The Chief Dan George Story
Grades 3 and 4
Classroom Kit
Physical Kits: 2-week loans, year-round for physical kits. The kit includes large, laminated prints of archival and other photographs for use in the classroom.
Details:
Through images and activities, students come to know səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Chief Dan George and understand his historical significance. They discover how his acting career helped change the image of Indigenous people in the media and how his activism raised awareness of Indigenous rights in Canada. This Kit includes lesson plans to encourage discussion and critical thinking.
Your students will:
- View primary source evidence and develop photo and artifact analysis skills.
- Assess the historical significance of Chief Dan George.
- Read and discuss poetry by Chief Dan George, including his ‘Lament to Confederation’.
- Watch a unique video about Chief Dan George produced by the MONOVA.
Big Ideas:
- Socials Studies: Learning about Indigenous peoples nurtures multicultural awareness and respect for diversity. Indigenous knowledge is passed down through oral history, traditions, and collective memory (Grade 3). Interactions between First Peoples and Europeans lead to conflict and cooperation, which continues to shape Canada’s identity (Grade 4). Canada’s policies and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies (Grade 5).
- English Language Arts: Stories and other texts help us learn about ourselves, our families, and our communities (Grade 3). Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world (Grade 4 & 5).
