Lesson name Resources used Assessment strategies TL or CT, in classroom (RM.) or library (LRC)
Website evaluation Schrock’s printable handouts Finish handouts TL, LRC
How to cite Note-book Complete sample citations in note-book TL, LRC
Effective note-taking, Central Idea Graphic Organizer Graphic organizer with headings, subheadings, main ideas, & supporting evidence columns Check completion of each activity in lesson, accuracy of students’ work TL, LRC
Introduction to the canoes “The Great Canoes” book, “Song of the Haida Canoe” VHS,. Answer in written or oral form the critical questions included with each resource listing, KWL graphic organizer RM, or Computer lab
Carving and artists Any of the websites under ‘Canoes’ on the resource list, -use a data projector to show the live carving at Sealaska, and the podcasts featuring Saaduuts work Answer in written or oral form the critical questions included with each resource listing. Have one student file a report on the progress of the carving at Sealaska, to share with the class (possibly as an alternative project) RM, or Computer lab
Where are the monumental trees? “Old-Growth Forest: An Ecosystem,” VHS, string for the activity, The SpruceRoots podcast, “The Last Voyage of the Black Ship,” “Battle for the Trees,” VHS Observe demonstrated newfound sensitivity and understanding of ecosystem connections, to the people’s cultures, thoughts and feelings of what is happening to the forests and how First Nations feel about it RM, or Computer lab
What is ‘Stewardship” Any of the resources under the heading ‘Stewardship,’ especially the field trips Observe students behaviour and insightfulness in the field, is their social responsibility in accordance with their age level, and with the school code of conduct? Mark them using the ‘effort and achievement rubric’ (in each classroom at Tupper) RM, or Computer lab, or in the field, Seymour, Musqueam, Haida Gwaii, Stanley Park
These lessons are the core to the unit, but more development may be necessary depending on time constraints, access to the library, demand for the teaching/learning, and the school’s priorities generally.
It is important that there is a collaboration process, such as the one detailed in Developing a Full Literacy Partnership by Ray Doiron and Angela Arsenault, who use the Collaborative Program Planning and Teaching (CPPT) process. The authors state that the CPPT enables teachers to plan the teaching of a variety of research skills needed by “information literate people (19).”
CASL, the Canadian Association for School Libraries makes mention of the leadership and collaboration skills a teacher librarian needs to meet minimum standards in their competencies. Competency 1.6 states: “develops and promotes the effective use of informational and imaginative resources in all formats through cooperative professional activities (http://www.cla.ca/casl/literacyneeds.html).” Certainly, this is indication of the value and weight educators attach to teaching information literacy and, that all teachers must work together to meet this goal.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The assignment so far
Rationale for developing the unit, collaborative planning, with teacher-librarian (TL) and classroom teacher (CT):
From Module 3 of LLED 469
–“ Students benefit by using a wide array of resources that fit their individual interests, abilities and learning styles and teachers benefit by acquiring a teaching partner who assists in planning and teaching curriculum units of study.”
Last weekend, my wife Jill and I went to the Surrey Art Gallery to witness a canoe blessing and steaming ceremony. The canoe is being carved by First Nations artist Mike Dangeli, who led the event. As part of the tradition we were invited to place a hot stone in the canoe to help create the steam which softens the cedar and allows it to be spread. This cultural event planted the seed of inquiry into my head and I decided to plan a unit around First Nations canoe making for assignment 3. Jill is working on her PHD in Curriculum Studies in Haida Gwaii, where the Haida are in the process of building 3 canoes. I hope to build a resource for her to use while there. She will be working with a museum team and with teachers from the local school.
Unit Rationale:
It is important for all of us in BC to understand and appreciate the diversity of our cultural makeup. We live in a province with an incredible variety of language, lifestyles, histories, and art. It is incumbent upon educators to introduce their students to all these things, which this unit will attempt to address. The central resource is the canoe carving. The timeliness of the canoe carving in Haida Gwaii and Sir Charles Tupper Secondary is important for maximum success, but not critical in the long run.
Tupper is a secondary school in mid-town Vancouver. The school population is diverse, made up of mainly Asian, South Asian first and second generation students. There are about 930 students in our school this year. We have several special programs, including Pacific Storm, for gr. 8-9, a social behaviour education class, Tupper alternative, for gr. 8-10 students finding it difficult to cope in regular programming, ESL Pre-employment, which helps low functioning ESL students with work experience type curriculum, Tupper Young Parents, for teen moms, offering a variety of support and regular programming in a min-school situation, Tupper Mini for higher functioning, self-motivated students who are mostly university bound, a full day BAA Tech Studies and Trades class offering a wide selection of trades-based learning, a Learning Assistance class, for students 8-12 who need extra help not normally available in regular classes, and a Life Skills program for students with more severe special challenges, including physical and cognitive.
My position at Tupper is Culinary Arts teacher. I am a teaching chef, with my other teaching area being Social Studies, although I am not presently employed in that department.
Tupper has had some hardships over the years, but the school community has made great strides in the area of social responsibility. Last year Martin Sparrow from Musqueam carved his first pole, which stands proudly at our front entrance. Since Musqueam does not have a history of carving, this was an interesting undertaking, and it turned out wonderfully. Our school community wanted to recognize the fact that Musqueam is the only Reserve in Vancouver, and that the people are important. There are not a large percentage of First Nations students in our population, but students, -and adults, should be aware that Tupper lies on traditional Musqueam territory. Every student in the school had an opportunity to put a hand on the pole and even carve, sand, paint, or help design it.
Martin is now planning to carve a canoe at Tupper, and has applied to the Vancouver Parks board to get a log from Stanley Park, as the ‘clean-up’ continues there. I hope to create a unit that will be useful to this new carving adventure, while supporting teachers in Haida Gwaii.
The cultural importance of western Red Cedar is central to the BC First Nations people, and the canoes are an extension of the trees. Forest practices are important as well therefore stewardship of the forests is a key issue in this unit.
The IRP for BC First Nations 12 helps me form some lesson ideas: “Students are expected to explain the cultural significance of various artistic expressions (e.g., weaving, carving, painting, dance, song).”
The Integrated Resource Package for BC First Nations 12 state, under the heading “Student Achievement, Key Elements, Skills and Processes,” this unit addresses these learning objectives:
Land and Relationships
• locations of BC First Nations
• the relationship of First Nations peoples and
the natural world
• education in traditional BC First Nations societies
• interactions among BC First Nations (pre-contact and post-contact, up to the present)
• cultural relationships between BC First Nations and other societies (especially European).
There are 3 sub units of this assignment, each with 1 or more lessons, all using the canoe as a focus:
1. how to research, including topics such as materials, technology, history
2. issues of forest practices, land use, sustainability, and stewardship
3. the cultural and artistic role of the canoe
Advance Preparation: (since most of the books, and videos are in the Tupper Library, or available at Vancouver School Board MediaNet, the TL will pull them from selves, or order them for the CT)
• Organizing field trips to Stanley Park, Haida Gwaii, Seymour Demonstration Forest and the Fish Hatchery, Musqueam Creek
• Ensure there is access to computer lab, websites are current
• Print off any handouts –graphic organizers, from Kathy Schrock website
Activity list:
• String Web game
• Filling out graphic organizers
• Field trips
• Answering the critical questions from each chosen resource, orally or in written form
The TL will conduct the research lessons in the computer lab, or library, depending on where the computers are, ensure they are available for collaboration, research and identify the resources, and will write annotations critical questions as teaching ideas. The TL will assess the learning of the research section. Students will be assessed on the process of correctly completing the information from the research lessons:
evaluating websites, for clarity, accuracy, truthfulness
how to cite, the proper formatting of a bibliography
identifying plagiarism, why it is wrong, and how not to do it
The CT will conduct the field trips, research the curriculum, and set a date for collaboration with the TL, design the lesson plans, create handouts, learning timeline, and lead any classroom activities. The CT will assess the student’s progress in the areas of:
sensitivity and understanding of First Nations people, of their culture, art, and connection to the land, especially the forests and monumental trees.
their behaviour on the fieldtrips
their attitude towards stewardship and sustainability as demonstrated by their post lesson writing
the learning progress they have made as evidenced through the daily discussions based on the critical questions from each resource
Research:
To meet our learning goals, students will need to learn good research skills, which is fundamental to this unit. The lesson included will be on developing these skills.
“Developing strategies that will ensure young people gain insight and understanding from information is an essential part of education (LLED 469, Module 4).”
The BC First Nations 12 Integrated Resource Package includes Prescribed Learning Outcomes, under the heading ‘Skills and Processes’ that state students should be able to:
• demonstrate effective research skills, including
− accessing information
− assessing information
− collecting data
− evaluating data
− organizing information
− presenting information
− citing sources
1. Use the ‘BIG 6 model, direct them to the website, http://www.big6.com/
Once the students have learned how to access information in the library, the research process can begin. I have chosen the ‘Big 6’ model, which has a good website for teachers to refer to. Students must be given direction as they work through the Big 6:
1. task definition. What is it that you are asking of them? –define/clarify the question
2. information seeking strategies. How do you expect them to find out? –(lesson)
3. location and access. Where is the information kept? –show them print, electronic, etc.
4. use of information. How do they sort and filter through it all? –re-visit the question, teach documenting sources as they go.
5. synthesis. How do they put it all together? –give examples of a finished product.
6. evaluation. Was it a good assignment? –ask students for feedback, reflections, -what did they learn, and how are they going to change.
The canoes:
Under ‘Cultural Expressions,’ the PLO’s include:
• explain the significance of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal art objects.
Under Land and Relationships,” the PLO’s include:
• analyse the relationship of First Nations peoples with the natural world
• explain the significance of traditional education with respect to land and relationships
2. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/English/index_flash.html. The Virtual Museum has a picture gallery of several canoes and images of the carving, steaming, and painting process, plus a video. It is a good start for this unit.
-have the students review the site, use a KWL graphic organizer to get them started thinking about what is to come in the unit.
3. http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/havct01e.html. This site has a picture gallery of Haida art including canoes, as well as a brief history of canoe carving on the islands.
-why do you think the artists were so revered in Haida tradition, especially the canoe carvers?
http://www.canoemuseum.net/education/highschool.asp. How about a field trip to Peterborough? They have lots of exhibits and a high-school educational program, or maybe a virtual tour of the museum will do. The site states that the canoe is uniquely Canadian, and is one of the Seven Wonders of Canada.
4. The Great Canoes: Reviving a Northwest Coast Tradition, by Neel, David is a beautiful picture and story book by Kwakiutl photographer David Neel. The stories are about carving from the artists who tell about what the canoes mean to them.
-write a story one page long that describes your feeling of your family car, and compare it to how Neel presents the canoe, -does it have an aura, a spirit, can you or have you already given it a name that suits its personality?
5. http://tribaljourneys.com. This website is about organized canoe trips made by First Nations people. There are several trips each year that are for fun, and to connect with others in First Nations communities up and down the coast. They do it the traditional way to reclaim some of their culture. The trips are used for healing and are spiritual in nature. Often the trips culminate in a Potlatch. There are videos of the canoe families paddling and of people singing and drumming at:
6. http://www.bellinghamherald.com/static/multimedia/paddle/
-Why are they called ‘canoe families?’
7. Song of the Haida Canoe, is about Haida artist Bill Reid carving Lootaas. The narrator states that the mother art of the Haida people was the making of canoes. Lootaas was the first canoe in Skidegate in 3 generations, 50 years, and they had no model to use when they started, but miraculously it worked. A hard and truthful look at the difficulties Bill had negotiating the carving process between his native and non-native crew. The steaming process is explained.
-Why did Guujaaw quit the project?
8. http://www.sealaskaheritage.org/news/index.html for live canoe cam from Juneau. It will take several months of carving to complete, and the artists work from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday. The web cam runs 24 hrs a day, and the video is being archived for later use.
-students can witness canoe carving virtually live.
9. http://tlaook.com/tlaook-canoe.html is a site dedicated to Nuu-chah-nulth canoe carving, and has nice photos of carving. It is a commercial tourist site called Tla-ook Cultural Adventures. They offer a paddling trip in which the customer paddles a Nuu-chah-nulth cedar canoe. The Meares Island trip takes 4.5 hours and includes a walk on the island, featuring many cultural highlights including a Culturally Modified Tree. Use it for filed trip planning to Tofino.
10. http://www.trailtribes.org/fortclatsop/canoe-people.htm. This site has information about the culture of carving. It is a great large site with information about Columbia River American Indians, Tillamook etc.
-watch the videos esp George Lagergren, read the text, and try to list all the reasons that canoe building was/is important to the Chinookans.
11. http://www.edutopia.org/search/node/canoe+carving. This site is about the Carving Cultural Connections Project in Seattle, an 8 min. video on an American Haida carver, Saaduuts Peele, the 3 year project to carve with students a 40 foot canoe.
-why do you think the logs for the canoe came all the way from Alaska, considering that the Columbia River area has been home to monumental trees in the past?
12. http://www.skidegate.ca/shed3.html. This site has information about Qay’ Ilnagaay, the new museum in Skidegate.
-find Bill Reid’s famous big canoe, what is it called?
13. http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5301 This is a site about the Makah, and their fight to start traditional whaling in canoes.
-Why is whaling so important to the Makah? How do they do it? What is the name of the boat they used?
14. http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/NWIndianlife.html. Here you can find all types of information on American/Canadian First Nations of the west coast. The site’s main heading is “Daily Life in Ancient Times.” The teacher must ensure that students understand the difference between past and present practices of First Nations people, and that much of what is shown here still happens, despite the title.
-find the tree/canoe section and learn about the trees that worked for canoe building on the west coast, why did the people chose this way to make canoes?
-what are the factors that led them to pick the type of tree?
