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Aboriginal Curriculum Integration Project

English

(Reading and Viewing)

Beasts and Berries, The Story of Tasdliz Bin (Part 1)

Teacher Note

Beasts and Berries, The Story of Tasdliz Bin, is a local Witsuwit'en legend. The setting, characters, and plot are centred around a local landmark known as Lake Kathlyn.

Depending on the length of class time available, this lesson may take 3-4 sessions to complete.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Steps to the Unit

  1. Brainstorm the various myths and legends known by students.
  2. Watch a Witsuwit'en legend titled Beasts and Berries.
  3. Read two to three different world myths and legends and analyze their different elements.
  4. Compare and contrast the Beasts and Berries legend with another myth/legend.
  5. Reflect on the process.

CONNECT

Goal:

Students will read a legend of their choice and will compare and contrast that story with the Witsuwit'en Beasts and Berries legend.

Tasks:

Students will:

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Legends are an important way of obtaining information regarding people's beliefs about how they explain the spiritual and physical world around them. Legends can explain something in nature, teach a lesson, or entertain. They often have mythical creatures, heroes, and transformations of humans into animals etc.

Teachers conduct a class discussion and brainstorm on the board what myths and local legends the students are already familiar with (ie. Greek/Roman myths, local creation legends, great flood stories).

Predict and Question:

As mentioned, legends are very important in global cultures as people attempt to explain the world around them. Some questions the teacher should ask the students to consider include:

PROCESS

Student watch a video of the Witsuwit'en legend title Beasts and Berries. Using a Story Grammar sheet, students identify the key plot elements, main characters, setting, and overall theme/moral of the Beasts and Berries story.

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the video and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the video.

Videos

Click above to view video in Mac OSX (Quicktime)
(Video Length: 5 mins)

 

acipthumbnail

Click above to view video in Windows (Media Player)
(Video Length: 5 mins)

Students now read a variety of legends and myths from other world cultures and identify the plot elements, characters, and settings, and themes/morals of those stories. Students should read/view at least 2-3 different legends/myths to build a knowledge base of other myths and legends. Students may read independently or share a story in an A/B partner format - the main goal is for students to identify the plot elements, characters, settings, and theme of the stories. Students may use either a Story Grammar sheet or a Legends/Myths Four Quad organizer.

Sources for myths and legends include the following:

DVDs

Books

Websites

Once students have chosen their myths/legends to read, students will read one story (or portion of a story) to a partner, small group, or to the entire class. Listeners can give positive feedback to the reader and make suggestions for imrovement (ie. diction, projection of voice, vocal pace, etc).

TRANSFORM

Once the students have read their chosen myths and legends, they choose one story and compare its plot elements, characters, settings, and themes to those of the Beasts and BerriesWitsuwit'en legend. Students can create their own Venn Diagram or use a Venn Diagram template. Students then present their comparison to a small group or class and explain the relationship between the two stories.

REFLECT

On the back of their story grammar sheets, students reflect on the legends and myths they have heard, and write which stories they preferred the most and which stories they found less interesting; giving reasons for their choices. Also, students can reflect on how easy/difficult it was to identify the various elements of the stories.

Extend Learning or Next Lesson

Possible extensions for following lessons include: