Grade 1A

The Two Sisters

The students are retelling a story of “The Two Sisters,” a Coast Salish legend which explores themes of Creation, courage, and peace. Written by Pauline Johnson, the book shares the story of two girls, daughters of a respected leader, who grow up to become young women, helping to end a rift between two warring groups of people: the Squamish and Haida people.The Transformer saw this as a selfless act and transformed them into two sister mountains for the people to remember their deed.

The Twin Peaks

The twin peaks guard the entrance to Burrard Inlet. They are known as “The Lions,” but to the Coast Salish people who have lived in this region for thousands of years, they are referred to as Sch’ich’iyúy (or “twin sisters”). The twin peaks are found along the North shore mountains in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Lions Gate bridge named in their honour, the BC Lions football team and Lions Gate Entertainment are also named after this recognizable landmark.

These mountains remain sacred as they are representative of a peace Treaty, an anecdote for family history, as well as a marker for gender and spiritual value. Two peaks were transformed by the sky brothers, or transformers, after the twin sisters married with Haida Twins, creating the path to the end of the war between the Squamish and Haida people.

Curricular Connections

As part of our Big Ideas, the students explored visual text to help understand unique, ancestral knowledge and make connections to the natural world around them. They demonstrated awareness of the oral tradition in Indigenous cultures and the importance of storytelling to teach lessons, communicate cultural values, and record histories. Using the oral storytelling process, and the techniques and principles of painting, the students were able to explore connections to place, culture, and the history of the local First Peoples through a creative medium.

Core Competencies

The students developed their communication skills by carrying out, planning, and reviewing the construction of their artwork. They also connected and engaged with their peers while presenting unique storytelling found in Indigenous cultures through both an oral and visual medium. They understood that they too are a part of, and surrounded by, multiple communities, developing their Positive Personal & Cultural Identity.

Storytelling: The Two Sisters

IMG_1582.mov

Side by Side

Take a closer look at the side by side comparison of the storybook, The Two Sisters, and the Grade 1A's adaptation.

The Six Cedar Trees

The Six Cedar Trees are connected to the BC re-designed curriculum and reflect the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Each animal is carefully identified to teach children the characteristics and habits of Pacific Northwest Coast animals and how we can look to these animals to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves. Each child had the opportunity to reflect on their learning, looking inward to discover which animal they most identified with to be successful in their task.

IMG_1623.mov