-find the section on canoes, Can you find one historical inaccuracy in the text? (it states that ‘the ancient canoe makers steamed the boat with hot rocks’ but we know that they still do this, the culture is not antiquated, it is still alive and thriving, too bad for the assimilationists!
15. http://www.haidaheritagecentre.com/houses_canoe.html, links to articles about Bill Reid and his canoe carving.
http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/nwca/nwca01e.html#menu, for some nice art pictures of west coat canoes, Bill Reid arriving at Skidegate in Loo Taas.
The trees:
Under ‘Land and Relationships,’ the PLO’s include:
• analyse the relationship of First Nations peoples with the natural world, and under ”Suggested Achievement Indicators” –Stewardship of resources.
• explain the significance of traditional education with respect to land and relationships
Under ‘Skills and processes,’ the PO’s include:
• demonstrate skills and attitudes of active citizenship, including ethical behaviour, open-mindedness, respect for diversity, and collaboration
16. Ancient Forests, Prod. Larison, Jim and Elaine. 1992. This National Geographic nature film in VHS format looks at the American coastal rain forest, although parallels can be drawn to the Canadian coast. It describes the ecosystem, and gives some history of logging. A valuable resource because it shows a wide variety of flora and fauna, including how rivers work in the system, and the interrelationship between salmon, deadfall, bears, birds the forest and the First Nations people and art.
17. Old –Growth Forest: An Ecosystem. This VHS, made by National Geographic offers a sensitive and beautiful look at the animals and plants that make up the coastal rainforest. It discusses the incredibly complex ecosystem found in our local forests and the interconnection of all flora and fauna living here. The video comes with a small teachers’ guide pamphlet.
-create a web that demonstrates your understanding of the coastal rainforest ecosystem as described in the video.
-have students complete a vocabulary list, use the teachers’ guide to help
-one of the suggested activities is to take the class into the forest and have them look for examples of decomposition, nurse logs, human effects on the forest, predator–prey relationships, and try to identify species, etc. The field trip to Stanley Park would be good for this activity, and help student make the connections mentioned in the film.
String Web Activity: Another activity is the ‘string-web’ game, where a circle of students pass a ball of string to each other representing the interconnectedness of animal and plant species. Everyone picks an animal or plant they want to represent then the first student holds one end of the string and tells a short story about their species. They pass the ball to another, who must do the same, but will also talk about how their species is connected to the last one. Each student holds on to the string as they pass it around. Soon there is a web in the middle of the circle.
This video and the activities demonstrate the importance of maintaining a healthy forest through stewardship.
18. http://www.spruceroots.org/ This site, by Gowgaia, the foundation/group putting it together, has an excellent video titled ‘Logging Haida Gwaii, 1901-2004. It is animated graphic time line of the massive extent of logging on the islands. There is also a link to Yahgulanaas’ ‘Comix,’ information about logging, maps of the ‘Riparian Fish Forest’ that shows in great detail the fish streams which are key to the stewardship of the forest.
-check this site carefully, since there is so much specific information on the protection of the forests. What was your reaction to the video of logging on the islands since 1901?
-try to find the poster “Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser River” by the DFO, 1995, and compare it to the Riparian Fish Forest map, -why the difference, and how does logging interfere with the fish reproduction?
19. The Last Voyage of the Black Ship, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is subtitled ‘Haida Manga’, and is written in the graphic novel style. It is full of beautiful art and tells a mystical story of saving wilderness and sacred places from the big logging companies.
-describe the conflict presented by Yahgulanaas between the loggers and the people who use the forest.
-what is the author saying in these images?
-try to figure out why he is using his artistic abilities to make this type of art.
-search the Museum of Anthropology website, http://www.moa.ubc.ca/ for Mike’s “Meddling in the Museum” piece using Bill Reid’s canoe on top of a car. Why is Mike thinking carefully about using the canoe in this way, why is it so important to be careful with it?
20. http://www.spruceroots.org/BlackShip.html. This is a story by Mike of the Haida Brave taking away logs.
-very pertinent to this unit, and full of feelings for the trees, the connection between the people and the forest.
21. Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians, by Hillary Stewart is a respectful and knowledgeable description, as the title implies, of all the ways the people used the cedars, demonstrating its importance to all the coastal cultures.
-list some of the items the cedar gave to the people. How many of these things are still in common use today?
22. http://www.cathedralgrove.se/text/06-Totem-Poles-1.htm. This site is about Culturally Modified Trees, searching for monumental trees for carving, and many videos of tree falling, logging practices, environmental activism, etc.
-what is the 1000 years plan?
-what is meant by environmental politics?
-what exactly is an ‘old growth forest’
23. http://www.smfra.ca/index.php?id=library. This is the site of the South Moresby Forest Replacement Account.
“The intent of the Account was to mitigate the impacts of loss in timber supply and forest-based employment resulting from the creation of Gwaii Haanas, by developing employment opportunities in long-term forest management, research, and education.
The site links to
http://www.smfra.ca/fileadmin/smfra/home/Forest_Education_Program_2004.pdf, and has a very good education plan that includes:
Forest Education
Introduction to the Forest Education Program
Field Trip Activities
Forest Education Program: Lesson 1 - What Lives in the Forest
Forest Education Program: Lesson 2 - Trees, Shrubs, Plants
Forest Education Program: Lesson 3 - Connections in the Forest
Forest Education Program: Lesson 4 - Use of Trees
The stewardship:
This was taken from Students and the Broader Community section from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/annualreport/97_98/97_98-annual-31.htm, the Ministry of Education’s Annual Report, 1997-98:
“The ministry's 1998 in-school survey also confirmed that most students feel that environmental and cultural awareness should be a teaching priority, confirming that many students are already sensitive, socially-aware individuals. Environmental stewardship remains an important issue among high school students. A majority of grades 11 and 12 students (60 per cent) in the 1998 in-school survey felt that the school system should place high priority on teaching knowledge and appreciation of the environment.”
24. http://www.wcel.org/4976/29/02/07.htm, news on FIRST NATIONS rights,
-in what way are FIRST NATIONS rights being challenged?
25. http://www.wcwcvictoria.org/vipetition/ The Western Canadian Wilderness Committee (WCWC) latest advocacy campaign is saving the ancient rain forests. This website has many internal links, including a petition students can sign to help lobby the government, news updates on the campaign, and information on why the campaign is so important.
-how does the WCWC plan to save jobs and limit Old Growth logging?
26. http://www.sarahpullman.com/blog/sarahfelicity/big-trees-not-big-stumps-book-launch
This is a blog. Sarah Pullman has some very beautiful photos of the big trees of Elaho Valley, which may be useful for the teacher to show students the beauty of a wild natural forest. It could also be used to open discussion on logging practices and environmental activism, given the history of the valley to the north of Squamish. The author is also an advocate for lifestyle change, and her blog has many links to other like-minded sites.
27. Big Trees, Not Big Stumps: 25 years of campaigning to save wilderness with the Wilderness Committee, by Paul George, co-founder of the WCWC, and environmental activist. Paul has dedicated much of his life to the preservation of the BC wilderness. This is a great resource with valuable insights advocating for Deep Ecology. The book includes a DVD of over 560 photos, cartoons, videos, video and more stories.
-what is meant by the term Deep Ecology? What can you do to practice Deep Ecology in your life?
28. http://www.fsc.org/en/, the site of the Forest Stewardship Council. “The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that brings people together to find solutions which promote responsible stewardship of the world’s forests.”
The FSC are big, international, and have pushed big changes in forestry throughout the world. It could be used to show students what type of advocacy groups are working to protect our future, or to inspire the class to get involved.
29. Whose Land is This? A good video explanation of the treaty history of BC, how Douglas’ and Trutchs’ policies affected the people, how epidemics decimated the FIRST NATIONS people, the Reserve system and the different uses of land from European and FIRST NATIONS views, land rights outside the Reserve system, the people’s connection to the land, the development of the modern land claim system. This all shows why the use of BC’s lands has been difficult to control from a FIRST NATIONS perspective. The issue of timber royalties being paid to non-FIRST NATIONS companies on treaty lands is mentioned, logging is briefly discussed as the type of commercial development that could be shared.
30. http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/Forests/cedarreport2.pdf, A Vanishing Heritage: The Loss of Ancient Red Cedar from Canada’s Rainforests. Here is a wonderful report highlighting the loss of Western Red Cedar due to ‘high grading’, where a logging company will take the best trees out of the forest to make more money. The report has graphs, photos, a discussion on the cultural impact of logging monumental cedars, and quotes from artists etc.
-what is high grading, and what is the impact on the forest in the years to come?
On the home page, there is a video of Suzuki talking about the forests.
The section “Vanishing Cedars=Vanishing Totems” also pinpoints the theme of this unit, and is excellent.
31. Haida Gwaii/The Queen Charlottes: Islands in the Web of Life. This is a 58 minute film, in 3 parts, with parts 2 and 3 being the most interesting for this unit, about logging and the differing opinions of sustainable forestry. The film shows the importance of creating a sustainable system of logging on Haida Gwaii, as well as showing the relationship between the land and the people.
-what are the 2 key arguments for and against continuing logging the old growth forest as it is shown in 1990?
Salmon Stewardship
32. http://www.seymoursalmon.com/GDS.htm, this site has a comprehensive education program including a DVD and VHS put together by the Seymour Salmonid Society, for low cost purchase. The program is called “Gently Down the Seymour” and it describes the life of the fish as they leave the hatchery, make their way down the Seymour, and return years later. Salmon stewardship is important for the health of the forest. The issue of the Seymour Dam is an important one to learn about since it is a key link to the human effects on the forest. While this program is aimed at younger students, the field trip can easily be adapted for our grade 12 classes.
-why is there a need for the hatchery?
33. http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/water/watersheds.htm, The Lower Seymour Conservation Area offers free tours of the forest watershed on certain days. They also have a $60 educational program for all age groups, with links to curriculum, as well as many inexpensive -$4.00, programs on weekends.
There are also many short videos online at: http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/education/resources-clips.htm about green initiatives, all worth watching for stewardship ideas, but not specifically about the issues of focus in this unit.
The GVRD also has a $15 satellite poster of the region, (Greater Vancouver) that can be used to promote discussion on the ‘greenness’ of the area.
34. Google Earth is a wonderful resource for identifying the vast extent of cut blocks from a bird’s eye view along the coast of BC.
-pick a sensitive area of the coast, such as Meares Island, and zoom in with GoogleEarth, how many clear cuts are evident? Why did the loggers choose to log in these areas?
-locate a river or stream where there has been logging, and discuss the impact on wildlife. Download the free software at: http://earth.google.com
33. Stanley Park field trip:
Have students read the short history at: http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/stanley-park.asp. Go to: http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/programs/school/urbanStewards/index.php, for more education programs on stewardship, further knowledge of the ecosystem, etc.
-when were the trees cut down? What type of trees do you think they were?
It is a 1 hour walk through the forest, with the aim being to teach the class about the nature of the forest. Also, to identify ‘natural’ logging, and show them what logging looks like without having to go very far, thereby cutting costs.
Take the bus to the park, meet at Lumberman’s Arch. Walk with class pointing out the effects of the storms, the large stumps which were logged in 1868, and the recovery of the forest, the way of nature, describe a nurse log, find the patterns of the fallen trees, how they crashed, and ask the std. how they think the forest will recover now.
–should it be ‘cleaned-up?’
-should the downed wood be sold?
http://www.discovervancouver.com/Maps/stanley_park_Map.asp
After the field trips, ask students to write a short essay about the forest from the viewpoint of an environmentalist, a logger, a homebuilder/carpenter, a tourist, or a photographer. Read these stories in class and start a discussion on the activity as a whole.
34. Field Trip to Musqueam Creek, one of the last salmon spawning creeks in Vancouver, rehabilitated by Musqueam and the city:
http://www.mecsweb.org/Welcome.html is a lovely site about the city’s ‘first sustainable street.” The story is told with photos and text about how the street was turned into something special.
http://www.davidgreer.ca/walking/vancouver/lowerfraser/fraser01.html, for a virtual tour of the creek, and to promote visual literacy. Primarily this is a photo site, and a walking tour of the Fraser river estuary. The class discussion here should be about rehabilitating the riparian zone around the creek so that salmon can return to it and spawn, thereby enhancing the ecosystem.
35. Field Trip to Seymour Demonstration forest to see the how forest management works, and t see the fish hatchery. Using the Metro Vancouver website, and the Seymour Salmonid Society resources, plan this inexpensive trip for a first-hand view of how forests recover when clear-cut and then maintained.
http://www.sierraclub.ca/bc/programs/education/educators/resources.shtml has downloadable lesson plans for watershed stewardship.
-how has the forest recovered after being logged?
-will the trees ever become monumental again?
-discuss the value of the fish hatchery, the effects of the dam pro and con.
-have students do the hydrologic cycle from the Sierra Club’s lesson on the watershed, then see it first-hand at the creek, point out all the things mentioned in the lesson, ask std to find evidence of the hydrologic cycle.
36. Battle for the Trees. Prod. Edington, John, Darling, Gillian and Silberman Jack. National Film Board. 1993. About Mt. Paxton, on Vancouver Island. The 57 minute video is a very effective look at the impact of clear-cutting and alternatives that balance economic needs with forest stewardship. It questions the escalation of old growth logging.
--how does logging relate to the destabilization of the soil?
37. Humans in the Forest, VHS, Vol.2. Prod. and written by Honick, Alan. 1994. The Video Project. Subtitled Forests for the Future. An American look at the west coast forests, discusses the impact of humans on the ecosystem, the renewability of forests, calls forests ‘tree farms,’ differentiates public and private land ownership, the conflict between economics and the forestry, “A system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided.”
