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First People's English 11
Assignment 1
Introductions: Complete the attached introduction sheet and email to me, please.
Intros
Lesson 2:
Introduction to Story
In this lesson we will be reading/listening to Thomas King. Please read and/or listen to the first chapter of The Truth About Stories and answer the questions.
Next class we will be going over the Truth About Stories and some of the key pieces found in that lecture. I will be talking about how stories are used in many cultures, especially Indigenous cultures.
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This work will set up the first project of the quarter (writing your own life story) and will also help us prepare ourselves for the novel.
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The Truth About Stories Ch 1. Audio on YouTube
Lesson 3:
Indian Horse
We have started reading the novel Indian Horse by Anishinaabe writer Richard Wagamese. Please find the first section of text and the questions below.
Lesson 3:
Indian Horse
We have started reading the novel Indian Horse by Anishinaabe writer Richard Wagamese. Please find the next section of text and the questions below.
Lesson 4:
Indian Horse
Lesson 4:
Trickster Stories
In this unit, we will be learning about Tricksters in Indigenous stories.
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Tricksters are very important aadizookanaag (Spirit Beings) in Indigenous cultures. They gently teach us how to be good people for All Our Relations. When children would make mistakes, rather than harshly punish them (which would damage their spirit) the old ones would tell them stories about "Tricksters" who made mistakes, too. This was a gentle way of correcting behaviour that might grow to become harmful to the community.
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Below are a number of readings to introduce you to Tricksters - what they are and what they do - so that you can move on to the next assignment, which is to read a number of stories.
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Read the information and fill out the worksheet "Who is Trickster and what do they teach us" for the introduction readings. I will be adding the readings later today.
Lesson 5:
Trickster Stories
Next you will be reading a few more stories to get ideas to write your own.
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Below are several stories in graphic novel format. You are to choose at least 4 to read. Use the graphic organiser to compare the stories.
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You will be comparing/contrasting the stores so that, for your final assignment, you can create a story of your own.
The stories
Mind Map and the Sample
Lesson 6:
Trickster Stories
The videos below are examples of trickster stories, too. Go ahead and have a look at these if you think they will help you get some ideas about how you want to create your own story.
Elder sharing coyote stories
How the Raven Stole the Sun
Lesson 7:
Trickster Stories
ASSIGNMENT
This week you will draft your Trickster story.
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You will be using your Trickster from your assignment last week…the one you chose to research. Here’s how to create your draft:
1. Think of a story about a time in your life when you made a huge mistake…you accidentally broke something,
OR made a bad decision,
OR think of a problem that needs to be solved…something like that.
It doesn’t have to be too heavy, just a little mistake you made or a decision you could have made that would have turned out better than it did or a problem that has given you some issues that you would like to solve.
You can also just make something up.
The story just has to have some kind of “moral” to help teach people (little ones, mostly) how to make better decisions or how to make up for mistakes that were made or a good way to solve a problem
2. Re-tell that story in a way that is like the trickster stories you’ve read or heard before (last week or other times).
3. Take into consideration these elements:
A. You are the trickster you chose OR you could also create yourself as a different trickster
B. What is the main issue OR problem OR what was the mistake
C. What special “powers” or abilities will be needed to fix things?
D. What “moral” do you want the story to have? What do you want to teach people in your story?
Go ahead and use the template in the link below to help you format your ideas.
You are welcome to draw a picture of your trickster, too if you want.
THE STEPS TO DRAFTING THE STORY:
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Use the organiser to help you get your ideas down on paper
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Describe – WITH AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE – the situation/problem/mistake
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Decide on (and write down in the organiser) a name for your trickster…you may also choose the name of the trickster you researched as the character in your story
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Decide on (and write in the organiser) any special “powers” or abilities your trickster needs to have to solve the problem. If you are using the trickster that you researched, point out which of her/his powers will be useful for this situation
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Write down – WITH AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE – the moral or lesson you want people to learn (write it in the organiser…there is a space for it)
NEXT WEEK
We will take this draft and put it into story form. You can look up other tricksters or more stories about the trickster you have chosen to get some more ideas to add detail to your work when we put it together next week.
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Lesson 8:
Trickster Stories
This week you will take your info from your graphic organiser and write the story about your trickster and the teaching you want to give the world about the mistake you made – or whatever you chose to write about in your notes.
Starting a story is always a difficult thing. When you are working with traditional stories, often we start with some of the following phrases. You can choose one of these or make up one of your own:
In the long ago…
The old ones have taught us that…
I have heard a story from the Elders that goes like this:
Everyone makes mistakes. I remember a story of a mistake that was made by ___________ who taught me how to be a better person because of the mistakes they made and the story goes like this:
You can use any of these or none or one you make up. It just helps to have a sentence or phrase that tells the reader/listener that you are about to tell a story that taught you something so your reader/listener is looking for a teaching or a message of some kind.
CRITERIA FOR THE STORY
To help guide you in the making of your story, this is what I will be looking for that will show me that you understand how trickster stories work and that you have used the information from your notes:
1. There is a “trickster” character of some kind in your story
2. You have started the story in a way that leads me into the story
3. There is a teaching or a “moral” of some kind that shows me you are trying to teach your reader how to live in a good way with all of the beings around us – human and more-than-human (animals, plants, rock ancestors…all beings).
Those are, really the 3 main parts I will be keeping my eye out for. If you have those 3 components, you have told a trickster story.
Please feel free to add art work to the story if you like. You may also choose to write it in a graphic novel format. I have a book that tells trickster stories in a “comic book” format and it is awesome!
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See the PDF below for an organiser that might help.
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Final Project
See the PDF for the instructions. Choose one of the Elders from "In Their Own Words" in the section below from Beyond 94. You will write a letter of gratitude to the Elder for their courage and generousity to share their story with us. If you are in class, you will make a tile to send as a gift with the letter. I will organise and send them out when I get contact info from CBC.
FINAL CONVERSATIONS FOR YOUR "GRADE"
In the doc below are the questions for you to prepare for your final conversation with Adrienne and I. DO ALL QUESTIONS. CHOOSE 3 THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN THE CONVERSATION WITH.
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Please be sure to suggest a "grade" for your work. Check off all of the pieces you have completed or have been working on.
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If you are unsure of your meeting time and day, please email me to find out.
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Thank you. Looking forward to sharing these last few days with you!