Central Okanagan Grade 5 teachers are learning how to incorporate aboriginal studies into their classrooms.
Kevin Kaiser is a member of the Stellat含羞草研究社檈n First Nation and is a teacher and education consultant with the school district.
Last week Kaiser, as part of the Aboriginal Education Program, had teachers, librarians and aboriginal advocates take part in a 含羞草研究社渂lanket exercise含羞草研究社� which had participants walk through Canada含羞草研究社檚 history with an indigenous lens, he said.
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The exercise uses blankets to show the past, as they unfold to show that even though it has been difficult for First Nations, there is also hope for the future.
Aboriginal high school students also helped with the exercise held at Hollywood Road Educational Services building in Rutland.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 aboriginal students teaching teachers, which is very cool,含羞草研究社� said Kaiser.
Kaiser is also the aboriginal chair on the Central Okanagan Teachers Union, which purchased resources for teachers to teach First Nations含羞草研究社� history.
The resources include books, videos and other resources, one of which is Shi-Shi-Etko, a book by Nicola Campbell which is the first book teacher use in the new unit.
Kaiser said the teachers will have support from the program, and guidance on how to teach the difficult issues.
含羞草研究社淲e created a bit of a support group,含羞草研究社� he said.
The new B.C. curriculum requires more First Nations含羞草研究社� content and history at the elementary and middle school levels.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 one of the more exciting parts of the curriculum,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 say that because I guest teach at UBCO and one of the things I hear all the time is teachers never taught me about residential schools and I didn含羞草研究社檛 hear about them until I was in university.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
含羞草研究社淥ur program含羞草研究社檚 goal is for every student in the Central Okanagan School District to learn about residential schools.含羞草研究社�
The learning starts in Grade 5 with a general overview with reconciliation, that things happened in Canada and First Nations people are still here, said Kaiser. In Grade 7 the students do a 含羞草研究社減roject to heart含羞草研究社� which is a collage of tiles sharing words for residential school survivors.
In Grade 10, 11 and 12, students will have an opportunity to visit the old Kamloops residential school building.