-what is meant by agricultural forestry?
-why is diversity in the forest important?
-what is the difference between the soil in the old growth forest and a plantation forest, or second growth forest?
38. Managing the Forest: Support Material for a Secondary Course in Intense Forest Management. Jaques, Don. 1989. This is a teacher manual for teaching about trees, de-forestation, stewardship and sustainable forest management.
-compare the re-forestation methods described in the book
39. Field Trip to Haida Gwaii. The ‘Trail Hikes’ booklet is very good for planning trips with the students in the old growth forest.
Henderson, Fern. Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands Trail Hikes and Beach Walks. Haida Gwaii Museum at Qay’Ilnagaay, Skidegate, BC. 2005.
For an alternative view on the state of BC/s forests:
Stumped: the Forest Industry in Transition, by Ken Drushka, especially the chapter titled “Will the Supply Last,” pages 115-134, in which the author states that every study done on our forests are ‘crying wolf,’ and that there is no crisis.
Pacific Spirit: the Forest Reborn, by Patrick Moore, the copy in Tupper’s library was donated by the Truck Loggers Association.
The Working Forest of British Columbia, by I.K. Barber, who donated 2000 copies to BC schools.
The last two books are questionable sources because they were donated, not acquired independently by a Teacher Librarian. Students should be shown the reasons, political or otherwise, why these books may or may not be objective.
For an example of how First Nations art can be usurped and turned into a hand craft, see Carving Totem Poles and Masks, a book on how to take patterns and create your own art using others’ work. In this book, almost none of the designs are cited, and there is very little cultural sensitivity. The authors have no, or only a questionable and dubious right to use the styles, images, and art of others. It appears that they have infringed on the intellectual property of west Coast artists. Students should be made aware of this type of plagiarism and intellectual integrity.
Raven's Cry, by Christie Harris, with illustrations by Bill Reid is for ages 12 and up, and could be used as a literary component, as another perspective, so that students gain a wider understanding of the culture. It is a story told from a First Nations perspective.
LLED 469 Assignment #3
Research, 3 Lessons
Rationale/Introduction
For this assignment I chose to teach information literacy considering that: “Consistent and comprehensive implementation of information literacy programs is critical for 20th century learners (Achieving Information Literacy, 9).” Information literacy is a key component of administering a vibrant and purposeful library, and a key component to the Librarianship Diploma Program. Information literacy supports all curriculum aspects, and so it is important to teach and promote it in the library.
There are three lessons included in this section;
1. introduction to information literacy, including website evaluation, to make sure the students get off to a good start.
2. effective note-taking, to help students get organized during the research.
3. documenting sources, citations, honouring intellectual property to ensure they respect others work.
In Dr. Marlene Asselin’s PowerPoint presentation on information literacy, several good points are brought up, including:
“Information literacy skills are critical for student success.” Teachers in all curricular content areas need their students to learn these skills, in collaboration with the TL.
“The library provides information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information and knowledge based society.” It is incumbent on us as TLs to teach our students how to access, process and evaluate this information.
“Teacher librarians are full instructional partners with all school educators.” If this is not the case, students will not be getting the full benefit of the TLs expertise, and will lose out.
The organizational chart on teaching information literacy at http://www.lerc.educ.ubc.ca/LERC/courses/461/infolit/overview.htm is a good guide to follow while teaching this, or similar units.
INFORMATION LITERACY LESSON PLAN
“Evaluating Websites”
Introduction:
During this lesson, students will learn what makes a website an acceptable resource to use when gathering information for a research project. Students will be directed to a bogus website (Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus) and fill out an evaluation checklist to determine relevance, authenticity, authority, and currency of the information.
Prescribed Learning Outcomes:
Information Literacy (CSLA, 2003)
1. Uses information critically (Outcome #4) – Students will use information critically to evaluate the relevance, authenticity, and validity of information and its source.
Rationale:
Information can be found anywhere, and in many forms. When using the Internet to find information sources for a research project students have to sift through thousands if not millions of hits from a search engine. Since anyone can have a webpage, and millions are created every year, students need information literacy skills in order to make good decisions about which websites to use. Students must be taught how to evaluate the authenticity, relevance, and authority of a website to ensure that they are receiving genuine information, unbiased by hidden agendas. Information can be dangerous!
Objectives:
1. Students will learn that just because something is on the Internet, it does not make it automatically true.
2. Students will learn how to evaluate a website to determine if it is a reliable source of information.
Resources:
1. Kathy Schrock’s, “Critical Evaluation of A Web Page, Brainstorming Sheet” graphic organizer
2. Kathy Schrock’s, “The Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation” chart
3. Kathy Schrock’s, “Critical Evaluation of A Web Site, Middle School Level” checklist
4. Internet access (or a printout) to the “Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus” web site at: http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
Procedure:
Intro:
- ask students, “What makes a good web site?” and TL records answers onto graphic organizer (Brainstorming Sheet)
- TL says, “Keeping these points in mind, I would like you to go to this website (Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus) and with your partner, discuss what you like and dislike about the web site.”
- After approximately 10 minutes, as a class, discuss whether the web site fits any of the brainstormed criteria
Body:
- if students have not already figured it out, reveal that the web site is bogus, and that there is no such thing as a tree octopus
- display chart (Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation) and discuss who, what, where, when, and why of the tree octopus web site
- hand out the checklist (Critical Evaluation of A Web Site, Middle School Level), and go over each item to make sure students understand
Closure:
- tell students that during the next session, they will be evaluating a true web site to see if it meets the criteria on the checklist
- review the Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation chart, and discuss any further questions that the students may have
Assessment:
- informal assessment of each student’s participation during the class brainstorming activity, during the partner discussions, and during the discussion of whether or not the tree octopus web site meets any of the brainstormed criteria
- formal assessment will occur during the second part of the lesson when students evaluate and fill out the checklist for another web site
Extension:
Compare the website http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/NWIndianlife.html to any of the others on the Resource list, and ask students for feedback. They will see that Mr.Donn’s site is colourful, but not particularly relative to this unit, and that the information on a site such as.http://www.cathedralgrove.se is far more adult-like, and intellectual.
Students may write a paragraph explaining what they learned about the Five Ws of web site evaluation, linking it to what they experienced while viewing the bogus tree octopus web site.
Works Cited (for above lesson)
Asselin, Marlene. "What is Information Literacy?" Lerc.Educ.Ubc.Ca. 27 Oct. 2003. Department of Language and Literacy Education, University of British Columbia. 14 July 2007.
Asselin, Marlene, Jennifer L. Branch, and Dianne Oberg, eds. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian School Library Association and the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada, 2003. 9.
Bens, Shirley, Burton Barbara, Dianne Driscoll, Judy McConnell, Linda Nelson, and Janet Oliver. "Learning Outcomes for INFORMATION LITERACY K – 12." Lerc.Educ.Ubc.Ca. Sept. 1999. School District #43, Coquitlam BC. 14 July 2007.
"Big Trees, Big Totems." Cathedral Grove. 12 July 2004. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Daily Life in Ancient Times." MrDonn.Org. 2006. 10 Oct. 2007.
Doiron, Ray, and Marlene Asselin, eds. Literacy, Libraries, and Learning: Using Books and Online Resources to Promote Reading, Writing, and Research. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Ltd., 2005. 19-32.
Jaschik, Scott. "Inside Higher Ed." Insidehighered.Com. 26 Jan. 2007. 11 July 2007.
Naslund, Jo-Anne M. "Subject Resources for Achieving Information Literacy." UBC Library. 18 Feb. 2005. University of British Columbia. 14 July 2007.
Schrock, Kathleen. "Kathy Schrock's Internet Curriculum Critical Evaluation of a Web Site, Brainstorming Sheet." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 25 Apr 2002. Discovery Education. 12 Jul 2007.
Schrock, Kathleen. "The Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 2003. Discovery Education. 14 Jul 2007.
Schrock, Kathleen. "Teacher Helpers Critical Evaluation Information." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 2003. Discovery Education. 12 Jul 2007.
"Students' Information Literacy Needs in the 21st Century: Competencies for Teacher-Librarians." Canadian Association of School Libraries. Nov. 1997. Canadian Library Association. 10 July 2007.
Zapato, Lyle. "Help Save the Endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus from Extinction." The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. 09 Mar 2007. Zapato Productions. 12 Jul 2007.
From Module 3 of LLED 469
–“ Students benefit by using a wide array of resources that fit their individual interests, abilities and learning styles and teachers benefit by acquiring a teaching partner who assists in planning and teaching curriculum units of study.”
Last weekend, my wife Jill and I went to the Surrey Art Gallery to witness a canoe blessing and steaming ceremony. The canoe is being carved by First Nations artist Mike Dangeli, who led the event. As part of the tradition we were invited to place a hot stone in the canoe to help create the steam which softens the cedar and allows it to be spread. This cultural event planted the seed of inquiry into my head and I decided to plan a unit around First Nations canoe making for assignment 3. Jill is working on her PHD in Curriculum Studies in Haida Gwaii, where the Haida are in the process of building 3 canoes. I hope to build a resource for her to use while there. She will be working with a museum team and with teachers from the local school.
Unit Rationale:
It is important for all of us in BC to understand and appreciate the diversity of our cultural makeup. We live in a province with an incredible variety of language, lifestyles, histories, and art. It is incumbent upon educators to introduce their students to all these things, which this unit will attempt to address. The central resource is the canoe carving. The timeliness of the canoe carving in Haida Gwaii and Sir Charles Tupper Secondary is important for maximum success, but not critical in the long run.
Tupper is a secondary school in mid-town Vancouver. The school population is diverse, made up of mainly Asian, South Asian first and second generation students. There are about 930 students in our school this year. We have several special programs, including Pacific Storm, for gr. 8-9, a social behaviour education class, Tupper alternative, for gr. 8-10 students finding it difficult to cope in regular programming, ESL Pre-employment, which helps low functioning ESL students with work experience type curriculum, Tupper Young Parents, for teen moms, offering a variety of support and regular programming in a min-school situation, Tupper Mini for higher functioning, self-motivated students who are mostly university bound, a full day BAA Tech Studies and Trades class offering a wide selection of trades-based learning, a Learning Assistance class, for students 8-12 who need extra help not normally available in regular classes, and a Life Skills program for students with more severe special challenges, including physical and cognitive.
My position at Tupper is Culinary Arts teacher. I am a teaching chef, with my other teaching area being Social Studies, although I am not presently employed in that department.
Tupper has had some hardships over the years, but the school community has made great strides in the area of social responsibility. Last year Martin Sparrow from Musqueam carved his first pole, which stands proudly at our front entrance. Since Musqueam does not have a history of carving, this was an interesting undertaking, and it turned out wonderfully. Our school community wanted to recognize the fact that Musqueam is the only Reserve in Vancouver, and that the people are important. There are not a large percentage of First Nations students in our population, but students, -and adults, should be aware that Tupper lies on traditional Musqueam territory. Every student in the school had an opportunity to put a hand on the pole and even carve, sand, paint, or help design it.
Martin is now planning to carve a canoe at Tupper, and has applied to the Vancouver Parks board to get a log from Stanley Park, as the ‘clean-up’ continues there. I hope to create a unit that will be useful to this new carving adventure, while supporting teachers in Haida Gwaii.
The cultural importance of western Red Cedar is central to the BC First Nations people, and the canoes are an extension of the trees. Forest practices are important as well therefore stewardship of the forests is a key issue in this unit.
The IRP for BC First Nations 12 helps me form some lesson ideas: “Students are expected to explain the cultural significance of various artistic expressions (e.g., weaving, carving, painting, dance, song).”
The Integrated Resource Package for BC First Nations 12 state, under the heading “Student Achievement, Key Elements, Skills and Processes,” this unit addresses these learning objectives:
Land and Relationships
• locations of BC First Nations
• the relationship of First Nations peoples and
the natural world
• education in traditional BC First Nations societies
• interactions among BC First Nations (pre-contact and post-contact, up to the present)
• cultural relationships between BC First Nations and other societies (especially European).
There are 3 sub units of this assignment, each with 1 or more lessons, all using the canoe as a focus:
1. how to research, including topics such as materials, technology, history
2. issues of forest practices, land use, sustainability, and stewardship
3. the cultural and artistic role of the canoe
Advance Preparation: (since most of the books, and videos are in the Tupper Library, or available at Vancouver School Board MediaNet, the TL will pull them from selves, or order them for the CT)
• Organizing field trips to Stanley Park, Haida Gwaii, Seymour Demonstration Forest and the Fish Hatchery, Musqueam Creek
• Ensure there is access to computer lab, websites are current
• Print off any handouts –graphic organizers, from Kathy Schrock website
Activity list:
• String Web game
• Filling out graphic organizers
• Field trips
• Answering the critical questions from each chosen resource, orally or in written form
The TL will conduct the research lessons in the computer lab, or library, depending on where the computers are, ensure they are available for collaboration, research and identify the resources, and will write annotations critical questions as teaching ideas. The TL will assess the learning of the research section. Students will be assessed on the process of correctly completing the information from the research lessons:
evaluating websites, for clarity, accuracy, truthfulness
how to cite, the proper formatting of a bibliography
identifying plagiarism, why it is wrong, and how not to do it
The CT will conduct the field trips, research the curriculum, and set a date for collaboration with the TL, design the lesson plans, create handouts, learning timeline, and lead any classroom activities. The CT will assess the student’s progress in the areas of:
sensitivity and understanding of First Nations people, of their culture, art, and connection to the land, especially the forests and monumental trees.
their behaviour on the fieldtrips
their attitude towards stewardship and sustainability as demonstrated by their post lesson writing
the learning progress they have made as evidenced through the daily discussions based on the critical questions from each resource
Research:
To meet our learning goals, students will need to learn good research skills, which is fundamental to this unit. The lesson included will be on developing these skills.
