus: Woodlands Culture
Page 41 Chapters 5 & 6
Add to your KWL chart.
Make a long house (see
page #17)
Day 8:
Focus: Woodlands Culture
Chapters 7 & 8
Read the information on
Transportation/Migration/
Religion/Ceremonies/Art/
Clothing and
Family/Social
Structure/Leadership
Add to your KWL chart.
Play the memory game
to learn more about
Aboriginal culture and
symbols.
Make bannock (see page
#17)
Day 9:
Focus: Woodlands Culture
Chapters 9 & 10
Make teepee (see page #18)
Day 10
Project Day
Make a personal Lakota style winter count as featured in Buffalo Before Breakfast (see page #18)
Day 11: Focus: Plains Culture
Complete pages 8-11
Read pages 37 & 38
Make pemmican cakes! (see page #18)
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Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 12:
Focus: Plains Culture
Chapters 1 & 2
Read about
transportation for plains
peoples.
Read about
ceremonies/art/clothing
for plains peoples.
Do the Bison Mix-and-
Match activity to learn
about bison.
Read about plains peoples housing and shelter.
Day 13:
Focus: Plains Culture
Chapters 3 & 4
Read about plains
peoples family, social
structure and leadership.
Day 14:
Focus: Plains Culture
Chapters 5 & 6
Learn more about Canada’s First Nations using the Canadian Geographic Time Machine.
Day 15
Project Day
Make a talking stick (see page #20)
Day 16:
Focus: Inuit Culture
Chapters 7 & 8
Read about the Inuit,
Inuit housing,
food/hunting, and
transportation.
Add to your KWL chart.
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Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 17:
Focus: Inuit Culture
Chapters 9 & 10
Listen to Through Mala's
Eyes: Life in an Inuit
Community. There are
ten narratives in total,
listen to the first five and
discuss them with your
child.
Look at some images of Nunavut with your child.
Day 18:
Focus: Inuit Culture
Chapters 11 & 12
Play some of
the Inuit
games from
pages 15-18
Listen to the remaining
narratives Through
Mala’s Eyes: Life in an
Inuit Community and
discuss them with your
child.
Read about Aboriginal Clothing.
Day 19:
Focus: Inuit Culture
Chapters 13 & 14
Make an inukshuk (see page #22).
Day 20
Project Day
Cultural project. Have your child choose an Aboriginal group in which they are most interested to do a project on (see page #23)
Day 21:
Focus: West Coast Culture
Chapters 15 & 16
Read about the people of
the Northwest Coast,
their
Environment/Housing,
and their Food/Hunting.
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Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 22:
Focus: West Coast Culture
Chapters 17 & 18
Page 45 Add to your KWL chart.
Continue working with
your child on their
cultural project.
Listen to the Coast
Salish story Crow and
Little Bear.
Make the Cruncher and
play the fast facts game
about Aboriginal peoples.
Read about West Coast Transportation/Migration, Religion/Ceremonies/Art/Clothing, and Family.
Day 23:
Focus: West Coast Culture
Chapters 19 & 20
Continue working with
your child on their
cultural project.
Watch the unfinished
story The Raven’s Call
illustrated by Bill Reid.
Have your child write and
illustrate an ending for
the story. Consider
submitting your child’s
ending here.
Play the Turtle Island
game to learn more
about Aboriginal cultures.
12
Day The Sign of the Beaver
First Nations: Native
Cultures of Canada
Buffalo Before
Breakfast
Secret of the Dance
Possible Activities
Day 24:
Focus: West Coast Culture
Chapters 21 & 22
Continue working with
your child on their
cultural project.
Read about totem poles.
Has your child ever seen
a totem pole? They are
in many communities
throughout British
Columbia! Consider
taking a field trip to view
totem poles in your local
area.
Make a totem pole using the examples found here (see page #26)
Day 25
Conclusion
Chapters 23, 24 & 25
Finish working with your
child on their cultural
project. They may wish
to present their project to
family members or
friends.
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Daily Lessons
Day One: Intro to Aboriginal Peoples
Activities:
Take a large sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. Label the first column ‘K’
(for ‘know’), the second column ‘W’ (for ‘wonder’ or ‘want to know’) and the third column
‘L’ (‘for learned’).
Ask your child what they know about Aboriginal people (First Nations, Inuit, Metis etc.)
Write down everything they say in the know column (whether or not you believe it is
correct). Feel free to contribute your own ideas and suggestions.
K W L
-have been in Canada for a long time.
-different groups
Next, ask your child what they wonder about Aboriginal peoples; what questions to they
have that they would like to have answered during the unit.
You may wish to hang your chart in a visible place where you can add to it throughout
the unit.
Storytelling is very important to Aboriginal people. Stories were usually passed down
orally through many generations. A a grandparent might tell a grandchild a story which
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they would tell to their children and so on and so forth. Ask your child why they think
storytelling is important to people? Does your family have an special stories? Does your
child enjoy listening to parents and grandparents tell stories about when they were a
child? Listen to the Cree story The Granddaughter Who Was Eaten by a Big Fish. After
listening to the story, discuss it with your child. As an optional activity, have your child
draw a picture illustrating a scene from the story.
Read more about Aboriginal peoples here.
Day Two: Secret of the Dance (Intro)
Background to the story: In 1885, the Canadian Government passed a law forbidding
Aboriginal people to hold ceremonials, including the Potlatch. These ceremonies were
an important part of Aboriginal culture so they continued in secret.
Read page 32 followed by pages 1-20 in Secret of the Dance. Pay close attention to the
pictures, they are an important part of the story. Take time for discussion and questions.
Talk about some of the rules that Aboriginal people had to follow. How would it make
you feel if the government said you weren’t allowed to do something important to you
and your family? Why do you think the government didn’t want Aboriginal people having
potlatches?
Activity:
Make this beautiful whale from the crafty classroom. Supplies: whale template, variety
of coloured construction paper, glue, scissors.
Day Three: Secret of the Dance
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Read pages 20-33 in Secret of the Dance. Talk about what has happened in the story
up to this point. What does your child predict will happen next? Pay close attention to
the pictures
Activity:
Make a canoe from cork. Supplies: think cork sheet (available at hardware stores or
craft stores), hot glue, acrylic paint, clothespins or binder clips.
Day Four: Project Day
Listen to the Ojibwe story The Lily Root. Use the discussion questions at the end of the
story to have a conversation with your child.
Have your child draw a picture illustrating their favourite scene from the story.
Write a myth. Storytelling is very important in Aboriginal culture. The story should have
the following elements:
● have someone, such as a grandparent, telling the story to a child.
● the story should answer a question such as “how did the porcupine get its quills?”
or “why do raccoons stay awake all night?”
Encourage your child to do as much as the writing as they can without worrying about
their spelling. Getting their ideas down is the most important part, editing can take place
later.
Publish your child’s myth by having your child draw illustrations and organizing the story
in book form.
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Day Five: Buffalo Before Breakfast Introduction
Have your child read you chapters 1 & 2 in Buffalo’s Before Breakfast. Depending on
your child’s reading level you may wish to take turns reading (you read one chapter,
your child reads the other. Or, you read one page and your child reads the next.) Note:
Buffalo’s Before Breakfast is written from an American perspective, however, much of
the content is relevant to Canadians. You may wish to discuss the similarities and
differences between Aboriginal peoples in Canada and the United States.
Image From: bookpassages.com
Possible Activities:
Make a coffee can drum! Supplies: 1 empty 39-oz. coffee can, construction paper, clear
tape, glue, crafting feathers (optional).
Day Six: Woodlands Culture
Print page 5 of First Nations: Native Cultures of Canada. Label the provinces with your
child. Colour the areas where the woodlands tribes lived with a green pencil crayon.
Watch Aboriginal Peoples of Canada: Then and Now from Discovery Education.
