Block 1 English 9 25/26

 There was a TOC in for this block. We will back track to a review of "The Potential of Change" next class. The TOC read "The Other Indians" with students - some students were even good enough to help with the reading. Students had a full 30 minutes to continue their not work - many are doing an excellent job of digging deeper into the text - thinking about themes - connecting indirect characterization to themes/other parts of the text. No homework.    

We opened the class by answering a couple of student questions, looking at a follow-up from Grassy narrows, watching a piece on "Grandmother Moon" from a Canadian astronaut, and briefly talking about this article .  We connected these various pieces to the text itself, before doing a chapter review, and reading to the end of page 117. Students had the remainder of the class to work on their notes. *Note: Unless specifically assigned, none of the posted articles are required reading. If students feel they are too heavy, they are free to forgo reading them.    

 We opened the class with a couple of questions, and a brief look at this article , and history of mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows . We watched a video of Dimaline talking with Shelagh Rogers. We watched another video of Dimaline talking with Jully Black for Canada reads. We talked through some key quotes for the last chapter, then we read "Miigwans' Coming-To Story." Students used the last part of the class to continue their character notes. Students should be thinking about key themes - big ideas seen throughout the novel, and represented differently in the stories of each character. Many of these big ideas were present in the interviews we looked at today.       

 We opened the class with talking about a piece on AI, written by Claude (AI)  - We had a discussion about the value of sitting in thought - thinking things through - getting stuck. Students had a lot to say about their process, and where they start when they don't "get" something.   We answered a couple of class questions, and talked about the terms  syncretism  and  xenophobia. We touched a bit on the past chapter and then carried on through "Back into the Woods."   Students had some time to work on their character notes - they got into larger groups to discuss the quotes they'd chosen  (What do the quotes say about the character?  Direct or Indirect characterization?) No new homework.    

 We were all tired today - the end of the break always finds us this way - good thing it is a short week! We did a quick check in, talked about several questions, and then set about novel work. Students reviewed "Wab's Coming-To Story," after which we read "Story: Part 2." Students took notes on the chapter, and made sure their notes for the previous chapter were also up-to-date.  In the last five minutes of the block, we looked briefly a t this win for former detainees of a "home for girls" that existed in our area until 1973. No new homework!  

 Today, we talked about the book banning going on in Alberta  - Our school libarians were gracious enough to compile a helpful list for students to see the texts being banned, and which of those we have for their reading enjoyment (I will pop this PDF into our team). We talked about the corn Rose and her uncles grow, and connected it to the three sisters, the history of Indigenous agricultural techniques/plant distribution via forest gardens ,  and these seeds . We discussed the Trail of Tears bean seeds - and the Highway of Tears    in B.C., to which so many MMIWG are connected. We talked about a B.C. serial killer, and how institutionalized racism allowed him, and others, to harm Indigenous women and girls (but did not get into detail). We also touched on the political party in Manitoba that ran a campaign on not searching a landfill f or lost loved ones.  We looked at some art/poetry along the Spirit Trail in North Van that mirrors our play, and a...