Page 158 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

Grade 11, College Preparation
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies
Reading Unfamiliar Words
C3.2 use appropriate decoding strategies to read and understand unfamiliar words in texts
from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures, and, as appropriate, in relevant texts from non- Indigenous sources (e.g., use a glossary to decode new words encountered in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit literature; use knowledge of word order and of the relationship between words to guess the meaning of a new word; look for unfamiliar words within familiar words; use knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to predict meaning)
Sample questions: “What did you see in this word that helped you connect it to a word you already knew?” “In what context have you seen part of this word within another word? What does that suggest about its meaning in this text?”
Developing Vocabulary
C3.3 identify and use a variety of strategies
to expand vocabulary (e.g., compile a list of specialized vocabulary; use a thesaurus to find synonyms for new words encountered while reading and record them in a reading log), focusing on words and phrases that have particular significance for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities (e.g., citizenship, good life, First Nation community, traditional territory, unceded territory, on reserve, sovereignty, self-governance, ways of knowing) and explaining the evolving usage of these terms
Sample questions: “What different synonyms might contemporary Indigenous and non- Indigenous readers find for the term ‘homeland’? What synonyms might a person from another historical period assign to this word?” “What contextual clues suggest that the characters in the story understand this term in a way that differs from contemporary understanding?” “Which abstract words in this report could be changed to concrete words to make the meaning clearer? What strategies would you use to identify appropriate synonyms?”
C4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies
By the end of this course, students will:
Metacognition
C4.1 describe a variety of strategies they used before, during, and after reading texts from and/or related to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures, explain which ones they found most helpful, and identify appropriate steps they can take to improve as readers (e.g., create a mind map of strategies, using colours, symbols, or fonts
to illustrate the usefulness of the strategies and their mastery of them; select one strategy they found helpful when reading complex informational texts and describe how they used it)
Sample questions: “What pre-reading strategy did you use before starting your independent reading of the novel? How did it help you to make sense of the introduction?” “What effect did small-group discussions have on the pre- dictions you made about the story? How might you improve your participation in similar discussions?”
Interconnected Skills
C4.2 identify a variety of skills they have in listening, speaking, writing, viewing, and representing, and explain how these skills help them read texts from and/or related to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures more effectively (e.g., explain how listening to live presentations and radio talks by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit writers can help them analyse the themes of texts they are reading in class; identify specific ways
in which writing summaries of reports and other informational texts they read can clarify their understanding of the contents)
Sample question: “What insight into the text did you gain from listening to the author’s online talk about personal achievements with respect to reclaiming cultural identity and reaching professional goals?”
C5. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices in Contemporary Literature
By the end of this course, students will:
Development of Contemporary Literature
C5.1 identify the contributions of several different individuals, organizations, and initiatives to the development of contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit literature (e.g., individuals: Richard Wagamese, Drew Hayden Taylor, Rachel Attituq Qitsualik-Tinsley; organizations: publishers with a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit focus; the Canada Council for the Arts and other funding organizations that offer grants to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit writers and storytellers; initiatives: the First Nation Communities Read program, national and regional writing contests, special interest columns in mainstream publications)
Sample questions: “What is the First Nation Communities Read program? What is its specific contribution to the development of First Nations literature?”
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