Reimagining Curriculum: Cross-Curricular Approaches to Center Indigenous Education in Grades 7 And 8
Loading...
Authors
Caulfield, Claire
Date
2024-12-13
Type
learning object
Language
en
Keyword
Alternative Title
Abstract
In its 2015 report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada identified the need for an age-appropriate curriculum highlighting Residential Schools, Treaties, and Indigenous Peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada for students from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). While increased efforts have been made to teach the history and effects of Residential Schools as made evident by the recognition of Orange Shirt Day in schools across the province of Ontario, there remains a need to further implement curriculum-based learning of Indigenous Education in Ontario schools. Researchers have identified that centring Indigenous Knowledge in the school curriculum is fundamental to a process of decolonizing and reframing that can benefit reconciliation in schools (Haig-Brown, 2008). Furthermore, implementing a culturally responsive curriculum in schools is valuable, as it addresses the learning needs of Indigenous Students (Cherubini, 2009). While Indigenous Education is often taught within the confines of the history curriculum, research suggests that teaching Indigenous Education in a cross-curricular format can be beneficial as it recognizes and maintains Indigenous Knowledge Systems while working towards reconciliation (Austin & Hickey, 2011). Moreover, teaching Indigenous Education through cross-curricular learning honours Indigenous perspectives, as it emphasizes the fundamental principle of holism, which states that concepts are to be best understood in relation to one another (Morcom, 2017).
This project will create a website for elementary educators – specifically grade seven and eight teachers – providing them with the background knowledge behind cross-curricular teaching as a tool to incorporate Indigenous Education in the classroom. The website will highlight various benefits of teaching Indigenous Education through a cross-curricular approach, addressing how cross-curricular learning can be used to support the learning needs of Indigenous Students, how cross-curricular learning can honour and respect holistic learning and Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and how cross-curricular learning can highlight the contemporary and varied aspects of Indigenous Education, all of which combined aid in the cultural literacy of students and reconciliation efforts within the classroom. The website will contain elements from an approximate outline as follows. One section of the website will contain a literature review highlighting the need for Indigenous Education to be incorporated in Ontario elementary schools with a contemporary light. Another section of the website will outline research on how cross-curricular learning can be utilized as a tool to increase Indigenous Education in a culturally responsive and respectful manner. The last section of the website will consist of several lesson plans that grade seven and eight teachers can utilize across various subjects to teach Indigenous Education in a cross-curricular manner, as aligned with the Ontario Curriculum.
Description
This is a series of cross-curricular learning plans aligning with the Ontario Grade 7 and 8 Curriculum to support Indigenous Education initiatives. The website containing the resources can be found here: https://clairecaulfieldd.wixsite.com/crosscurr