the planning department: Oh Canada!

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

This is the fifth in a series of “the planning department” articles. In the first three articles Brenda gave a framework and some strategies for planning literature based themes. The fourth article highlighted some of the books and resources used in her theme called Oh, Canada! These articles are available online. Look under Back Issues at www.CanadianTeacherMagazine.com, for downloadable PDF files.

So, you have planned the framework for your literature based theme study of Canada. You know which symbols, animals and geographical features you want to highlight. You also have some terrific activities to launch the theme. Are you ready now to discover some great books?

We recommend

Two books that we have recently incorporated into our theme are high on our “recommended” list. They are Salmon Creek by Annette LeBox and Salmon Forest by David Suzuki and Sarah Ellis.

Salmon Creek
The beautiful watercolour illustrations by Karen Reczuch, alone, are enough of a rationale to buy Salmon Creek. This carefully researched book tells the story of the life cycle of the Pacific salmon. The reader follows Sumi, a young coho, from her birth place in a small creek, down the river to the ocean. As a mature adult she swims in the ocean until it is time to make the return journey to her home, where she spawns and dies. We find the lyrical text in this picture book simply captivating:

These were Sumi’s first memories: water over stones, the scent of the creek, darkness so complete she could barely imagine another world larger than the egg case enclosing her. Sumi was blind, but she could hear the wind whispering through the cedars. She could hear the creek stones lifting and falling as the salmon mothers built their nests. And if she pressed against the curve of her egg she could hear her salmon mother singing.

The book ends with a chart of the life cycle and a section that discusses reasons for the endangerment of this species.

Salmon Forest
It is a bright autumn day and the salmon are spawning in their home creek. As the reader follows Kate and her dad on their walk through the forest the meaning of the title, Salmon Forest, becomes clear. This book is all about connections—between the ocean, the forest and all forms of life. Kate sees slugs, crows, seagulls, an eagle and a hungry bear. At the end of the story they are invited to a salmon barbecue by her friend Brett and his family. The book closes with a great salmon recipe! Illustrated by award winning illustrator, Sheena Lott, this book is also a visual feast.

Before Reading
1. Brainstorming (Goal: To have the students make connections and to access any prior knowledge they have for the topic.)
- Have the students brainstorm any information they have about salmon. This can be done orally, on chart paper, in their response Journals, on the chalkboard or a blackline master printed for this purpose.

2. Word Sort (Goal: To access prior knowledge and to set a purpose for reading.)
- Choose words for the students to sort into two categories, words that are in the text of the story and words that are not. Print the words on the chalkboard.
- Show the students the book. Read the title. Walk through some of the pictures.
- Have the students make predictions about the story.
- Have the students sort the words. They can work individually, with a partner, in small groups or as a whole class. They can sort the words on paper, the overhead or on the chalkboard.

During Reading
1. Drawing (Goal: To focus the students’ attention and to process new information.)
- Have each student fold a piece of plain paper into four.
- Begin reading the story. Stop at a logical break. Have the students draw their impression of the first reading.
- Repeat this step three more times until the story is finished.

2. Word Sort (Goal: To focus the students’ attention on the story.)
- Read the story aloud.
- As the students listen they check their word sorts for accuracy and make changes as needed.

After Reading
1. Word Sort (Goal: To reflect on the story.)
- Discuss the word sorts as a class.
- As a result of the discussion some students may wish to move their words around.
- Check to see if there are any words that need their meanings explained.

2. Flip Book (Goal: To summarize the life cycle of the salmon.)
Have each student:
- fold an 11x17 sheet of white paper in half.
- Open the paper out and cut 6 flaps to the centre fold line as shown.
- On top of each flap print the stages of the life cycle: egg, alevin, fry, smolt, adult, spawner.
- Illustrate the stages underneath the flaps.

Crossing the Curriculum

The Oh, Canada theme is eight weeks long. Each week we focus on one Canadian symbol, animal and geographical feature. A picture book is chosen to match the learning outcomes for each week to make a mini theme. Salmon Creek and Salmon Forest can be effectively matched with a study of button blankets, Pacific Salmon, and Canada’s waterways. Both books provide springboards to learning across the curriculum. The following is just one suggestion.

Art/Craft

Materials:
- pictures and books with illustrations of button blankets
- a sewing kit ( in a zip-lock bag) for each student consisting of: black thread, needles (for safety these could be pinned to a small piece of felt or a small needle case), a square piece of black felt, a square piece of red felt, small white buttons.

Process:
- Look through the pictures and books you have available on button blankets. Frog Girl, by Paul Owen Lewis, is an example of a picture book that contains clear illustrations of traditional cedar bark clothing and button blankets common to the First Nations people of the West Coast. Discuss the appearance of the blankets, materials used, etc.
- Older children can draw a salmon shaped design onto the red felt and cut it out. For younger children we pre-cut the design and fuse it to the black felt with Heat and Bond and a hot iron.
- Once the red salmon design is fused or sewn to the black background, the white buttons can be sewn on.
- The finished squares can be sewn onto a large piece of felt to make a wallhanging for class display, or tabs can be sewn to the tops of the individual pieces to make a small hanging for each student to take home.

Brenda Boreham has been teaching in BC schools for over 25 years using an integrated approach in her classroom. She has written several teachers’ guides and presents popular workshops at District Pro D days.