‭Lesson Planning Template‬

‭ED 3501‬
‭Fall 2023‬

‭Component One‬‭:‬‭Organizational Information‬

‭ eacher‬
T
‭Rosemary Freed‬ ‭ rade‬
G
‭Name(s)‬
‭Level(s)‬ ‭2‬
‭ nit(s) /‬
U
‭ ubject‬
S ‭ rairies/Indigenous Peoples‬
P
‭Social Studies/Art‬ ‭Topic(s) /‬
‭Area(s)‬ ‭of Canada‬
‭Strand (s)‬
‭ tart/Stop‬
S
‭Times +‬ ‭ esson‬
L
‭Lesson‬
‭35 minutes‬
‭Date:‬
‭December 5‬
‭Duration‬

‭Component Two‬‭: Description and Rationale‬

‭●‬‭In this lesson, students will learn about the importance of plants of the prairies to Indigenous‬
‭cultures and their uses, and will create a visual representation (watercolor artwork) of a plant‬
‭of their choosing.‬
‭Description‬ ‭●‬‭This lesson follows up on a previous lesson where students learned different facts and‬
:‭ ‬ ‭Indigenous uses of plants in the prairies in a jigsaw activity.‬
‭●‬‭In following lessons, students will write on the back of their card one fact and one Indigenous‬
‭use of their prairie plant.‬
‭●‬‭Students will then keep their completed prairies plant index card in their visual journal “home‬
‭pocket” to have throughout the year.‬

‭●‬‭We decided to do an art lesson in between the jigsaw and writing portion of this assessment‬
‭as it breaks up the reading and writing intensive learning activities and maintains students'‬
‭engagement and excitement for the topic.‬
‭●‬‭Students will write about one Indigenous use and one fact about their plant in following‬
‭Rationale:‬ ‭lessons.‬
‭●‬‭Assessing student understanding of the outcomes through asking questions at the start of the‬
‭lesson and during the writing portion of the assessment.‬
‭●‬‭Developing appreciation of Alberta’s communities and geography by creating a prairie plant‬
‭“trading card” with artwork and information about the plant’s uses. Students will carry their‬
‭prairie plant card with them throughout the year in their visual journal home pockets.‬

‭Component Three:‬‭Learner Outcomes‬

‭ eneral‬
G
‭Learner‬ ‭ eneral Outcome 2.1‬
G
‭Outcomes(s)‬ ‭Canada’s Dynamic Communities‬
‭(GLOs)‬ ‭●‬ ‭Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how geography,‬
‭(or‬
‭culture, language, heritage, economics and resources shape and change Canada’s‬
‭equivalent)‬
‭communities.‬
‭ pecific‬
S ‭ .1 Canada’s Dynamic Communities‬
2
‭Learner‬ ‭Values and Attitudes‬
‭Outcome(s)‬ ‭Students will‬
‭(SLOs)‬
‭(or‬ ‭●‬ ‭2.1.1 appreciate the physical and human geography of the communities studied‬
‭equivalent)‬ ‭○‬ ‭appreciate how a community’s physical geography shapes identity (I, LPP)‬
‭○‬ ‭appreciate the diversity and vastness of Canada’s land and peoples (CC, LPP)‬

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 ‭Lesson Planning Template‬
‭ED 3501‬
‭Fall 2023‬
‭ nowledge and Understanding‬
K
‭Students will‬
‭●‬ ‭2.1.2 investigate the physical geography of an Inuit, an Acadian, and a prairie‬
‭community in Canada‬
‭○‬ ‭How does the physical geography of each community shape its identity? (CC, I)‬
‭●‬ ‭2.1.4 investigate the economic characteristics of communities in Canada‬
‭○‬ ‭What kinds of natural resources exist in the communities (e.g., fishing,‬
‭agriculture, mining)? (ER, LPP)‬

‭Component Four:‬‭Learning Objective(s) and Assessment‬‭Evidence‬

‭Learning‬ ‭ ‬ ‭Students will be able to describe Indigenous uses of plants in the prairies.‬
●
‭Objective(s‬ ‭●‬ ‭Students will be able to create a visual representation (artwork) of a plant found in the‬
‭)‬ ‭prairies.‬

‭Component Five:‬‭Pre-Lesson Preparations‬

‭Curriculum Resources‬ ‭Materials and Equipment‬
‭ ‬ ‭Prairies plants infographics‬
● ‭‬
● ‭ atercolor pencils‬
W
‭●‬ ‭Prairies plants worksheet‬ ‭●‬ ‭Paint cups and water‬
‭●‬‭Information for prairies plants infographics retrieved‬ ‭●‬ ‭Paintbrushes‬
‭from:‬‭https://galileo.org/kainai/plant-index/‬ ‭●‬ ‭Paper towel‬
‭●‬‭Watercolor paper‬
‭●‬‭Slideshow‬

‭Teacher Tasks‬
‭ hat do you need to have ready‬‭before‬‭the students‬‭enter the class?‬
W
‭●‬‭Photocopying of prairies plants infographics and worksheet‬
‭●‬‭Students assigned into groups‬
‭●‬‭Slideshow set up‬
‭●‬‭Paint cups with water set up at the back of the room‬
‭●‬‭Student supplies ready (paint cups, brushes, watercolor pencils, watercolor paper, paper towel)‬

‭Component Six:‬‭Body (introduction, activities, closure)‬

‭Introduction‬ ‭Time‬
‭Allotment‬

‭2‬
 ‭Lesson Planning Template‬
‭ED 3501‬
‭Fall 2023‬
‭ eview:‬
R
‭“What did we learn about yesterday in social studies?”‬

‭Intended Responses:‬
‭●‬ ‭Plants in the prairies‬
‭●‬ ‭Indigenous uses of plants‬

“‭ How did Indigenous Peoples use plants? Do you remember any‬ ‭‬

3
‭uses?”‬ ‭ inutes‬
m
‭Intended Responses:‬
‭●‬ ‭Medicine‬
‭●‬ ‭Food‬
‭●‬ ‭For decorations/crafts‬
‭●‬ ‭Ceremony/rituals‬
‭●‬ ‭Smudging‬

‭ ook/Turn and talk:‬‭What is sweetgrass used for?‬

H
‭So, last time, we missed one of the plants on our sheet, and I‬
‭actually have it right here! This one is actually a very important and‬
‭special plant to Indigenous Peoples. Does anyone remember which‬
‭one we missed?‬

‭ es, we missed sweetgrass last time! So let’s learn a little bit about‬
Y
‭this plant.‬

‭ urn and Talk:‬‭What do you think sweetgrass is used‬‭for? How do‬

T ‭‬
5
‭you think Indigenous Peoples may have used sweetgrass? (~3‬ ‭ inutes‬
m
‭minutes)‬

‭Sweetgrass is used for:‬

‭●‬ ‭Smudging‬
‭○‬ ‭The smoke is washed over you and helps to purify your‬
‭thoughts and make you feel clean.‬
‭●‬ ‭Burned during prayers and meetings.‬
‭○‬ ‭Burned either on hot coals or braided and then burned.‬
‭●‬ ‭Sometimes mixed with tobacco and smoked during ceremonies.‬
‭3‬
 ‭Lesson Planning Template‬
‭ED 3501‬
‭Fall 2023‬
‭○‬ I‭ t is a very sacred and holy plant and needs to be treated‬
‭with respect and care‬
‭●‬ ‭Medicine. Used for a cough or sore throat.‬
‭●‬ ‭Crafts. Elders used to braid it into their headdress. Can also be‬
‭used to make other things, such as baskets.‬

‭ ransition: Explanation of Art Activity-‬

T
‭So, today we have a bit more of an artsy activity. You are going to‬
‭pick a plant that you know some things about, and draw in on one of‬
‭these cards. Make sure the plant you choose is something that you‬
‭are able to write about or know something about, because after we‬
‭finish our drawing pieces we are going to write about them. You‬
‭might want to choose the one you were an expert in. Our writing‬
‭activity will be something we save for next time, since our artwork‬
‭will need time to dry.‬

‭ ou are going to first write your name (TINY!) on the back in one of‬
Y
‭the top corners. Then, flip your card over and draw a sketch of a‬
‭plant of your choosing. Make sure your sketch is LIGHT, because‬
‭when we add our watercolor pencils, we don’t want to see pencil‬
‭marks in our artwork.‬
‭Activities‬ ‭Time‬
‭Allotment‬
‭ ctivity 1: Sketch of Prairie Plant‬
A
‭Students will be given a small sheet of watercolor paper. They will‬
‭draw a sketch of a prairie plant of their choosing.‬
‭5‬
‭minutes‬
‭ ssist students with fine motor challenges, float around the room to‬
A
‭check in with how students are doing.‬

‭ atercolor Pencils Demonstration-‬‭When students begin‬‭to‬

W
‭finish up their sketch, give a small demonstration and some art tips‬
‭by inviting students to kneel/stand around a table.‬
‭5‬
‭minutes‬
‭Art tips:‬
‭●‬ ‭Start light! It is hard to take away color once it is on the page.‬
‭●‬ ‭Erase pencil outlines, then outline with watercolor pencil.‬
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 ‭Lesson Planning Template‬
‭ED 3501‬
‭Fall 2023‬
‭‬D
● ‭ raw with colored pencil, then add water and layer.‬
‭●‬ ‭You can wet the tip of your watercolor pencil to get a pop of‬
‭color in your artwork.‬
‭●‬ ‭Use a balance of water and watercolor pencil.‬

‭ ctivity 2: Watercolor pencil coloring of prairie plant‬

A
‭Students will use watercolor pencil to color in their prairies plant‬
‭sketch.‬
‭12‬
‭minutes‬
‭ ssist students with fine motor challenges, float around the room to‬
A
‭check in with how students are doing.‬

‭ leanup-‬‭Have students pause, put their artwork on‬‭the table in the‬

C
‭5‬
‭back to dry, and clean up and put away their art supplies (brushes,‬ ‭minutes‬
‭paint cups, watercolor pencils).‬

‭Component Seven:‬‭Teacher Reflection‬

‭ ‬ ‭Students were engaged during artistic demonstration.‬
●
‭What worked‬
‭well? Why?‬
‭●‬ ‭Students took their time sketching and coloring their artwork.‬
‭●‬ ‭Slideshow with pictures of various plants was a great visual reminder.‬
‭●‬ ‭Expectations were clear and all students understood their task.‬
‭●‬ ‭One student ripped his drawing and had to restart.‬
‭What didn’t?‬
‭Why not?‬
‭●‬ ‭There wasn’t enough time for students to fully finish their artwork and they had just started‬
‭painting/coloring.‬
‭What would‬
‭you do‬
‭differently‬
‭next time to‬ ‭ ‬ ‭Reminding students to wait for their artwork to dry BEFORE layering to avoid paper ripping.‬
●
‭further‬ ‭●‬ ‭Maybe have the sketching as part of one lesson and the water color part as part of the next‬
‭promote‬ ‭lesson, so I don’t have to set up the watercolor supplies twice.‬
‭optimum‬
‭learning for all‬
‭students?‬

‭5‬