Canadian+culture

Usha's comments in Blue.

Your name: Kevin Parkin

**Initial Reading and Assessment of Textbook Treatment of the Topic**

Name of Gr. 10 Textbook examined: Canadian History: A sense of Time

Name of more "scholarly" source examined: www.canadianencyclopedia.com and "Canadian Theatre History" by Don Rubin

__Your Initial Thoughts:__ Culture is most often defined by the arts. In looking at the treatment of this topic in the approved grade 10 text "Canadian History: A sense of Time", it would then appear that Canada did not have much in the way of culture during this time period. This is obviously not the case, but as the text only allows 2 pages for this topic, it is not given much weight or significance. To be fair it does cover a number of of Canadian Artists and athletes (Emily Carr, the formation of the National hockey league etc.) that were contributing to the cultural scene at the time, but the information is broad and without detail on the impact these Canadians had on our sense of identity. In order to do an effective lesson on this topic, it would most definitely be necessary to delve deeper into these artists and icons. I could elaborate on the works of these artists and cultural icons and more clearly outline the effect they have had on our sense of "nationhood".

Thanks, Kevin, for your assessment. You bring up an interesting point about the relationship between amount of text coverage and perceived significance. It would be an interesting idea to have students draw inferences about significance based on coverage in the text relative to other topics and then to investigate the issue further using other sources you provide and decide whether their conclusions about significance of Canadian culture during the time drawn from the text are misguided or warranted. Interesting.

**Question** - Did Canada have a distinct and unique culture during this time period?

__**Critical challenge - Jumble**__ The facilitator will use a number of cultural icons and contributors from the time as material (ie - The group of seven, Emily Carr etc.) Using pictures of their works, or achievements I will then write a corresponding statement like "We created famous landscapes" or "I was key in founding the national hockey league". The students will be divided into small groups of 5 or 6. They will each get a folder with the pictures and statements. The will be asked to decide amongst themselves which statements go with which photos. They will be given ten minutes for the task. I will then ask the students to tell me which goes with which and by consensus put their answers on the board. I will not however tell them if they are correct. They will discover if they were correct as we go though the readings in class.

Just a quick clarification, Kevin. We're using the term "critical challenge' to mean a question or a task that invites critical thinking. You don't need to have a separate "question" and "challenge". What you are describing under the heading Critical Challenge is the beginning of your thinking about scaffolding that will help students answer your question.

Your question itself is interesting and clearly invites critical thinking. It is certainly a critique the piece. Students would have to examine a variety of elements of identity, consider what constitutes a "unique identity" and make a decision. I'm not sure the scaffolding necessarily gets them there but we'll be talking about scaffolding more in class so don't feel compelled to forge ahead with this part yet.

After our discussion I have changed and narrowed the focus of my lesson plan. Below are the new details:

__**Key Learning - Big idea**__

Students will understand that Canada's cultural icons helped define our country's distinct emerging identity.

__**Frame Critical Challenge**__ Did Canada have a distinct and unique culture during this time period? Students will be presented with information about various Canadian cultural icons of the time. We will discuss their works, their accomplishments and their contributions to the creation of the Canadian identity. The topics will be divided up by icon/work/contribution and handed out to the students in pairs. Each member of the pair will read their document separately. Then they will think/pair/share. This will allow them to think critically about their topic and then share with the group. We will then discuss the significance of the topics and get the students to determine what they think is the criteria for their historical impact.

(What skill or ability will you help them develop/)
 * How will this lesson help students build skills they will need for the summative assessment task for the unit?**

The students will be **reviewing and analyzing** various contributions of Canadian works and icons, they will be asked to **"create a caption"** for an iconic photograph of their topic.

Critical thinking - The students will use the information they collect to form opinions on what cultural works/icons had the most impact on Canadian history at this time. This section is asking about which of the 6 portals or dimensions of historical thinking (from chapter 9 of the Anthology)
 * What dimension of Historical Thinking will students actively engage in during the lesson?**

-What //specific expectations// (directly from curriculum document) will need to be addressed? -What content / skills will students need to learn to be successful? || Students will need to learn about the various cultural icons, works and institutions at this time. We will look at the impact, if any that it had on the Canadian identity.
 * Intellectual Tools** that will need to explicitly taught and formatively assessed
 * **Explanation** || **Details for our Critical Challenge** ||
 * **Background Knowledge**

The students will need to be critical minded and use reasoned judgement in order to determine what they think is most significant || a) What criteria will students use to make good decisions about the question being asked of them? (e.g. criteria for a good friend; criteria for a hero; criteria for an effective solution; criteria for a plausible inference)
 * **Criteria for Judgement**

b) What criteria will students use to develop and effective product? (e.g. criteria for an engaging headline; criteria for a convincing poster; criteria for an effective presentation; criteria for an authentic portrayal in a role-play; criteria for an engaging children's book) || a) Students will determine the criteria for a culturally significant work/person/contribution based on the think pair share of their assigned topic. This is a bit confusing. I think you have too many good ideas! Your question (framed above) is: Did Canada have a unique culture...? You already have an additional challenge (create a caption). I think you can easily integrate those 2 by asking students to make sure that their caption addresses whether the person or thing in the photograph is reflective of a unique culture or not. However, now, here, you are talking about "culturally significant" - also an excellent idea but you've added a 3rd element. I think it will be wise to choose to either focus on uniqueness or on significance to keep things clear in your mind and in the kids' minds. What do you think?