“Developing strategies that will ensure young people gain insight and understanding from information is an essential part of education (LLED 469, Module 4).”
The BC First Nations 12 Integrated Resource Package includes Prescribed Learning Outcomes, under the heading ‘Skills and Processes’ that state students should be able to:
• demonstrate effective research skills, including
− accessing information
− assessing information
− collecting data
− evaluating data
− organizing information
− presenting information
− citing sources
1. Use the ‘BIG 6 model, direct them to the website, http://www.big6.com/
Once the students have learned how to access information in the library, the research process can begin. I have chosen the ‘Big 6’ model, which has a good website for teachers to refer to. Students must be given direction as they work through the Big 6:
1. task definition. What is it that you are asking of them? –define/clarify the question
2. information seeking strategies. How do you expect them to find out? –(lesson)
3. location and access. Where is the information kept? –show them print, electronic, etc.
4. use of information. How do they sort and filter through it all? –re-visit the question, teach documenting sources as they go.
5. synthesis. How do they put it all together? –give examples of a finished product.
6. evaluation. Was it a good assignment? –ask students for feedback, reflections, -what did they learn, and how are they going to change.
The canoes:
Under ‘Cultural Expressions,’ the PLO’s include:
• explain the significance of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal art objects.
Under Land and Relationships,” the PLO’s include:
• analyse the relationship of First Nations peoples with the natural world
• explain the significance of traditional education with respect to land and relationships
2. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/English/index_flash.html. The Virtual Museum has a picture gallery of several canoes and images of the carving, steaming, and painting process, plus a video. It is a good start for this unit.
-have the students review the site, use a KWL graphic organizer to get them started thinking about what is to come in the unit.
3. http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/havct01e.html. This site has a picture gallery of Haida art including canoes, as well as a brief history of canoe carving on the islands.
-why do you think the artists were so revered in Haida tradition, especially the canoe carvers?
http://www.canoemuseum.net/education/highschool.asp. How about a field trip to Peterborough? They have lots of exhibits and a high-school educational program, or maybe a virtual tour of the museum will do. The site states that the canoe is uniquely Canadian, and is one of the Seven Wonders of Canada.
4. The Great Canoes: Reviving a Northwest Coast Tradition, by Neel, David is a beautiful picture and story book by Kwakiutl photographer David Neel. The stories are about carving from the artists who tell about what the canoes mean to them.
-write a story one page long that describes your feeling of your family car, and compare it to how Neel presents the canoe, -does it have an aura, a spirit, can you or have you already given it a name that suits its personality?
5. http://tribaljourneys.com. This website is about organized canoe trips made by First Nations people. There are several trips each year that are for fun, and to connect with others in First Nations communities up and down the coast. They do it the traditional way to reclaim some of their culture. The trips are used for healing and are spiritual in nature. Often the trips culminate in a Potlatch. There are videos of the canoe families paddling and of people singing and drumming at:
6. http://www.bellinghamherald.com/static/multimedia/paddle/
-Why are they called ‘canoe families?’
7. Song of the Haida Canoe, is about Haida artist Bill Reid carving Lootaas. The narrator states that the mother art of the Haida people was the making of canoes. Lootaas was the first canoe in Skidegate in 3 generations, 50 years, and they had no model to use when they started, but miraculously it worked. A hard and truthful look at the difficulties Bill had negotiating the carving process between his native and non-native crew. The steaming process is explained.
-Why did Guujaaw quit the project?
8. http://www.sealaskaheritage.org/news/index.html for live canoe cam from Juneau. It will take several months of carving to complete, and the artists work from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday. The web cam runs 24 hrs a day, and the video is being archived for later use.
-students can witness canoe carving virtually live.
9. http://tlaook.com/tlaook-canoe.html is a site dedicated to Nuu-chah-nulth canoe carving, and has nice photos of carving. It is a commercial tourist site called Tla-ook Cultural Adventures. They offer a paddling trip in which the customer paddles a Nuu-chah-nulth cedar canoe. The Meares Island trip takes 4.5 hours and includes a walk on the island, featuring many cultural highlights including a Culturally Modified Tree. Use it for filed trip planning to Tofino.
10. http://www.trailtribes.org/fortclatsop/canoe-people.htm. This site has information about the culture of carving. It is a great large site with information about Columbia River American Indians, Tillamook etc.
-watch the videos esp George Lagergren, read the text, and try to list all the reasons that canoe building was/is important to the Chinookans.
11. http://www.edutopia.org/search/node/canoe+carving. This site is about the Carving Cultural Connections Project in Seattle, an 8 min. video on an American Haida carver, Saaduuts Peele, the 3 year project to carve with students a 40 foot canoe.
-why do you think the logs for the canoe came all the way from Alaska, considering that the Columbia River area has been home to monumental trees in the past?
12. http://www.skidegate.ca/shed3.html. This site has information about Qay’ Ilnagaay, the new museum in Skidegate.
-find Bill Reid’s famous big canoe, what is it called?
13. http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5301 This is a site about the Makah, and their fight to start traditional whaling in canoes.
-Why is whaling so important to the Makah? How do they do it? What is the name of the boat they used?
14. http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/NWIndianlife.html. Here you can find all types of information on American/Canadian First Nations of the west coast. The site’s main heading is “Daily Life in Ancient Times.” The teacher must ensure that students understand the difference between past and present practices of First Nations people, and that much of what is shown here still happens, despite the title.
-find the tree/canoe section and learn about the trees that worked for canoe building on the west coast, why did the people chose this way to make canoes?
-what are the factors that led them to pick the type of tree?
-find the section on canoes, Can you find one historical inaccuracy in the text? (it states that ‘the ancient canoe makers steamed the boat with hot rocks’ but we know that they still do this, the culture is not antiquated, it is still alive and thriving, too bad for the assimilationists!
15. http://www.haidaheritagecentre.com/houses_canoe.html, links to articles about Bill Reid and his canoe carving.
http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/nwca/nwca01e.html#menu, for some nice art pictures of west coat canoes, Bill Reid arriving at Skidegate in Loo Taas.
The trees:
Under ‘Land and Relationships,’ the PLO’s include:
• analyse the relationship of First Nations peoples with the natural world, and under ”Suggested Achievement Indicators” –Stewardship of resources.
• explain the significance of traditional education with respect to land and relationships
Under ‘Skills and processes,’ the PO’s include:
• demonstrate skills and attitudes of active citizenship, including ethical behaviour, open-mindedness, respect for diversity, and collaboration
16. Ancient Forests, Prod. Larison, Jim and Elaine. 1992. This National Geographic nature film in VHS format looks at the American coastal rain forest, although parallels can be drawn to the Canadian coast. It describes the ecosystem, and gives some history of logging. A valuable resource because it shows a wide variety of flora and fauna, including how rivers work in the system, and the interrelationship between salmon, deadfall, bears, birds the forest and the First Nations people and art.
17. Old –Growth Forest: An Ecosystem. This VHS, made by National Geographic offers a sensitive and beautiful look at the animals and plants that make up the coastal rainforest. It discusses the incredibly complex ecosystem found in our local forests and the interconnection of all flora and fauna living here. The video comes with a small teachers’ guide pamphlet.
-create a web that demonstrates your understanding of the coastal rainforest ecosystem as described in the video.
-have students complete a vocabulary list, use the teachers’ guide to help
-one of the suggested activities is to take the class into the forest and have them look for examples of decomposition, nurse logs, human effects on the forest, predator–prey relationships, and try to identify species, etc. The field trip to Stanley Park would be good for this activity, and help student make the connections mentioned in the film.
String Web Activity: Another activity is the ‘string-web’ game, where a circle of students pass a ball of string to each other representing the interconnectedness of animal and plant species. Everyone picks an animal or plant they want to represent then the first student holds one end of the string and tells a short story about their species. They pass the ball to another, who must do the same, but will also talk about how their species is connected to the last one. Each student holds on to the string as they pass it around. Soon there is a web in the middle of the circle.
This video and the activities demonstrate the importance of maintaining a healthy forest through stewardship.
18. http://www.spruceroots.org/ This site, by Gowgaia, the foundation/group putting it together, has an excellent video titled ‘Logging Haida Gwaii, 1901-2004. It is animated graphic time line of the massive extent of logging on the islands. There is also a link to Yahgulanaas’ ‘Comix,’ information about logging, maps of the ‘Riparian Fish Forest’ that shows in great detail the fish streams which are key to the stewardship of the forest.
-check this site carefully, since there is so much specific information on the protection of the forests. What was your reaction to the video of logging on the islands since 1901?
-try to find the poster “Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser River” by the DFO, 1995, and compare it to the Riparian Fish Forest map, -why the difference, and how does logging interfere with the fish reproduction?
19. The Last Voyage of the Black Ship, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is subtitled ‘Haida Manga’, and is written in the graphic novel style. It is full of beautiful art and tells a mystical story of saving wilderness and sacred places from the big logging companies.
-describe the conflict presented by Yahgulanaas between the loggers and the people who use the forest.
-what is the author saying in these images?
-try to figure out why he is using his artistic abilities to make this type of art.
-search the Museum of Anthropology website, http://www.moa.ubc.ca/ for Mike’s “Meddling in the Museum” piece using Bill Reid’s canoe on top of a car. Why is Mike thinking carefully about using the canoe in this way, why is it so important to be careful with it?
20. http://www.spruceroots.org/BlackShip.html. This is a story by Mike of the Haida Brave taking away logs.
-very pertinent to this unit, and full of feelings for the trees, the connection between the people and the forest.
21. Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians, by Hillary Stewart is a respectful and knowledgeable description, as the title implies, of all the ways the people used the cedars, demonstrating its importance to all the coastal cultures.
-list some of the items the cedar gave to the people. How many of these things are still in common use today?
22. http://www.cathedralgrove.se/text/06-Totem-Poles-1.htm. This site is about Culturally Modified Trees, searching for monumental trees for carving, and many videos of tree falling, logging practices, environmental activism, etc.
-what is the 1000 years plan?
-what is meant by environmental politics?
-what exactly is an ‘old growth forest’
23. http://www.smfra.ca/index.php?id=library. This is the site of the South Moresby Forest Replacement Account.
“The intent of the Account was to mitigate the impacts of loss in timber supply and forest-based employment resulting from the creation of Gwaii Haanas, by developing employment opportunities in long-term forest management, research, and education.
The site links to
http://www.smfra.ca/fileadmin/smfra/home/Forest_Education_Program_2004.pdf, and has a very good education plan that includes:
Forest Education
Introduction to the Forest Education Program
Field Trip Activities
Forest Education Program: Lesson 1 - What Lives in the Forest
Forest Education Program: Lesson 2 - Trees, Shrubs, Plants
Forest Education Program: Lesson 3 - Connections in the Forest
Forest Education Program: Lesson 4 - Use of Trees
The stewardship:
This was taken from Students and the Broader Community section from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/annualreport/97_98/97_98-annual-31.htm, the Ministry of Education’s Annual Report, 1997-98:
“The ministry's 1998 in-school survey also confirmed that most students feel that environmental and cultural awareness should be a teaching priority, confirming that many students are already sensitive, socially-aware individuals. Environmental stewardship remains an important issue among high school students. A majority of grades 11 and 12 students (60 per cent) in the 1998 in-school survey felt that the school system should place high priority on teaching knowledge and appreciation of the environment.”
24. http://www.wcel.org/4976/29/02/07.htm, news on FIRST NATIONS rights,
-in what way are FIRST NATIONS rights being challenged?
25. http://www.wcwcvictoria.org/vipetition/ The Western Canadian Wilderness Committee (WCWC) latest advocacy campaign is saving the ancient rain forests. This website has many internal links, including a petition students can sign to help lobby the government, news updates on the campaign, and information on why the campaign is so important.
-how does the WCWC plan to save jobs and limit Old Growth logging?
26. http://www.sarahpullman.com/blog/sarahfelicity/big-trees-not-big-stumps-book-launch
This is a blog. Sarah Pullman has some very beautiful photos of the big trees of Elaho Valley, which may be useful for the teacher to show students the beauty of a wild natural forest. It could also be used to open discussion on logging practices and environmental activism, given the history of the valley to the north of Squamish. The author is also an advocate for lifestyle change, and her blog has many links to other like-minded sites.
27. Big Trees, Not Big Stumps: 25 years of campaigning to save wilderness with the Wilderness Committee, by Paul George, co-founder of the WCWC, and environmental activist. Paul has dedicated much of his life to the preservation of the BC wilderness. This is a great resource with valuable insights advocating for Deep Ecology. The book includes a DVD of over 560 photos, cartoons, videos, video and more stories.
-what is meant by the term Deep Ecology? What can you do to practice Deep Ecology in your life?
28. http://www.fsc.org/en/, the site of the Forest Stewardship Council. “The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that brings people together to find solutions which promote responsible stewardship of the world’s forests.”
The FSC are big, international, and have pushed big changes in forestry throughout the world. It could be used to show students what type of advocacy groups are working to protect our future, or to inspire the class to get involved.
29. Whose Land is This? A good video explanation of the treaty history of BC, how Douglas’ and Trutchs’ policies affected the people, how epidemics decimated the FIRST NATIONS people, the Reserve system and the different uses of land from European and FIRST NATIONS views, land rights outside the Reserve system, the people’s connection to the land, the development of the modern land claim system. This all shows why the use of BC’s lands has been difficult to control from a FIRST NATIONS perspective. The issue of timber royalties being paid to non-FIRST NATIONS companies on treaty lands is mentioned, logging is briefly discussed as the type of commercial development that could be shared.
