I have had a really hard time finding appropriate resources to use to for my Grade 3 Social Studies Unit.

The problem is that most of the teaching resources are written for middle or high school students. Very few texts are suitable for elementary school and our new curriculum.

I just recently discovered that my board has a First Nations, Metis, and Inuit division, and they have been extremely helpful.

Their goal is to “engage FNMI students, parents, and community members (including Elders and Cultural Teachers) in the planning and decision-making processes that affect the educational experiences of FNMI students.”

I contacted them and they were able to provide me with some great resources. One member of their staff came into my classroom and gave a great talk about her Ojibwa heritage. She brought in a hand drum and homemade moccasins. She even lent me a kit of leveled readers. It is in an invaluable resource that I am glad to have.

I wanted my students to do some research to learn more about some of the First Nations people in our community and beyond. I searched online for quite some time and finally found a worthy site.

http://bigorrin.org/

Orrin Lewis has put together some great information about dozens First Nations groups.

He writes, “This website was written for young people seeking information for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers to visit our main language and culture pages for in-depth information about specific tribes, but here are our answers to common questions asked by kids, with pictures and links suitable for all ages.”

Teaching Tip Tuesday – great tips, tricks, lessons, and resources every week.