b) The students will develop the criteria for a good caption based on the mental set activity. || practice to be successful? || ============ Critical minded - It is crucial the students be critical minded as the subject of cultural significance is largely subjective and thus it will be essential they be critical to form educated decisions. || -What are some of the key thinking strategies students will use to sift through background information, apply criteria and make a decision? (e.g. a rating scale, a report card, a decision making matrix, etc.) || "create the caption" || -What critical thinking vocabulary is most crucial for students to understand in order to be successful? (e.g. "criteria", "judgement", "bias", "perspective", "inference", "argument", "clues vs. conclusions", etc.) || Judgment and criteria - The students will be charged with forming judgements on what they feel is the most signifigant cutural events/works/icons. ||
 * **Habits of Mind**
 * (Choose 1 to focus on)**
 * -**What habit of mind is most crucial for students to develop and
 * **Thinking Strategies**
 * **Critical Thinking Vocabulary**
 * (choose 1 to focus on)**

__**Mental set**__ -

"Create the caption" Participants will be shown the following image:

They will be given 2 minutes to come up with a caption for the photo as if it were going to appear in the entertainment section of the Toronto Star. Once they have had a chance to do so, we will share the captions they have created. After the captions have been read we will then discuss how they came up with the caption they did. What criteria did they determine was important for a great caption under such an iconic photograph.

This activity will become important later when the students are selecting Photo's for their article and need to create effective captions for them.

EDU1150Y – Lesson Plan Topic -Canadian Culture 1914-1929 Kevin Parkin Organize desks into groups Secure projector Secure Laptop Secure Chart paper Secure Markers Make copies of Articles Make copies of Pictures for homework assignment subjective and thus it will be essential they be critical to form educated decisions. || what they feel makes something historically significant. ||
 * __Preparation:__**
 * **__Key Learning:__** || Students will understand that Canada's cultural icons helped define our country's distinct emerging identity. ||
 * **Expectations from curriculum** || Students will be able to asses how individual Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada and the Country’s emerging sense of self-identity. ||
 * **Habit’s of mind** || **Critical minded** - It is crucial the students be critical minded as the subject of cultural significance is largely
 * **Background knowledge** || Information about emerging Canadian culture taken from the Text “Canada: Our Century, our story” and selected passages from “Who’s afraid of Canadian culture?” ||
 * **Critical thinking Vocabulary** || Judgment and criteria - The students will be charged with forming judgments on


 * **Purpose and Timing** || **What instructor will do….** || **What students will do…** || **Required resources** ||
 * **Before class** || **__Write Agenda on Board:__**

1. Quick introduction to lesson topic. “Canadian Culture” a) What defines a country’s culture? b)What is Canadian culture? 2. Minds on Activity “Create a caption” 3. Examine Canadian cultural contributors. Mental Set “The experts” 4. Debrief – Look back at questions from the start of class. 5. Task for next class. || The agenda will be visited as we go through the lesson || Chalkboard and chalk or Chart paper and marker. || **Purpose:**
 * **“Minds on activity”**

**This activity will become important later when the students are selecting Photo's for their article and need to create effective captions for them.**

(15 – 20 mins) || Divide the class into groups of 4-6. Once they are in their groups, ask the students to look at the photograph on the projector screen and come up with a caption that indicates the cultural relevance to Canada of what is taking place in the photo. Ask them first to think about it on their own. Then write down 3 good captions. Once they have had a chance to write down their ideas, have them share with the group and decide amongst themselves, which is the most suitable. Go around the groups and have them share their chosen caption. || **“Create a caption”** Students will be given 3 minutes to come up with a caption for the photo as if it were going to appear in the entertainment section of the Toronto Star. Once they have had a chance to do so, we will share the captions they have created. After the captions have been read we will then discuss how they came up with the caption they did. What criteria did they determine was important for a great caption under such an iconic photograph. || Laptop LCD Projector Projector screen. ||
 * **Debrief on Mental set**

(5-10 mins) || Ask the students: What criteria did you use to determine what your caption would be? Write down the ideas on the board and then have the students decide on which 4 are the most important. || Brainstorming as a class || Chart Paper Markers ||
 * **Input**: Canadian Culture 1914 – 1929

**Mental Set “The experts”** Purpose: Introduce the students to the Canadian Cultural icons and their contributions that helped shape the identity of our nation. (30 – 40 mins) || Split the students into 5 groups. Each will be assigned a culturally significant person or group from the text and selected passages from “Who’s afraid of Canadian culture?” Each group will have 15 minutes to read and become the “experts” on their topic. The Topics they will cover will be: **-The group of 7** **-Stephen Leacock** **-Emily Carr** **-Golden age of Canadian Sports** **-Mary Pickford** **/American influence on Canadian Culture**

Ask the students to consider what made this individual or group’s efforts significant to Canada’s emerging identity. Tape the chart papers up on the wall to display the efforts of the culturally significant Canadians. || Students will read their articles and then brainstorm what they feel are the important points about their topics. They will write down on chart paper what they feel are most significant to the emerging Canadian culture on the chart paper they are provided. They will then appoint 1 ambassador to present the information to the class. || Photocopies of the articles. Chart Paper Markers || (5 – 10 mins) || Ask the students who they think, out of the Canadians covered, had the largest impact on Canadian culture at the time. || Students will take 5 minutes to choose their topic and write in their notebooks who, and why. ||  || (5 mins) || Provide the students with photo’s associated with the topics covered in class || For homework – Students will take the photo associated with the topic they felt was most culturally significant and create a caption that illustrates what makes this Canadian’s contribution so important. They should be prepared to explain their choice. || Photocopies of photos for students ||
 * **Debrief on Content Mental Set**
 * **Closure**
 * __Image for Mental set activity on Projector:__**
 * __Images to choose from :__**