30. http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/Forests/cedarreport2.pdf, A Vanishing Heritage: The Loss of Ancient Red Cedar from Canada’s Rainforests. Here is a wonderful report highlighting the loss of Western Red Cedar due to ‘high grading’, where a logging company will take the best trees out of the forest to make more money. The report has graphs, photos, a discussion on the cultural impact of logging monumental cedars, and quotes from artists etc.
-what is high grading, and what is the impact on the forest in the years to come?
On the home page, there is a video of Suzuki talking about the forests.
The section “Vanishing Cedars=Vanishing Totems” also pinpoints the theme of this unit, and is excellent.
31. Haida Gwaii/The Queen Charlottes: Islands in the Web of Life. This is a 58 minute film, in 3 parts, with parts 2 and 3 being the most interesting for this unit, about logging and the differing opinions of sustainable forestry. The film shows the importance of creating a sustainable system of logging on Haida Gwaii, as well as showing the relationship between the land and the people.
-what are the 2 key arguments for and against continuing logging the old growth forest as it is shown in 1990?
Salmon Stewardship
32. http://www.seymoursalmon.com/GDS.htm, this site has a comprehensive education program including a DVD and VHS put together by the Seymour Salmonid Society, for low cost purchase. The program is called “Gently Down the Seymour” and it describes the life of the fish as they leave the hatchery, make their way down the Seymour, and return years later. Salmon stewardship is important for the health of the forest. The issue of the Seymour Dam is an important one to learn about since it is a key link to the human effects on the forest. While this program is aimed at younger students, the field trip can easily be adapted for our grade 12 classes.
-why is there a need for the hatchery?
33. http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/water/watersheds.htm, The Lower Seymour Conservation Area offers free tours of the forest watershed on certain days. They also have a $60 educational program for all age groups, with links to curriculum, as well as many inexpensive -$4.00, programs on weekends.
There are also many short videos online at: http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/education/resources-clips.htm about green initiatives, all worth watching for stewardship ideas, but not specifically about the issues of focus in this unit.
The GVRD also has a $15 satellite poster of the region, (Greater Vancouver) that can be used to promote discussion on the ‘greenness’ of the area.
34. Google Earth is a wonderful resource for identifying the vast extent of cut blocks from a bird’s eye view along the coast of BC.
-pick a sensitive area of the coast, such as Meares Island, and zoom in with GoogleEarth, how many clear cuts are evident? Why did the loggers choose to log in these areas?
-locate a river or stream where there has been logging, and discuss the impact on wildlife. Download the free software at: http://earth.google.com
33. Stanley Park field trip:
Have students read the short history at: http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/stanley-park.asp. Go to: http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/programs/school/urbanStewards/index.php, for more education programs on stewardship, further knowledge of the ecosystem, etc.
-when were the trees cut down? What type of trees do you think they were?
It is a 1 hour walk through the forest, with the aim being to teach the class about the nature of the forest. Also, to identify ‘natural’ logging, and show them what logging looks like without having to go very far, thereby cutting costs.
Take the bus to the park, meet at Lumberman’s Arch. Walk with class pointing out the effects of the storms, the large stumps which were logged in 1868, and the recovery of the forest, the way of nature, describe a nurse log, find the patterns of the fallen trees, how they crashed, and ask the std. how they think the forest will recover now.
–should it be ‘cleaned-up?’
-should the downed wood be sold?
http://www.discovervancouver.com/Maps/stanley_park_Map.asp
After the field trips, ask students to write a short essay about the forest from the viewpoint of an environmentalist, a logger, a homebuilder/carpenter, a tourist, or a photographer. Read these stories in class and start a discussion on the activity as a whole.
34. Field Trip to Musqueam Creek, one of the last salmon spawning creeks in Vancouver, rehabilitated by Musqueam and the city:
http://www.mecsweb.org/Welcome.html is a lovely site about the city’s ‘first sustainable street.” The story is told with photos and text about how the street was turned into something special.
http://www.davidgreer.ca/walking/vancouver/lowerfraser/fraser01.html, for a virtual tour of the creek, and to promote visual literacy. Primarily this is a photo site, and a walking tour of the Fraser river estuary. The class discussion here should be about rehabilitating the riparian zone around the creek so that salmon can return to it and spawn, thereby enhancing the ecosystem.
35. Field Trip to Seymour Demonstration forest to see the how forest management works, and t see the fish hatchery. Using the Metro Vancouver website, and the Seymour Salmonid Society resources, plan this inexpensive trip for a first-hand view of how forests recover when clear-cut and then maintained.
http://www.sierraclub.ca/bc/programs/education/educators/resources.shtml has downloadable lesson plans for watershed stewardship.
-how has the forest recovered after being logged?
-will the trees ever become monumental again?
-discuss the value of the fish hatchery, the effects of the dam pro and con.
-have students do the hydrologic cycle from the Sierra Club’s lesson on the watershed, then see it first-hand at the creek, point out all the things mentioned in the lesson, ask std to find evidence of the hydrologic cycle.
36. Battle for the Trees. Prod. Edington, John, Darling, Gillian and Silberman Jack. National Film Board. 1993. About Mt. Paxton, on Vancouver Island. The 57 minute video is a very effective look at the impact of clear-cutting and alternatives that balance economic needs with forest stewardship. It questions the escalation of old growth logging.
--how does logging relate to the destabilization of the soil?
37. Humans in the Forest, VHS, Vol.2. Prod. and written by Honick, Alan. 1994. The Video Project. Subtitled Forests for the Future. An American look at the west coast forests, discusses the impact of humans on the ecosystem, the renewability of forests, calls forests ‘tree farms,’ differentiates public and private land ownership, the conflict between economics and the forestry, “A system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided.”
-what is meant by agricultural forestry?
-why is diversity in the forest important?
-what is the difference between the soil in the old growth forest and a plantation forest, or second growth forest?
38. Managing the Forest: Support Material for a Secondary Course in Intense Forest Management. Jaques, Don. 1989. This is a teacher manual for teaching about trees, de-forestation, stewardship and sustainable forest management.
-compare the re-forestation methods described in the book
39. Field Trip to Haida Gwaii. The ‘Trail Hikes’ booklet is very good for planning trips with the students in the old growth forest.
Henderson, Fern. Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands Trail Hikes and Beach Walks. Haida Gwaii Museum at Qay’Ilnagaay, Skidegate, BC. 2005.
For an alternative view on the state of BC/s forests:
Stumped: the Forest Industry in Transition, by Ken Drushka, especially the chapter titled “Will the Supply Last,” pages 115-134, in which the author states that every study done on our forests are ‘crying wolf,’ and that there is no crisis.
Pacific Spirit: the Forest Reborn, by Patrick Moore, the copy in Tupper’s library was donated by the Truck Loggers Association.
The Working Forest of British Columbia, by I.K. Barber, who donated 2000 copies to BC schools.
The last two books are questionable sources because they were donated, not acquired independently by a Teacher Librarian. Students should be shown the reasons, political or otherwise, why these books may or may not be objective.
For an example of how First Nations art can be usurped and turned into a hand craft, see Carving Totem Poles and Masks, a book on how to take patterns and create your own art using others’ work. In this book, almost none of the designs are cited, and there is very little cultural sensitivity. The authors have no, or only a questionable and dubious right to use the styles, images, and art of others. It appears that they have infringed on the intellectual property of west Coast artists. Students should be made aware of this type of plagiarism and intellectual integrity.
Raven's Cry, by Christie Harris, with illustrations by Bill Reid is for ages 12 and up, and could be used as a literary component, as another perspective, so that students gain a wider understanding of the culture. It is a story told from a First Nations perspective.
LLED 469 Assignment #3
Research, 3 Lessons
Rationale/Introduction
For this assignment I chose to teach information literacy considering that: “Consistent and comprehensive implementation of information literacy programs is critical for 20th century learners (Achieving Information Literacy, 9).” Information literacy is a key component of administering a vibrant and purposeful library, and a key component to the Librarianship Diploma Program. Information literacy supports all curriculum aspects, and so it is important to teach and promote it in the library.
There are three lessons included in this section;
1. introduction to information literacy, including website evaluation, to make sure the students get off to a good start.
2. effective note-taking, to help students get organized during the research.
3. documenting sources, citations, honouring intellectual property to ensure they respect others work.
In Dr. Marlene Asselin’s PowerPoint presentation on information literacy, several good points are brought up, including:
“Information literacy skills are critical for student success.” Teachers in all curricular content areas need their students to learn these skills, in collaboration with the TL.
“The library provides information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information and knowledge based society.” It is incumbent on us as TLs to teach our students how to access, process and evaluate this information.
“Teacher librarians are full instructional partners with all school educators.” If this is not the case, students will not be getting the full benefit of the TLs expertise, and will lose out.
The organizational chart on teaching information literacy at http://www.lerc.educ.ubc.ca/LERC/courses/461/infolit/overview.htm is a good guide to follow while teaching this, or similar units.
INFORMATION LITERACY LESSON PLAN
“Evaluating Websites”
Introduction:
During this lesson, students will learn what makes a website an acceptable resource to use when gathering information for a research project. Students will be directed to a bogus website (Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus) and fill out an evaluation checklist to determine relevance, authenticity, authority, and currency of the information.
Prescribed Learning Outcomes:
Information Literacy (CSLA, 2003)
1. Uses information critically (Outcome #4) – Students will use information critically to evaluate the relevance, authenticity, and validity of information and its source.
Rationale:
Information can be found anywhere, and in many forms. When using the Internet to find information sources for a research project students have to sift through thousands if not millions of hits from a search engine. Since anyone can have a webpage, and millions are created every year, students need information literacy skills in order to make good decisions about which websites to use. Students must be taught how to evaluate the authenticity, relevance, and authority of a website to ensure that they are receiving genuine information, unbiased by hidden agendas. Information can be dangerous!
Objectives:
1. Students will learn that just because something is on the Internet, it does not make it automatically true.
2. Students will learn how to evaluate a website to determine if it is a reliable source of information.
Resources:
1. Kathy Schrock’s, “Critical Evaluation of A Web Page, Brainstorming Sheet” graphic organizer
2. Kathy Schrock’s, “The Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation” chart
3. Kathy Schrock’s, “Critical Evaluation of A Web Site, Middle School Level” checklist
4. Internet access (or a printout) to the “Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus” web site at: http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
Procedure:
Intro:
- ask students, “What makes a good web site?” and TL records answers onto graphic organizer (Brainstorming Sheet)
- TL says, “Keeping these points in mind, I would like you to go to this website (Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus) and with your partner, discuss what you like and dislike about the web site.”
- After approximately 10 minutes, as a class, discuss whether the web site fits any of the brainstormed criteria
Body:
- if students have not already figured it out, reveal that the web site is bogus, and that there is no such thing as a tree octopus
- display chart (Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation) and discuss who, what, where, when, and why of the tree octopus web site
- hand out the checklist (Critical Evaluation of A Web Site, Middle School Level), and go over each item to make sure students understand
Closure:
- tell students that during the next session, they will be evaluating a true web site to see if it meets the criteria on the checklist
- review the Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation chart, and discuss any further questions that the students may have
Assessment:
- informal assessment of each student’s participation during the class brainstorming activity, during the partner discussions, and during the discussion of whether or not the tree octopus web site meets any of the brainstormed criteria
- formal assessment will occur during the second part of the lesson when students evaluate and fill out the checklist for another web site
Extension:
Compare the website http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/NWIndianlife.html to any of the others on the Resource list, and ask students for feedback. They will see that Mr.Donn’s site is colourful, but not particularly relative to this unit, and that the information on a site such as.http://www.cathedralgrove.se is far more adult-like, and intellectual.
Students may write a paragraph explaining what they learned about the Five Ws of web site evaluation, linking it to what they experienced while viewing the bogus tree octopus web site.
Works Cited (for above lesson)
Asselin, Marlene. "What is Information Literacy?" Lerc.Educ.Ubc.Ca. 27 Oct. 2003. Department of Language and Literacy Education, University of British Columbia. 14 July 2007
Asselin, Marlene, Jennifer L. Branch, and Dianne Oberg, eds. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian School Library Association and the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada, 2003. 9.
Bens, Shirley, Burton Barbara, Dianne Driscoll, Judy McConnell, Linda Nelson, and Janet Oliver. "Learning Outcomes for INFORMATION LITERACY K – 12." Lerc.Educ.Ubc.Ca. Sept. 1999. School District #43, Coquitlam BC. 14 July 2007
"Big Trees, Big Totems." Cathedral Grove. 12 July 2004. 10 Oct. 2007
"Daily Life in Ancient Times." MrDonn.Org. 2006. 10 Oct. 2007
Doiron, Ray, and Marlene Asselin, eds. Literacy, Libraries, and Learning: Using Books and Online Resources to Promote Reading, Writing, and Research. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Ltd., 2005. 19-32.
Jaschik, Scott. "Inside Higher Ed." Insidehighered.Com. 26 Jan. 2007. 11 July 2007
Naslund, Jo-Anne M. "Subject Resources for Achieving Information Literacy." UBC Library. 18 Feb. 2005. University of British Columbia. 14 July 2007
Schrock, Kathleen. "Kathy Schrock's Internet Curriculum Critical Evaluation of a Web Site, Brainstorming Sheet." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 25 Apr 2002. Discovery Education. 12 Jul 2007
Schrock, Kathleen. "The Five Ws of Web Site Evaluation." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 2003. Discovery Education. 14 Jul 2007
Schrock, Kathleen. "Teacher Helpers Critical Evaluation Information." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. 2003. Discovery Education. 12 Jul 2007
"Students' Information Literacy Needs in the 21st Century: Competencies for Teacher-Librarians." Canadian Association of School Libraries. Nov. 1997. Canadian Library Association. 10 July 2007
Zapato, Lyle. "Help Save the Endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus from Extinction." The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. 09 Mar 2007. Zapato Productions. 12 Jul 2007
Canoe Project Resources
Works Cited
Ancient Forests. Dir. Jim and Elaine Larison. Videocassette. National Geographic Society, 1992.
"A Vanishing Heritage: the Loss of Ancient Red Cedar From Canada's Rainforests." http://www.davidsuzuki.org. David Suzuki Foundation. 10 Oct. 2007.
Battle for the Trees. Dir. John Eddington. Videocassette. National Film Board, 1993.
"Big Trees, Big Totems." Cathedral Grove. 12 July 2004. 10 Oct. 2007.
Bridgewater, Alan, and Gill Bridgewater. Carving Totem Poles and Masks. New York: Sterling Co., Inc., 1991.
"Canoe People." Chinook and Clatsop Traditional Culture. Regional Learning Project, University of Montana. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Canoes and Trade." Civilization.Ca. 28 Apr. 2004. Canadian Museum of Civilization. 10 Oct. 2007.
Conn, Heather. "The History of Stanley Park." Greater Vancouver Book: Discover Vancouver. 2007. Discover Vancouver. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Current Exhibits." Museum of Anthropology. 2007. University of British Columbia. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Daily Life in Ancient Times." MrDonn.Org. 2006. 10 Oct. 2007.
Davis, Rosina. "2004/05 Haida Gwaii Forest Education Program." South Moresby Forest Replacement Account. 2005. 10 Oct. 2007.
Drushka, Ken. Stumped: the Forest Industry in Transition. Vancouver: Dougla & McIntyre Ltd., 1985.
"Education Programs." The Canadian Canoe Museum. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007.
Ellis, Ken. "Living History: Carving Cultural Connections." 16 Aug. 2007. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Forestry Plan Infringes on Aboriginal Rights." West Coast Environmental Law. 2007. West Coast Environmental Law Research Foundation. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Forest Stewardship Council." 2006. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Gently Down the Seymour." Seymour River Fish Hatchery and Education Centre. Seymour Salmonid Society. 10 Oct. 2007.
George, Paul. Big Trees, Not Big Stumps: 25 Years of Campaigning to Save Wilderness with the Wilderness Committee. Vancouver: Western Canadian Wlderness Commitee, 2006.
"Google Earth." 10 Oct. 2007.
Greer, David J. "North Arm of the Fraser River: Musqueam Reserve." David J. Greer: Technology Solutions. 10 Oct. 2007.
Haida Gwaii/the Queen Charlottes: Islands in the Web of Life. Dir. Barbara Barde. Videocassette. Why Not Productions, 1990.
"Haida Heritage Center At Qay'Ilnagaay." Long Houses, Canoe House. 2007. Skidegate Band Council. 10 Oct. 2007.
Henderson, Fern. Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands Trail Hikes and Beach Walks. Skidegate, BC: Haida Gwaii Museum At Qay’Ilnagaay, 2005.
"Home of the Haida, Islands of 'the People'" Welcome to Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. June 2007. 10 Oct. 2007.
Humans in the Forest. Dir. Alan Honick. Videocassette. The Video Project, 1994.
"Inspiring Sustainability in BC Schools: Teaching & Learning for Awareness,Action and Change." Metro Vancouver. 10 Oct. 2007.
Jaques, Don. Managing the Forest: Support Materials for a Secondary School Coarse in Intensive Forest Management. Vancouver: Western Education Development Group, 1985.
Moore, Patrick. Pacific Spirit: the Forest Reborn. West Vancouver: Terra Bella Canada Inc., 1995.
"Native American and First Nations Canoe Journeys of the Pacific NW." Tribal Journeys. 10 Oct. 2007.
Neel, David. The Great Canoes: Reviving a Northwest Coast Tradition. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1995.
"News." Sealaska Heritage Institute. 2003. 10 Oct. 2007.
Old-Growth Forests: an Ecosystem. Dir. Alan Miller. Videocassette. . National Geographic Society., 1994.
Oldham, Kit. "HistoryLink.Org, Makah Whaling." The Online Encyclopedia of Washing State History. 23 Feb. 2003. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Protect Vancouver Island's Ancient Forests and Jobs!" www.viforest.org. May 2007. Wetern Canadian Wilderness Committee. 10 Oct. 2007.
Pullman, Sarah. "Big Trees, Not Big Stumps." A Smattering of Sarah. 10 Oct. 2007.
Pynn, Larry. Last Stands: a Journey Through North America's Vanishing Ancient Rain Forests. Vancouver: New Star Books, 1999.
Raven's Cry. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1992.
Song of the Haida Canoe. Dir. John Wright. Videocassette. Raven Productions, 1986.
SpruceRoots Magazine. Gowgaia Insitute. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Stanley Park Map." Discover Vancouver. 10 Oct. 2007.
Stewart, Hillary. Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians. Seattle: University of Washington P, 1995.
"Sustainable Forest Management." South Moresby Forest Replacement Account. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007.
"The Bellingham Herald." http://www.bellinghamherald.com/. 10 Oct. 2007.
"The First Sustainable Street." 2006. Musqueam Ecosystem Conservation Society. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Tla-Ook Cultural Adventures." Dugout Canoes. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Urban Stewards." Stanley Park Ecological Society. 2004. 11 Oct. 2007.
"VMC." Virtual Museum Canada. 02 Oct. 2007. Government of Canada. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Watershed Connections/Watersfed Works!" The Sierra Club of Canada, Education. 10 Oct. 2007.
"Where Sea and Land Meet." Canadian Museum of Civilization. 28 June 2001. 10 Oct. 2007.
Who's Land is This? Dir. Renae Morriseau. BC Learning Connections.
The Working Forest of British Columbia. Madiera Park, BC: Harbour for I.K. Barber, RPF, 1995.
Yahgulanaas, Mike Nicholls. "How Many Canoes are on That Black Ship." Haida Brave, Haida Gwaii. Gowgaia Institute. 10 Oct. 2007.
Yahgulanaas, Mike Nicholl. The Last Voyage of the Black Ship: Haida Manga. Vancouver: Western Canadian Wilderness Committee & Tales of the Raven, 2002.
Ancient Forests. Dir. Jim and Elaine Larison. Videocassette. National Geographic Society, 1992.
"A Vanishing Heritage: the Loss of Ancient Red Cedar From Canada's Rainforests." http://www.davidsuzuki.org. David Suzuki Foundation. 10 Oct. 2007
Battle for the Trees. Dir. John Eddington. Videocassette. National Film Board, 1993.
"Big Trees, Big Totems." Cathedral Grove. 12 July 2004. 10 Oct. 2007
Bridgewater, Alan, and Gill Bridgewater. Carving Totem Poles and Masks. New York: Sterling Co., Inc., 1991.
"Canoe People." Chinook and Clatsop Traditional Culture. Regional Learning Project, University of Montana. 10 Oct. 2007
"Canoes and Trade." Civilization.Ca. 28 Apr. 2004. Canadian Museum of Civilization. 10 Oct. 2007
Conn, Heather. "The History of Stanley Park." Greater Vancouver Book: Discover Vancouver. 2007. Discover Vancouver. 10 Oct. 2007
"Current Exhibits." Museum of Anthropology. 2007. University of British Columbia. 10 Oct. 2007
"Daily Life in Ancient Times." MrDonn.Org. 2006. 10 Oct. 2007
Davis, Rosina. "2004/05 Haida Gwaii Forest Education Program." South Moresby Forest Replacement Account. 2005. 10 Oct. 2007
Drushka, Ken. Stumped: the Forest Industry in Transition. Vancouver: Dougla & McIntyre Ltd., 1985.
"Education Programs." The Canadian Canoe Museum. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007
Ellis, Ken. "Living History: Carving Cultural Connections." 16 Aug. 2007. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. 10 Oct. 2007
"Forestry Plan Infringes on Aboriginal Rights." West Coast Environmental Law. 2007. West Coast Environmental Law Research Foundation. 10 Oct. 2007
"Forest Stewardship Council." 2006. 10 Oct. 2007
"Gently Down the Seymour." Seymour River Fish Hatchery and Education Centre. Seymour Salmonid Society. 10 Oct. 2007
George, Paul. Big Trees, Not Big Stumps: 25 Years of Campaigning to Save Wilderness with the Wilderness Committee. Vancouver: Western Canadian Wlderness Commitee, 2006.
"Google Earth." 10 Oct. 2007
Greer, David J. "North Arm of the Fraser River: Musqueam Reserve." David J. Greer: Technology Solutions. 10 Oct. 2007
Haida Gwaii/the Queen Charlottes: Islands in the Web of Life. Dir. Barbara Barde. Videocassette. Why Not Productions, 1990.
"Haida Heritage Center At Qay'Ilnagaay." Long Houses, Canoe House. 2007. Skidegate Band Council. 10 Oct. 2007
Henderson, Fern. Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands Trail Hikes and Beach Walks. Skidegate, BC: Haida Gwaii Museum At Qay’Ilnagaay, 2005.
"Home of the Haida, Islands of 'the People'" Welcome to Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. June 2007. 10 Oct. 2007
Humans in the Forest. Dir. Alan Honick. Videocassette. The Video Project, 1994.
"Inspiring Sustainability in BC Schools: Teaching & Learning for Awareness,Action and Change." Metro Vancouver. 10 Oct. 2007
Jaques, Don. Managing the Forest: Support Materials for a Secondary School Coarse in Intensive Forest Management. Vancouver: Western Education Development Group, 1985.
Moore, Patrick. Pacific Spirit: the Forest Reborn. West Vancouver: Terra Bella Canada Inc., 1995.
"Native American and First Nations Canoe Journeys of the Pacific NW." Tribal Journeys. 10 Oct. 2007
Neel, David. The Great Canoes: Reviving a Northwest Coast Tradition. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1995.
"News." Sealaska Heritage Institute. 2003. 10 Oct. 2007
Old-Growth Forests: an Ecosystem. Dir. Alan Miller. Videocassette. . National Geographic Society., 1994.
Oldham, Kit. "HistoryLink.Org, Makah Whaling." The Online Encyclopedia of Washing State History. 23 Feb. 2003. 10 Oct. 2007
"Protect Vancouver Island's Ancient Forests and Jobs!" www.viforest.org. May 2007. Wetern Canadian Wilderness Committee. 10 Oct. 2007
Pullman, Sarah. "Big Trees, Not Big Stumps." A Smattering of Sarah. 10 Oct. 2007
Pynn, Larry. Last Stands: a Journey Through North America's Vanishing Ancient Rain Forests. Vancouver: New Star Books, 1999.
Raven's Cry. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1992.
Song of the Haida Canoe. Dir. John Wright. Videocassette. Raven Productions, 1986.
SpruceRoots Magazine. Gowgaia Insitute. 10 Oct. 2007
"Stanley Park Map." Discover Vancouver. 10 Oct. 2007
Stewart, Hillary. Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians. Seattle: University of Washington P, 1995.
"Sustainable Forest Management." South Moresby Forest Replacement Account. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007
"The Bellingham Herald." http://www.bellinghamherald.com/. 10 Oct. 2007
"The First Sustainable Street." 2006. Musqueam Ecosystem Conservation Society. 10 Oct. 2007
"Tla-Ook Cultural Adventures." Dugout Canoes. 10 Oct. 2007
"Urban Stewards." Stanley Park Ecological Society. 2004. 11 Oct. 2007
"VMC." Virtual Museum Canada. 02 Oct. 2007. Government of Canada. 10 Oct. 2007
"Watershed Connections/Watersfed Works!" The Sierra Club of Canada, Education. 10 Oct. 2007
"Where Sea and Land Meet." Canadian Museum of Civilization. 28 June 2001. 10 Oct. 2007
Who's Land is This? Dir. Renae Morriseau. BC Learning Connections.
The Working Forest of British Columbia. Madiera Park, BC: Harbour for I.K. Barber, RPF, 1995.
Yahgulanaas, Mike Nicholls. "How Many Canoes are on That Black Ship." Haida Brave, Haida Gwaii. Gowgaia Institute. 10 Oct. 2007
Yahgulanaas, Mike Nicholl. The Last Voyage of the Black Ship: Haida Manga. Vancouver: Western Canadian Wilderness Committee & Tales of the Raven, 2002.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
I got a bee in my bonnet this morning
I read an article on the junk food war this morning, and had to say something. I emailed this to the writer.
Hello Gerry Bellett;
I want to make a few comments on your article "North Van school leads the way in banishing junk food from machines." As a teaching chef at Sir Charles Tupper secondary school in Vancouver, the healthy choices issue is a major concern. In our culinary arts program we have four major concerns:
the well being of all Tupper students
the education of students enrolled in our program
the cost recovery aspect of running the cafeteria
encouraging a positve working envirnoment by providing excellent products and service to staff and students
I enjoyed the article, but I am wondering what is being reported on regarding school cafeterias while the junkfood purge takes place in the hallways where the vending machines are. In many of the articles that I have read on this issue, the cafeterias are often blamed for the problem, or ignored as not having a stake in the war on unhealthy diets. It is important to know that teaching cafeterias provide a critical service to the school; we feed the hungry kids, offer nutritious meals at low prices, engage in school initiatives such as catering for special events, and provide an elective credit course option teaching needed skills for home use and for careers, offering early apprenticeships to aspiring cooks and bakers,
We do a lot more than vending machines, which I see as my enemy. Vending machines give nothing to our educational program, and have nothing to do with our cafeteria. The culinary programs are under constant attack by our school boards because they are expensive to run. If we got rid of all the vending machinces in the school, students would frequent the cafeterias, eat healthier, and our costs would be recovered further. When a student or staff buys something from us they support our program which means student's learning is enhanced.
Carson Graham is the only North Van school to have a teaching cafeteria, certainly a key player in the fight against junk food, so it is too bad that your article does not mention it. I wonder if Vancouver Coastal Health know about the program there. Like many teaching cafeterias, we at Tupper Culinary Arts have been working towards healthier choices for several years. We offer fresh nutritious items made by our students under the supervision of our kitchen team. Teaching cafeterias conduct important programs for the school community, and should be mentioned in articles concerning the junkfood issue.
Good Health!
Cecil Baird Teacher/Chef/Son/Father/Husband/Man/Rider/Ultimater/Canadian/Curler/Lover of Life/Sir Charles Tupper Secondary, ph. 6047138233 loc. 7212, or at home 6042550433
“Skilful and refined cookery has always been a feature of the most glorious epochs in history.”
Lucien Tendret (1825-1896)
Hello Gerry Bellett;
I want to make a few comments on your article "North Van school leads the way in banishing junk food from machines." As a teaching chef at Sir Charles Tupper secondary school in Vancouver, the healthy choices issue is a major concern. In our culinary arts program we have four major concerns:
the well being of all Tupper students
the education of students enrolled in our program
the cost recovery aspect of running the cafeteria
encouraging a positve working envirnoment by providing excellent products and service to staff and students
I enjoyed the article, but I am wondering what is being reported on regarding school cafeterias while the junkfood purge takes place in the hallways where the vending machines are. In many of the articles that I have read on this issue, the cafeterias are often blamed for the problem, or ignored as not having a stake in the war on unhealthy diets. It is important to know that teaching cafeterias provide a critical service to the school; we feed the hungry kids, offer nutritious meals at low prices, engage in school initiatives such as catering for special events, and provide an elective credit course option teaching needed skills for home use and for careers, offering early apprenticeships to aspiring cooks and bakers,
We do a lot more than vending machines, which I see as my enemy. Vending machines give nothing to our educational program, and have nothing to do with our cafeteria. The culinary programs are under constant attack by our school boards because they are expensive to run. If we got rid of all the vending machinces in the school, students would frequent the cafeterias, eat healthier, and our costs would be recovered further. When a student or staff buys something from us they support our program which means student's learning is enhanced.
Carson Graham is the only North Van school to have a teaching cafeteria, certainly a key player in the fight against junk food, so it is too bad that your article does not mention it. I wonder if Vancouver Coastal Health know about the program there. Like many teaching cafeterias, we at Tupper Culinary Arts have been working towards healthier choices for several years. We offer fresh nutritious items made by our students under the supervision of our kitchen team. Teaching cafeterias conduct important programs for the school community, and should be mentioned in articles concerning the junkfood issue.
Good Health!
Cecil Baird Teacher/Chef/Son/Father/Husband/Man/Rider/Ultimater/Canadian/Curler/Lover of Life/Sir Charles Tupper Secondary, ph. 6047138233 loc. 7212, or at home 6042550433
“Skilful and refined cookery has always been a feature of the most glorious epochs in history.”
Lucien Tendret (1825-1896)
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
My Government, Kyoto, and Why?
ecoAUTO Program - 2006 Model Year ecoAUTO Eligibility
This is the site where you can find out if your car qualifies for the Feebate. The great and stupid thing about it is that my 2006 Smart is on the list, but since the initiative was only announced in March of this year, it doesn't qualify. Here is my original email, the response from Transport Canada, and my folow up today:
-----Original Message-----
From: cecil baird [mailto:cecil_baird@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 8:41 PM
To: WEB Feedback
Subject: febates
Hello; I bought a Smart Fourtwo 2006 model. How can I know if the feebate has been attached to the original price that I paid? I do not remember anything coming from the dealer on that issue, and never knew that my car would qualify until I read a piece in the newspaper today. Now I wonder if I will get a feebate for being somewhat of an environmentally responsible car driver, if there is such a thing.
Please advise,
Cecil Baird
Mr. Baird
I would like to thank you for your e-mail dated April 6, 2007, regarding the new ecoAUTO Rebate Program.
Due to the fact that this measure was announced on March 19, 2007 as part of the Federal Budget 2007, only vehicles appearing on the list that are purchased or leased (12 months or more) on or after March 20, 2007 are eligible.
The list of 2006 and 2007 model year vehicles eligible for the rebate can be found at http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/ecotransport/ecoauto.htm#2007vehicleeligibility.
Best Regards,
ecoAUTO Rebate Program
This decision seems unfair to me. My car is on the list at http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/ecotransport/ecoauto.htm#2007vehicleeligibility .
I have been driving it and 'saving' the environment since long before the Feebate pronouncement, yet I do not qualify. This seems wrong; I wonder if there is any provision for those of us who have taken a different road, with the foresight and desire to change the way we do things, that is to say, to be proactive, not re-active as the Feebate policy turns out to be.
Cecil Baird
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
How do you say whisk in Spanish?
Do you know that there is no word for 'whisk' in Spanish? How do the Spanish chefs do it then? What do they ask for when they bitch out their apprentices to "Hey, bone-head! go get that thing that we use to make the Hollandaise sauce get all frothy and stop from coagulating that you hold in your hand and make go real fast around and around! Now!"
So my students tell me, but there must be a name, Si?
So my students tell me, but there must be a name, Si?
ChefsLine - Cook live with professional chefs
ChefsLine - Cook live with professional chefs
Hey all you struggling cooks out there, wondering what to have for supper tonight, or for that weekend party, or do you just plain SUCK in the the kitchen all the time? Then maybe you should try this website, and for a fee you can call up and get advice from a chef. While this may seem strange to some cynical chefs (me) or anyone with an ounce of interest, energy, and desire to try cooking something different, it may just work out as a positive experience for the culinarily challenged. When I first saw this site, I thought it was silly, and doomed to become a failed experiment created by some money grabbing exploiters of wanna-be epicurians, but after a bit, I asked myself: "What would Sulu do?" and I have decided to just say -Good luck!
Hey all you struggling cooks out there, wondering what to have for supper tonight, or for that weekend party, or do you just plain SUCK in the the kitchen all the time? Then maybe you should try this website, and for a fee you can call up and get advice from a chef. While this may seem strange to some cynical chefs (me) or anyone with an ounce of interest, energy, and desire to try cooking something different, it may just work out as a positive experience for the culinarily challenged. When I first saw this site, I thought it was silly, and doomed to become a failed experiment created by some money grabbing exploiters of wanna-be epicurians, but after a bit, I asked myself: "What would Sulu do?" and I have decided to just say -Good luck!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Rouxbe - The Recipe to Better Cooking
Rouxbe - The Recipe to Better Cooking
Diane, one of my classmates showed me this site, a clever play on food words, check it out!
Diane, one of my classmates showed me this site, a clever play on food words, check it out!
Public Library Geeks Take Web 2.0 to the Stacks -
Public Library Geeks Take Web 2.0 to the Stacks - Wired has some great stuff. Go here for this topical article on some of the material that we have covered in LLED 462. Definitely check out the Learning 2.0 site, and the 23 things. A vast majority of all the tech things from web 2.0 is here. If you do not know about 2.0, you may be outdated. I remember many years ago before I bought my first computer, which was a 10 meg 086 processor Samsung in about 1990, I heard a guy talking about the coming age of personal computing. He stated at the time that if you could not perform basic computer functions in ten years time, you would be considered illiterate by the standards of the day. This frightened me because I did not want to be a dummy to the upcoming new reality of learning and communicating, so I got the 086, since surpassed by the 286, 386 486, Pentium, etc. It can be tough to keep up. Also, I wonder if our students in 2007 feel literate because they have awesome computer skills but may not have great reading skills as teachers define them, that is, book reading and learning skills.
I will try this html code for a podcast mp3 player and hope it works:
I will try this html code for a podcast mp3 player and hope it works:
Monday, April 9, 2007
Developing Confidence with Technology : or, Now that I have done this, I feel on top of the world!
I became interested in doing the weblog option of this assignment for several reasons. In the summer of 2006, I took a Language and Literacy Education (LLED) class at the University of British Columbia (UBC) called 449 Teaching Adolescents Literature, as part of the Diploma in Librarianship (http://www.lled.educ.ubc.ca/courses/summer2007/449-951.htm). Our teacher Peter Hill had developed a weblog component to his subject English class at University Hill Secondary, and I was very interested in how it worked. He told us that students who do not always take part in class discussions sometimes engage in online academic chat, which intrigued me. The idea of creating my own blog has also been fueled by my daughter Rachel’s blog (http://rachellynnseoul.blogspot.com/). She lives in Seoul Korea, and teaches elementary school-aged students English language. While her blog is personal, she often posts pictures of her students and stories about them. My wife and I journeyed to Seoul this past Spring Break and had a wonderful time visiting and experiencing the city and the food, and Rachel showed me the evolution of her blog. I hope to help the librarian at Tupper Secondary, where I work, develop a blog in some kind of capacity. I am not sure where it all will lead just yet, but with a little experience I am getting more comfortable with the technology and I have found blogging to be good fun. Although the learning is often frustrating, the successes are quite rewarding.
I started with Blogger because it is convenient for people using Google, who have fairly recently bought the company (http://www.google.ca/). I have Google set as my home page, and customized it with a button that sends web sites and pages straight to Blogger, so easy! Up until the buy out of Blogger (old Blogger) by Google (new Blogger) this was not possible. Rachel has had many difficulties with Blogger as they changed over to Google, and she has learned a different way of posting, that is by using code. She experimented by finding view source on the page pull down menu on her browser, and copied the code into her blog until she got the format she wanted. I have not had to do this because I started on the new Blogger. I am now practicing uploading pictures from my travels; I just have to click the picture icon button on the posting menu in Blogger to post pictures. The hard part was getting the icon to appear, which I found after reading posted messages from other Blogger users in the help feature of Blogger. I also posted some links to http://www.flickr.com/ to see pictures that I put there, just to try it out.
The ongoing evolution of the blog is interesting, as the importance of design and function become evident to me. The process of determining how to combine these two elements is important but takes a great deal of time, going back and forth between the blog’s template and the published page to see how it looks. Next, I practice using the blog as if I am not the creator, trying to step away and regarding it as a casual net surfer, an unimpassioned viewer. This seems to be the logical way to go, but it is hard for me to be too critical of my own work, and I often seek the thoughts of others. For example, I wanted to show off my blog one day to my wife and daughter. On first view they both let out a groan because the lime green title was not a good pick for contrast with the background red and therefore tough to read. Being stuck in the idea that it was pretty, I was not thinking about the functionality of it. I changed the line to black for easier viewing, having realized the error of my ways.
I recently added two links to http://www.youtube.com/ showing curling and ultimate Frisbee videos, a search link to Canadian food news, and a feed to http://www.newyorkislanders.com/rss/topStories.asp, a hockey news update. These links will be constantly updated by the original sites, keeping the blog current and adding interest for viewers.
I picked the layout and colour after reviewing several blogs during this course. I found that the most successful ‘serious' intellectual and academically focused ones had a cool look to them, which tended to accentuate the writing, not the design. Blogs for young children had a lot of different colours, moving parts, and generally very interesting visually. I hoped to build something in between. I favoured sites that have a large amount of content on the front page versus ones that had “Enter” signs which you still have to go through before you know much about it, or ones with only links to other sites because it makes the viewer work too hard to get anywhere. There are so many resources on the internet that viewers must scan quickly or get bogged down, which means for me that a web page must be user-friendly immediately or go by the wayside. That is why I added the raison d’blog at the top of the page. Hopefully people will know quickly if they want to continue reading further, and will not be wasting their time.
The El Jefe picture in the right side bar should also give an indication of the blog’s content, as will the sidebar (Canadian Food News) below it. I wanted a solid colour that would provide contrast to the text for easy reading, and since I love earth tones the deep brownish red fit well. It is almost the perfect match for El Jefe’s facial hair, not dissimilar from my own.
A note on El Jefe: It means The Chef in Spanish. My wife and I were in Mexico during winter break, and so Spanish is on my mind, plus Espagnole is one of the mother sauces of French cookery. These little items are amusing to me, so they are included in my blog, which is a reflection of me. El Jefe was copied from Clip Art online, which is allowed for educational purposes according to the information at http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/permissions/default.mspx.
The challenges for this project are mostly to do with learning the software and being willing and able to spend the hours necessary to create something of quality. The blog development is perpetual. Since starting the assignment, I have learned much on the technical side. On the design side I also learned a great deal, most importantly, to identify what I liked and why, but it is always the content that makes a good blog good. The content must be what the author wants, since even professional blogs are very personal, and must be something others will want to view. A blog can be simply a journal or diary, but to be interesting to others in your discipline, it must benefit them as well.
When I began this project I thought I had a clear idea of what I wanted and I knew it would take time to develop the blog. I changed my mind several times about the design, but the basics stayed the same. I have changed the content a lot so far, and expect that will continue. The choices a blogger makes as to what goes on the page should be reviewed often. I have enjoyed building it and may keep the blog current after the course is over. The assignment asked for ten entries, which I made the very first night I started, and were all about food and literacy. Since then I have done quite a bit more, including some casual random muses and other things of interest to me. I hope they will generate some discussion at school, but they certainly are fun for me.
In the future the best advice I can offer new bloggers is to try to have fun with it, and do not be afraid to experiment. It is a little disconcerting putting your personal or professional life out for public view, and I know there are many of us in the class who are wary. There are ways to limit access to the blog which I am still learning. To allow students to post to your blog and interact with each other is a whole other issue and bunch of knowledge which I am continuing to explore. In my current job teaching cooking, I am not sure how to build blogging into the curriculum. I may just encourage them to read it and respond in some way to any of the links, articles, images or personal thoughts of mine, and hope to establish a deeper rapport or conversation electronically than we generally have in class. Time will tell how the next stage of Scootermcbaird takes shape.