Look at the page on Woodlands Tribes on first peoples of Canada. Explore the sections
entitled Environment/Housing and Food/Hunting Tools.
Read chapters 3 & 4 in Buffalo Before Breakfast.
Possible Activities:
Look at the Did You Know? and discover some of the things Aboriginal peoples used or
discovered. Add to your KWL chart.
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Image By: Holly Victoria Norval
Day Seven: Woodlands Culture
Read page 41 from First Nations: Native Cultures of Canada.
Read chapters 5 & 6 from Buffalo Before Breakfast.
Possible Activities:
Add to your KWL chart.
Make a long house. Supplies: cylindrical oatmeal container, shoebox, scissors, glue,
paintbrush, glue, brown crepe paper.
Day Eight: Woodlands Culture
Read chapters 7 & 8 from Buffalo Before Breakfast.
Read the information on Transportation/Migration, Religion/Ceremonies/Art/Clothing
and Family/Social Structure/Leadership with your child. When you reach the section on
religion you may wish to have a conversation about Christian faith and what we know to
be true as Christians. Discuss the information from the articles and add to your KWL
chart.
Possible Activities:
Play the memory game to learn more about Aboriginal culture and symbols.
Make bannock (page 4 of this document). Bannock is a traditional flatbread found as a
stable in the diets of Aboriginal groups throughout North America. Supplies: flour,
baking powder, sugar, salt, bacon fat or lard, water or milk.
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Day Nine: Woodlands Culture
Read chapters 9 & 10 from Buffalo Before Breakfast.
Possible Activities:
Make a teepee. Supplies: scissors, tape, three twigs or straws, markers, paper and
printer.
Day Ten: Project Day
Make a personal Lakota style winter count as featured in Buffalo Before Breakfast.
Supplies: brown paper grocery bag, pencil crayons, list of lakota symbols (found in
instruction document), scissors.
Image From: The Smithsonian Institute
Day Eleven: Plains Culture
Complete pages 8-11 in First Nations: Native People of Canada.
Read pages 37 & 38 from Buffalo Before Breakfast.
Possible Activities:
Read about the Environment/Housing for Plains peoples.
Add to your KWL chart.
Make pemmican cakes! Pemmican is a high-energy food that was used by Aboriginal
groups and, eventually, explorers and voyageurs when traveling. Ingredients: 1 package
of beef jerky, 1 cup dried berries (blueberries, cranberries or cherries), 1 cup chopped
nuts or sunflower seeds, ¼ cup beef suet or vegetable shortening, honey to taste (1-3
teaspoons). You will also need a 12-cup muffin tin.
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Steps:
1. Line muffin cups with paper liners (or grease cups extremely well).
2. Grind or chop beef jerky into miniscule pieces to make about 1 cup. Melt suet or
shortening in a saucepan.
3. Remove from heat, stir in beef jerky, dried berries, and seeds. Stir in honey.
4. Spoon about ¼ cup of the pemmican mixture into each muffin cup. Press down
firmly to make a cake, smoothing the top.
5. Refrigerate until well set.
Day Twelve: Plains Culture
Read chapters 1 & 2 in The Sign of the Beaver. The Sign of the Beaver is set in what is
now the state of Maine, just prior to the American Revolution. It was a time when
newcomers from Europe were moving onto the lands inhabited by Native American
groups. The lifestyles and standards of the two groups were, in many ways, very
different. This is a wonderful story about survival and friendship and addresses, in an
engaging way, a great deal of Aboriginal content. While this story takes place in the
United States, it is important to remember that the borders between the United States
and Canada did not always exist and prior to European colonization Native groups
moved fluidly between what is now Canada and the United States. As a direct result,
these groups share many similarities in terms of language and culture. Things to talk
about:
● How would you feel if you were in Matt’s situation?
● What skills would you want to have?
● What would you be worried about?
● Do you think it would be easier or harder to take care of yourself now or in Matt’s
time? Why?
Read about transportation for plains peoples.
Read about ceremonies/art/clothing for plains peoples.
Possible Activities:
Do the Bison Mix-and-Match activity to learn about bison.
Read about plains peoples housing and shelter.
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Day Thirteen: Plains Culture
Read chapters 3 & 4 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Chapter 3 ends with Matt feeling despair and fear. What do you predict will
happen next? Why?
● How do you think Matt feels at the end of chapter 4? How would you feel?
Read about plains peoples family, social structure and leadership.
Day Fourteen: Plains Culture
Read chapters 5 & 6 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Matt has come in contact with two strangers who have different goals. If you
were alone,whom would you choose to invite into your life, Ben or Saknis? Why?
● Have you or your family ever been helped by a stranger? Have you ever helped
someone you didn’t know?
● Can you think of a Bible story in which a person helps someone they do not
know?
Possible Activities:
Learn more about Canada’s First Nations using the Canadian Geographic Time
Machine.
Day Fifteen: Project Day
Make a talking stick. Supplies: A length of dowel about 6 inches long, ribbon, leather
cord (or use thick wool/yarn), beads, feathers, sticky tape.
Image From: Activity Village
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Day Sixteen: Inuit Culture
Read chapters 7 & 8 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Matt uses some unkind words (savage, heathen) to refer to Attean. Why do you
think he uses those words even though he has never met Attean? Do you think
Matt has respect for Native people?
● Does Attean seem like he wants to learn to read? Why do you think Saknis wants
Attean to learn to read?
Possible Activities:
Read about the Inuit, Inuit housing, food/hunting, and transportation.
Add to your KWL chart.
Image By: Mykola Swarnyk
Day Seventeen: Inuit Culture
Read chapters 9 & 10 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Why do you think Attean says it is better to die than to be a slave?
● Matt is starting to consider whether his opinions about Native people are correct.
Why do you think he finds this troubling?
● What skills does Attean have to teach Matt?
Possible Activities:
Listen to Through Mala's Eyes: Life in an Inuit Community. There are ten narratives in
total, listen to the first five and discuss them with your child. What do you think about
Mala’s life? How is it similar/different from your life?
Look at some images of Nunavut with your child.
22
Image By: Shankar S.
Day Eighteen: Inuit Culture
Read chapters 11 & 12 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● What are some of the “secret signs” that Attean points out and explains to Matt?
How is this information useful to Matt?
● Why do you think Attean is teaching Matt all of these different skills? How will
they help Matt?
Play some of the Inuit games from pages 15-18 from First Nations: Native People of
Canada.
Possible Activities:
Listen to the remaining narratives Through Mala’s Eyes: Life in an Inuit Community and
discuss them with your child.
Read about Aboriginal Clothing.
Day Nineteen: Inuit Culture
Read chapters 13 & 14 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Matt is starting to learn words from Attean’s language, do you know any words in
another language?
● Which Bible story is similar to the story Attean tells Matt?
Possible Activities:
Make an inukshuk. This project requires adult support. Supplies: rocks of similar sizes,
1-2 rocks of equal size (flat on both sides), hot glue gun and glue sticks.
23
Image By: Down
Day Twenty Project Day
Cultural project. Have your child choose an Aboriginal group in which they are most
interested to do a project on. Your child may wish to present their project in a different
way. At this grade level, children are generally enthusiastic about presenting information
they have learned. Discovering how to gather and present information in a dynamic way
that honours their learning preference. For example:
● a poster
● a written report
● a videotaped oral report.
● a diorama
The project should include a written element and a visual element. You may wish you
have your child focus on one particular area of a culture or on specifics of the culture as
a whole (clothing, trade, housing etc.), or on a larger aspect of a culture (family life,
women, men, children etc.). Consider making a plan for the project prior to beginning
work on it to avoid your child taking on an overwhelming amount of work. Use
Searchasaurus from EBSCOhost to find articles and information. Searchasaurus is a
fantastic tool that will enable your child to conduct age-appropriate research. NOTE:
you will need to contact your child’s teacher order to get the login information for
ebscohost. Once you have logged in you will be able to choose from a range of search
options including Searchasaurus.
