Discover Your Spirit Animal November 14, 2019 Wenzel

Discover Your Spirit Animal

Grade: 2 Subject: Art / ELA Unit: Measuring for the Art Show Lesson Duration: 40 min

Overview of lesson

In this lesson, students will be exposed to FMNI culture and beliefs through the video, How the Coyote
got his Cunning. The story will act as hook and introduce the concept of spirit animals to students.
Following the reading, the educator will recap spirit animals with the students, and give definition and
explanations for each. Following which, students will break into independent art sessions, where they
will color animals which they recognize as their own spirit animal.

OUTCOMES FROM 2013 MINISTERIAL ORDER: Cross-curricular Competencies

Outcomes (a to j from M.O.):
d. manage information: access, interpret, evaluate and use information effectively, efficiently and
ethically;
e. innovates: create, generate and apply new ideas or concepts;
f. creates opportunities through play, imagination, reflection, negotiation, and competition, with

an entrepreneurial spirit;

i. demonstrates global and cultural understanding, considering the economy and sustainable
development.

Alberta Program of Study

English Language Arts
GLO /GLE #1 SLO/SLE
Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and 1.1.3 - express or represent ideas and feelings
represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and resulting from activities or experiences with oral, print
experiences. and other media texts

GLO /GLE #2 2.2.1 - engage in a variety of shared and independent

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and listening, reading and viewing experiences, using oral,
represent to comprehend and respond personally and print and other media texts from a variety of cultural
traditions and genres, such as legends, video
critically
 to oral, print and other media texts.
programs, puppet plays, songs, riddles and
informational texts
Fine Arts - Art
GLO /GLE SLO/SLE
Component 10: Purpose 4
Students will express a felling or a message. B. Specific messages, beliefs and interests can
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be interpreted visually, or symbolized. 


Critical Questions
Unit Inquiry Question:
- What is your spirit animal?

Lesson Guiding Questions

Lesson Guiding Questions:
- Who has ever heard of a Spirit Animal?
- What is a spirit animal?
- Who has a spirit animal?
- What is the representation behind your spirit animal?

Learning Objectives
I can …
- Identify my spirit animal
- Identify what my spirit animal represents
- Represent my spirit animal in a way which respects FMNI art

Learning Resources Consulted

Resource #1: The YouTube video, How the Coyote got his Cunning, was utilized in the creation of this
lesson. This was done to provide students with a visual representation of Indigenous spirituality with
animals and nature at large. This video provides a visual and auditory differentiation for students, to
ensure every student has an opportunity to explore the concept of spirit animals in a way that best
suites their needs and abilities. https://youtu.be/5d2Zh318kRY
Resource #2: The internet resource from Educate, Inspire, Change was consulted in the creation of
this lesson. This was done to ensure culturally appropriate interpretations of FNMI culture and spiritual
beliefs. This will aid students learning as it provides background knowledge and an opportunity to make
connections to life beyond school. https://educateinspirechange.org/nature/animals/25-spirit-animals-
amazing-meanings-behind/
Resource #3: The website linked below was consulted for coloring pages for students. This was
utilized to provide students with an opportunity to personally acknowledge and interact with the spirit
animal they chose. http://www.supercolouring.com

Materials and Equipment

- Worksheet
- Markers
- PowerPoint
- YouTube Video

Lesson Procedure
Introduction (10 min.):
Hook / Attention Grabber – To hook students, a short adaptation of the story, How the Coyote got his Cunning.
The story will act as hook and introduce the concept of spirit animals to students.
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Expectations for Learning and Behavior – - The expectations for Learning and Behavior for this lesson are as
follows:
- Try your best
- Stay on task
- Respect your classmates
o Rule #2 – raise your hand for permission to speak
o Be aware of other’s personal bubble
- Use supplies and time wisely
- Get help when needed

Transition to Body – To Transition to the lesson students will be asked to following questions to activate prior
knowledge of FNMI culture and spirit animals;
- Who are the First Nations Peoples?
- Who has ever seen a totem pole?
- Who has ever heard of or been assigned a spirit animal?

Body (25 min.)

Steps and Procedures Identify Teaching Strategies:
Power Point Presentation (10 min) Direct instruction as well as whole group
- During the PowerPoint presentation students will remain will be utilized in during the power point
seated, and be introduce to cultural beliefs, as well as demonstration. This is done to ensure
symbolism behind each animal.
- Symbolism for discussed for animals such as the learning of an important and crucial topic,
o Bear while giving students an opportunity to
o Frog express and explore thoughts and ideas
o Salmon
surrounding the topic at hand.
o Coyote
o Eagle Direct instruction is a crucial part of the
- Following the presentation, students will be asked the instruction, as it provides the teacher with the
following questions regarding their thoughts on
opportunity to ensure specific concepts are
symbolism
- These questions include; taught, and done so in a timely matter.
o What do you think your spirit animal will be? Group discussion is utilized following the
o Why do you think that? direct instruction to provide formative
o Is there another animal in which you wish we
would have talked about? assessment for validity and reliability for the
- Following the question period, students will be dismissed FNMI concepts taught. By providing students
to their desks, where the educator will hand out coloring with the opportunity to express themselves,
pages.
the teacher creates an open opportunity for
Independent Practice (10 min) students to explore and discuss FNMI culture
- Prior to handing out coloring pages, the educator will
and beliefs, furthering potential learning.
emphasize that, while you may not get your first choice
for coloring, each animal is special and an important part
of our lives. As a result, we must be respectful and
accept our second or third choice.
- Students will then select from the options provided and
color their sheets.

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- Following the allotted time, students will hand in their
pages (completed or not) and return to their tables for
closing.

Assessments

Formative: Formative assessment will take place in the form of sampling through questioning in during
the PowerPoint presentation. During this time, the educator will survey for prior knowledge as well as
newly developed understanding of FNMI culture and beliefs pertaining to spirit animals. This will be
done to survey and note prior knowledge for future FNMI lessons.

Summative Assessment: Summative assessment will not be utilized for this activity as this is an introductory
lesson and students have not yet had the opportunity to master the skills being taught and practiced. Skills being
taught in the lesson will like wise be assessed in the final project for the unit.

Differentiation
While students will be presented with information verbally, through both the telling of a story and the teachers
presentation of information, information will also be presented on the point point. This will be done to ensure that
students who struggle with auditory skills have an equal opportunity to learn about FNMI beliefs and spirit
animals.

For students who need extra time coloring, students will also be given a second chance (the following day) to
complete their art work and hand it in. This is done to ensure students have the opportunity to perform to the best
of their abilities, and hand in their best work.

Consolidating and Closure (5 min)

Transition to Next Lesson(s): Following the completion of coloring pages, students will clean up their
areas, hand in their coloring pages, and gather at the carpet where they will be dismissed to their next
class.

Feedback from Students on Learning:

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Reflective Notes