I started with Blogger because it is convenient for people using Google, who have fairly recently bought the company (http://www.google.ca/). I have Google set as my home page, and customized it with a button that sends web sites and pages straight to Blogger, so easy! Up until the buy out of Blogger (old Blogger) by Google (new Blogger) this was not possible. Rachel has had many difficulties with Blogger as they changed over to Google, and she has learned a different way of posting, that is by using code. She experimented by finding view source on the page pull down menu on her browser, and copied the code into her blog until she got the format she wanted. I have not had to do this because I started on the new Blogger. I am now practicing uploading pictures from my travels; I just have to click the picture icon button on the posting menu in Blogger to post pictures. The hard part was getting the icon to appear, which I found after reading posted messages from other Blogger users in the help feature of Blogger. I also posted some links to http://www.flickr.com/ to see pictures that I put there, just to try it out.
The ongoing evolution of the blog is interesting, as the importance of design and function become evident to me. The process of determining how to combine these two elements is important but takes a great deal of time, going back and forth between the blog’s template and the published page to see how it looks. Next, I practice using the blog as if I am not the creator, trying to step away and regarding it as a casual net surfer, an unimpassioned viewer. This seems to be the logical way to go, but it is hard for me to be too critical of my own work, and I often seek the thoughts of others. For example, I wanted to show off my blog one day to my wife and daughter. On first view they both let out a groan because the lime green title was not a good pick for contrast with the background red and therefore tough to read. Being stuck in the idea that it was pretty, I was not thinking about the functionality of it. I changed the line to black for easier viewing, having realized the error of my ways.
I recently added two links to http://www.youtube.com/ showing curling and ultimate Frisbee videos, a search link to Canadian food news, and a feed to http://www.newyorkislanders.com/rss/topStories.asp, a hockey news update. These links will be constantly updated by the original sites, keeping the blog current and adding interest for viewers.
I picked the layout and colour after reviewing several blogs during this course. I found that the most successful ‘serious' intellectual and academically focused ones had a cool look to them, which tended to accentuate the writing, not the design. Blogs for young children had a lot of different colours, moving parts, and generally very interesting visually. I hoped to build something in between. I favoured sites that have a large amount of content on the front page versus ones that had “Enter” signs which you still have to go through before you know much about it, or ones with only links to other sites because it makes the viewer work too hard to get anywhere. There are so many resources on the internet that viewers must scan quickly or get bogged down, which means for me that a web page must be user-friendly immediately or go by the wayside. That is why I added the raison d’blog at the top of the page. Hopefully people will know quickly if they want to continue reading further, and will not be wasting their time.
The El Jefe picture in the right side bar should also give an indication of the blog’s content, as will the sidebar (Canadian Food News) below it. I wanted a solid colour that would provide contrast to the text for easy reading, and since I love earth tones the deep brownish red fit well. It is almost the perfect match for El Jefe’s facial hair, not dissimilar from my own.
A note on El Jefe: It means The Chef in Spanish. My wife and I were in Mexico during winter break, and so Spanish is on my mind, plus Espagnole is one of the mother sauces of French cookery. These little items are amusing to me, so they are included in my blog, which is a reflection of me. El Jefe was copied from Clip Art online, which is allowed for educational purposes according to the information at http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/permissions/default.mspx.
The challenges for this project are mostly to do with learning the software and being willing and able to spend the hours necessary to create something of quality. The blog development is perpetual. Since starting the assignment, I have learned much on the technical side. On the design side I also learned a great deal, most importantly, to identify what I liked and why, but it is always the content that makes a good blog good. The content must be what the author wants, since even professional blogs are very personal, and must be something others will want to view. A blog can be simply a journal or diary, but to be interesting to others in your discipline, it must benefit them as well.
When I began this project I thought I had a clear idea of what I wanted and I knew it would take time to develop the blog. I changed my mind several times about the design, but the basics stayed the same. I have changed the content a lot so far, and expect that will continue. The choices a blogger makes as to what goes on the page should be reviewed often. I have enjoyed building it and may keep the blog current after the course is over. The assignment asked for ten entries, which I made the very first night I started, and were all about food and literacy. Since then I have done quite a bit more, including some casual random muses and other things of interest to me. I hope they will generate some discussion at school, but they certainly are fun for me.
In the future the best advice I can offer new bloggers is to try to have fun with it, and do not be afraid to experiment. It is a little disconcerting putting your personal or professional life out for public view, and I know there are many of us in the class who are wary. There are ways to limit access to the blog which I am still learning. To allow students to post to your blog and interact with each other is a whole other issue and bunch of knowledge which I am continuing to explore. In my current job teaching cooking, I am not sure how to build blogging into the curriculum. I may just encourage them to read it and respond in some way to any of the links, articles, images or personal thoughts of mine, and hope to establish a deeper rapport or conversation electronically than we generally have in class. Time will tell how the next stage of Scootermcbaird takes shape.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Dolores Claman
I am watching the CBC. They are doing a feature on the "Hockey Night in Canada" theme, written by Dolores Claman of Vancouver, in 1968. I love that song. She also wrote “A Place to Stand” about Ontario (ari-ari-o). She has built her place in Canadiana with those two beauties. They also have story on their website about how she is suing them for overuse according to their contract. Maybe they are trying to sooth her by doing the feature.
Talking to Mom
I am talking to my Mom about food in 1949. She is looking at this blog, and we are discussing the ethics of eating meat, and 'alternative' cuts, such as heart. In 1949, when she was a young bride and her and my father had little money, she had to be careful to stretch the food dollar. One whole beef heart cost 25 cents! She learned to cook tongue also, since no one else used these cuts they were cheap, as well as being nutritious and lean. Later, as immigrants came in from post-war Europe who also had little money to start with, the demand for offal increased and prices went up. I often wonder aloud to my students about the difference between eating bugs, innards, or other 'yucky' things and eating 'normal' muscle meat of beef, pork, veal, lamb etc. It is my opinion that once you have made the decision to be a meat eater, all bets are off, it is wide open; the idea that eating a heart, a veal, or what have you is less ethical than any other food such as free-range chicken is odd in my view. However, since my daughter Rachel took Mr. Raoul's Environment class at Kitsilano Secondary when she was in grade 9, our family has eaten only free-range eggs and chicken.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
New York Islanders Top Stories
New York Islanders Top Stories
This is my first attempt at connecting an RSS feed, and although it is all about the hockey team with the best jerseys in the east, and not an educational, culinary, or literacy site, I thought it would add a significant dash of class to my blog. The mighty lads from Long Island now have the handsome and eloquent Ryan Smyth amongst them to lead the charge, so all is good on the Isle.
This is my first attempt at connecting an RSS feed, and although it is all about the hockey team with the best jerseys in the east, and not an educational, culinary, or literacy site, I thought it would add a significant dash of class to my blog. The mighty lads from Long Island now have the handsome and eloquent Ryan Smyth amongst them to lead the charge, so all is good on the Isle.
Friday, April 6, 2007
How to do it right
This is a sesame leaf, which has a unique and lovely flavour, with a piece of raw fish, and some spicy bean paste. It is a wrap. We bought a plate of sashimi, -Korean name unknown to me, at the fish market and then went to one of the restaurants there for dinner. We ate a huge plate of the various raw fish, so fresh!
Bandagi!
These are the bandagi, or silk worm larva, that we saw in a big wok being cooked and sold on the street in Seoul. We were surprised when they came to our table as a side dish at the makkali restaurant. We ordered a kimchi pancake, yummy, some makkali, not too bad, and then I had to try one bandagi so that I could get the whole Korean experience. I think they taste like a boiled kidney bean, with the same texture.
the Korean rice wine in prison cups
This stuff is the famous rice wine, makkali. It is served cold in a banged up tea pot, in these tin cups, and is excellent for washing down the silk worm larva called bandagi, as well as getting rid of the taste of bandagi.
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=84396&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_daily_show%2Fvideos%2Fmost_recent%2Findex.jhtml&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=false
this link is also available through the OCA site, specifically the piece by Rob Riggle on cloning beef for food from the "Daily Show" The video is extremely funny; Riggle is a comic genius who follows the style of previous daily 'reporters' Rob Cordry, Stephen Coderre et al. Their off colour interviewing techniques have revealed some pretty odd behaviour amongst our largest trading partners, the elephant to the south. Lucky for us the show is fairly Canadian friendly.
this link is also available through the OCA site, specifically the piece by Rob Riggle on cloning beef for food from the "Daily Show" The video is extremely funny; Riggle is a comic genius who follows the style of previous daily 'reporters' Rob Cordry, Stephen Coderre et al. Their off colour interviewing techniques have revealed some pretty odd behaviour amongst our largest trading partners, the elephant to the south. Lucky for us the show is fairly Canadian friendly.
little octopi
We went to the biggest fish market I have ever seen and wandered around in a bit of a daze looking at the multitude of products, some live, some filletted, some just gutted, but all fresh and fascinating. These little guys where very poular.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Michael Pollan on Sustainable Meat Eating
Michael Pollan on Sustainable Meat Eating Pollan has written tons of thoughtful pieces on the subject.
Organic Consumers Association
Organic Consumers Association Campaigning for Heatlh, Justice and Sustainability! Not just about food, many neato articles regarding good things you should think about to make the world a better place.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
The Culinary Institute of America Presents CIAprochef.com
The Culinary Institute of America Presents CIAprochef.com
The great cooking school online; this site is a must for professional culinarians. The educational value is very evident here, with lesson plans, news, student information and a lot more. The NY campus Hyde Park is one of the prettiest schools I have ever seen. When you enter the CIA, you feel the passion for cooking immediately.
The great cooking school online; this site is a must for professional culinarians. The educational value is very evident here, with lesson plans, news, student information and a lot more. The NY campus Hyde Park is one of the prettiest schools I have ever seen. When you enter the CIA, you feel the passion for cooking immediately.
Pro Smart Chef Stuff
http://www.smartbrief.com/cia/index.jsp?campaign=prochefsite%20 is the link to the lovely news letter from the Culinary Institute of America, the vaunted CIA. It tells a great amount of culinary news from the US.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
AltaVista - Babel Fish Translation - Translated Text
AltaVista - Babel Fish Translation - Translated Text fun fun fun, and useful too if you are planning a trip to a place where you can not speak the language. Babelfish is from "A Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
World Newspapers and Magazines
World Newspapers and Magazines Is the news important to you? Like to know what's a-happening in the world? This site is the bomb! Maybe you have only ever read local papers, well then you have not been getting the whole story, but here is your chance to become informed. Link up with hundreds of online news articles from absolutely everywhere with World Newspapers, your brain will love you for it.
Friday, March 16, 2007
EYA - Environmental Youth Alliance
EYA - Environmental Youth Alliance We are planning a gardening club at Tupper, with the gardeners at EYA. It will be a culinary garden, herbs and what not. I plan to maintain the herb garden with my students. It will be in the Greenway on 23rd st., and it will be awesome, come and see it sometime.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wellness Online : Home of the Wellness Letter
Wellness Online : Home of the Wellness Letter The 'Letter' is where its at babies, all the practical no-nonsense health news you can handle! Want to learn about microwave ovens? are they safe? How about Redbull and other nrg drinks? It is all here: read, learn, be safe.
Culinary Institute of America at Epicurious.com
Culinary Institute of America at Epicurious.com The big one, the CIA, and it really does live up to expectations -A very cool site for epicurians. The online lessons are killer. The series about the students is very engaging. All aspiring cooks should see this.
Winter food reading | Momentum - The Magazine For Self Propelled People!
Winter food reading Momentum - The Magazine For Self Propelled People! Bikes and food, I'm in love!
This is a great mag, from Vancouver, but not usually about food, but about bikes and cycling, which is just as good.
I ride, I cook, I am: come on everyone.
This is a great mag, from Vancouver, but not usually about food, but about bikes and cycling, which is just as good.
I ride, I cook, I am: come on everyone.
All News on food, diet and health
All News on food, diet and health Do you KNOW? Do you CARE? Check out this site for much news on all things food: diet, health, agri, tech-agri, substances and more. -Links to articles on tons of food things, lovely.
Sustainable Table
Sustainable Table One of my favourites, great if you value your food supply. Please tell me you care, go to The Sustainable Table and do something!
Librarians' Internet Index
Librarians' Internet Index Here is the site you have been looking for. Review those nasty ole' internet sites that you are unsure of, and it is an org to boot!
School Library Journal - Books, Multimedia, & Technology-Children & Teens
School Library Journal - Books, Multimedia, & Technology-Children & Teens This is a pretty big American site, I like the blogs, but there is a lot more -a little heavy on the advertizing, but I guess the book people have to make it somehow.
Culture Shop : Adbusters
Culture Shop : Adbusters These guys Rule! Adbusters=education. This media education kit is pricey but worth it. Do you want your children to KNOW? Get it now, before their minds turn into corporate fiddle faddle.
Grocery Store Wars | Join the Organic Rebellion
Grocery Store Wars Join the Organic Rebellion Join Cuke, Ham, and the gang for some good old fashioned rebellion against "The Man!" Watch as our unassuming veggy pals kick butt on non-organics. Fun times.
The Meatrix Films
The Meatrix Films This is a serious look at industrial agriculture and the devastating effect it has on our lives. The delivery method is fantastic, sarcastic, and not made of plastic, have a giggle and get righteous.
Sir Charles Tupper Secondary - Welcome!
Sir Charles Tupper Secondary - Welcome! This is where I work, check out the library page, and of course the wonderful cafeteria menu if you love food things, and if you don't -sucks to be you!
Babbo Ristorante
Babbo Ristorante This is a very cool site for educating yourself on interesting ingredients that you know nothing about. Smarten up and read!
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