Day Twenty-One: West Coast Culture
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Read chapters 15 & 16 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Matt and Attean still seem a bit uncomfortable with each other. Why do you think
this is so?
● Why, after all this time, is Matt invited to the Penobscot village? Why do you think
Attean has not asked him before?
● Have you ever experienced a different culture? If so, what was the experience
like? Did you feel comfortable?
Possible Activities:
Continue working with your child on their cultural project.
Read about the people of the Northwest Coast, their Environment/Housing, and their
Food/Hunting.
Day Twenty-Two: West Coast Culture
Read chapters 17 & 18 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● What happened to Attean’s parents? What does this tell you about why Attean
has a hard time befriending Matt?
Read page 45 from First Nations: Native Cultures of Canada.
Add to your KWL chart.
Possible Activities:
Continue working with your child on their cultural project.
Listen to the Coast Salish story Crow and Little Bear.
Make the Cruncher and play the fast facts game about Aboriginal peoples.
Read about West Coast Transportation/Migration, Religion/Ceremonies/Art/Clothing,
and Family.
25
Image By: Thomas Quine
Day Twenty-Three: West Coast Culture
Read chapters 19 & 20 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Why do you think Matt no longer feels alone in the forest?
● Do you think Matt and Attean can now be describe as friends?
Possible Activities:
Continue working with your child on their cultural project.
Watch the unfinished story The Raven’s Call illustrated by Bill Reid. Have your child
write and illustrate an ending for the story. Consider submitting your child’s ending here.
Play the Turtle Island game to learn more about Aboriginal cultures.
Image By: Shankar S.
26
Day Twenty-Four: West Coast Culture
Read chapters 21 & 22 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Why does Matt struggle with whether or not to go with Attean’s tribe? Make a list
of reasons that Matt should go with Attean’s people and reasons why he should
not go.
Possible Activities:
Continue working with your child on their cultural project.
Read about totem poles. Has your child ever seen a totem pole? They are in many
communities throughout British Columbia! Consider taking a field trip to view totem
poles in your local area.
Make a totem pole using the examples found here. Before you begin look at images of
totem poles online. Take a look at this document which talks about the meaning of
different elements. Supplies: images of totem poles, construction paper, glue, scissors.
Image from: Thomas Elementary Blog
Or, try this smaller scale totem pole from No Time for Flashcards. Supplies: colourful
construction paper, plain white paper, paper towel roll, glue, scissors, a marker, a hole
punch, colourful markers.
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Day Twenty-Five: Conclusion
Read chapters 23, 24 & 25 in The Sign of the Beaver. Take time to answer your child’s
questions and initiate discussions about the events of the story. Things to talk about:
● Has the way Matt talks about his surroundings changed? Why do you think this is
the case?
● How did you feel when Matt’s family finally arrived? How do you think Matt felt?
● What do you think Matt will tell his family about Attean?
● Do you think what Matt has learned from Attean will help his family? How so?
● What is important about the gifts Matt and Attean exchange?
● By the end of the story Matt has come to respect Attean and his people. What
does the Bible say about respect? (Romans 12:10, Romans 13:7, 1 Peter 2:17)
● Do you think that European settlers always showed respect to Aboriginal people
when they arrived?
● Read Genesis 1:27, according to this verse, why do all people deserve to be
treated with respect?
Possible Activities:
Finish working with your child on their cultural project. They may wish to present their
project to family members or friends.
Image By Chris
28
Bibliography
Brode, Alyssa. "How to Glue Rocks Together to Make an Inukshuk." eHow. Demand
Media, 9 June 2011. Web. 10 June 2014.
"DLTK's Crafts for KidsTeepee Craft." Aboriginal Teepee Craft. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June
2014.
"Food in Every Country." Food in Canada Aboriginals. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 June 2014.
"How To Make a Cork Canoe." Apartment Therapy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2014.
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