Lesson Five:

Aboriginal
Perspectives on
Forest Fires

Social Studies Objectives

5.1.1 Examine, critically, the
physical geography of Canada by
exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions and issues:
5.2.1 appreciate the complexity
of identity in the Canadian
context:
o recognize how an
understanding of
Canadian history and the
stories of its peoples
o contributes to their sense
of identity (I, TCC)
o acknowledge oral
traditions, narratives and
stories as valid sources of
knowledge about the
o land and diverse
Aboriginal cultures and
history (CC, I, TCC)
5.2.2 examine, critically, the
ways of life of Aboriginal
peoples in Canada by exploring
and
o reflecting upon the
following questions and
issues:
o What do the stories of
First Nations, Mtis and

Activity 1: How People

Got Fire (2 part activity)
1) Students will watch
How People Got Fire
a) May consider
watching twice
(depending on if
they need to have a
better
understanding)
2) Once the film is
finished, students will
outline the story of How
People Got Fire by
using a chart to outline
the events
3) Discuss which
Aboriginal tribe this
story is from?
a) Look into the Tagish
tribe
b) What is the
significance of fire
to their tribe?
4) Explain the significance
of oral story telling to
Aboriginal culture
a) How do we learn
about our values,
traditions, and moral
lessons? Ie. TV

How People
Got Fire
https://www.nfb.
ca/film/how_pe
ople_got_fire

Activity 1:
- 16 minutes
and 2
seconds to
watch the
video
-20 minutes
outline the
events of the
story and to
discuss
-10-15
minutes to
answer
questions
pertaining to
the story
Activity 2:
-45 minutes
for the Elder
to speak and
share
-10-15
minutes to
write journal
entry

Activity 1 Formative
Assessment:
-Infer how the students
articulate the story in their own
words
-How the students discuss the
concepts of the video
Activity 2 Formative
Assessment:
-Students will write a
reaction journal entry about
the Aboriginal Elder coming
in to visit

Inuit peoples tell us about

their beliefs
regarding the relationship
between people and the
land? (I, CC, TCC, LPP)
How are the Aboriginal
cultures and ways of life
unique in each of the
western, northern,
central and eastern
regions of Canada? (I,
CC, TCC)

English Language Arts Objectives:

1.1 Discover and Explore
o Express ideas and
develop understanding
Read, write,
represent and talk
to explore
personal
understandings
(Grade 5)
Engage in
exploratory
communication to
share personal
responses and
develop own
interpretations

b) Compare to the
students answers to
Aboriginal tribes
Activity 2: Aboriginal
Perspectives on Fire
1) Prior to the class, ask if
an Aboriginal Elder
from the surrounding
community could come
in to talk with the
students
2) Before the Elder comes
in, teachers MUST
discuss with students
how to be respectful to
Aboriginal Elders
a) Teachers must
reiterate how
important and highly
respected Elders are
in the Aboriginal
community
b) Elders must be
treated with respect
regardless of
whether or not they
are in their
community or not
c) Students should be
mindful of what they

(Grade 6)
say and demonstrate
1.2 Clarify and Extend
utmost respect for
the Elder
o consider the ideas of
3) When the Elder comes
others
into the class, they can
seek the
share stories about the
viewpoints of
importance of trees and
others to build on
fire in Aboriginal
personal responses
culture. The Elder can
and understanding
also share anything
(Grade 5)
about Aboriginal
select from the
culture.
ideas and
4)
After the Elders visit,
observations of
students will write a
others to expand
journal entry about their
personal
thoughts of the visit.
understanding
Students will express
(Grade 6)
their thoughts of how
o Combine ideas
Aboriginal views of
o Extend understanding
forests and fire
Search for further
differentiate from what
ideas and
we learned.
information from
others and from
oral, print and
other media texts
to extend
understanding
(Grade 5)
Evaluate the
usefulness of new

ideas, techniques,
and texts in terms
of present
understanding
(Grade 6)
2.1 Use strategies and cues
o Use comprehension
strategies
Monitor
understanding by
evaluating new
ideas and
information in
relation to known
ideas and
information
(Grade 6)
2.2 Respond to Texts
o Experience various texts
express points of
view about oral,
print and other
media texts
(Grade 5)
write or represent
the meaning of
texts in different
forms (Grade 5)
experience oral,
print and other

media texts from a

variety of cultural
traditions and
genres (Grade 6)
Explain own
points of view
about oral, print
and other media
texts (Grade 6)
Discuss the
authors,
illustrators,
storytellers or
filmmakers
intention or
purpose (Grade 6)
Construct meaning from
text
Support own
interpretations of
oral, print and
other media texts,
using evidence
from personal
experiences and
texts (Grade 5)
Identify or infer
reasons for a
characters actions
or feelings (Grade
6)

Make judgements
and inferences
related to events,
characters, setting,
and main ideas
(Grade 6)
2.3 Understand Forms, Elements
and Techniques
o Understand techniques
and elements
Identify the main
problem or
conflict in oral,
print and other
media texts, and
explain how it is
resolved (Grade 6)
Explore
techniques, such
as visual imagery,
sound, flashback
and voice
inflection (Grade
6)
o Experiment with
language
3.1 Plan and Focus
o Focus attention
Summarize
important ideas in

oral, print and

other media texts
and express
opinions about
them (Grade 5)
Use note-taking or
representing to
assist with
understanding
ideas and
information, and
focusing topics for
investigation
(Grade 6)
Determine information
needs
Decide on and
select the
information
needed to support
a point of view
(Grade 6)
Plan to gather
information
Develop and
follow own plan
for accessing and
gathering ideas
and information,
considering
guidelines for

time and length of

investigation and
presentation
(Grade 6)
3.3 Organize, Record and
Evaluate
o Organize information
Use clear
organizational
structures, such as
chronological
order, and cause
and effect, to link
ideas and
information and to
assist audience
understanding
(Grade 5)
3.4 Share and Review
o Share ideas and
information
Communicate
ideas and
information in a
variety of oral,
print and other
media
4.1 Enhance and Improve
o Revise and edit
Use paragraph

structures in
expository and
narrative texts
(Grade 6)
o Enhance legibility
Write legibly and
at a pace
appropriate to
context and
purpose (Grade 6)
o Expand knowledge of
language
o Enhance artistry
4.2 Attend to Conventions
o Attend to grammar and
usage
o Attend to spelling
o Attend to capitalization
and punctuation
5.1 Respect Others and
Strengthen Community
o Relate texts to culture
Identify ways in
which oral, print
and other media
texts from diverse
cultures and
communities
explore similar
ideas (Grade 6)