Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Outcome(s) of Lesson: (Blooms or I can statement)

1. Language Arts 2.1. I can begin to make connections among sounds, letters, words,
pictures, and meaning.

How will I know students have achieved the learning outcome(s)?

1. Students can begin to make connections among sounds, letters, words, pictures, and
meaning.

Hook:
 Dress up as your personal Totem Animals and begin the lesson by coming in the
classroom, singing the noise your animal makes. For example: Dress up as a beaver
to represent the Totem meaning, determined, and make the noise of a beaver to grab
the students’ attention. (2 Mins)

Learning Opportunities:
Time Learning Opportunity How do I check that students
understand what to do?

1. Ask students to form a circle on the carpet. Ask random students questions
15 2. Now, ask students to think of something about the instructions that have
Mins that is very important to them. This could been given. For example, Sarah
be an animal or friend. Then, encourage what are we thinking of?
students to describe what characteristics
and traits the ‘something’ has. Next, ask
students how they feel connected to them.
Students can draw their person, animal, or
item on a blank piece of paper.
3. Once students have their drawing, ask Materials Needed
them to Stand up, Hand Up, Pair up, and
share their important person, animal, item,
Paper
or friend and share why they are important
Pens
with their partner.
Erasers
4. Using this scaffolding technique through
something important, explain what a Totem
animal is and why it is significant to
Indigenous people. For more
understanding, talk about why I chose a
Beaver to be my Totem animal.
 Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

How do I differentiate for ALL learners? Accommodations (ISP’s)

Beginning: Students share a story about their dog Tason needs a recording of the
noise his animal makes as he
Developing: Students can start identifying why something has a voice impairment.
is important to them.

Achieving: Students can describe characteristics and

traits about their ‘something’.

Exceeding: Students can imagine themselves as an

animal and connect with them.

Transition: (what will students do when they are finished?, how will we move to the
next learning opportunity?)

· Have students run on the spot for 10 seconds and then take 5 deep breaths in and out.Now
students to come back to the carpet.

Time Learning Opportunity How do I check that students

understand what to do?

1. At this point, students should be sitting on After each slide, ask students to
35 the carpet as I move onto presenting Totem say the name of the animal. Ask
mins Animals. Have an interactive presentation a random student to say the
on Smart Notebook. On this lesson, each meaning of the animal. Repeat
slide will have a picture of the animal, this multiple times and one last
words that represent the animal, and the time at the end of the
noise the animal makes. The animals are: presentation.
 Bear - Brave
 Deer - Loving Ask the question, “Do we draw
 Beaver - Determined an apple on our whiteboard?”
 Butterfly - Vulnerable students should say no. Ask, “do
 Moose - Strong we draw our totem animal on our
 Owl - Wise whiteboard?” students should
 Rabbit - Creative say yes.
 Turtle - Patient
 Wolf - Loyal
 Porcupine - Curious
 Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

 Raven - Truthful Materials Needed

 Fox - clever
*Use easy words for the level of students*
For example: Almost explain it as a story so Smart Notebook Lesson
instead of just saying Brave for Bear say, “If Paper
you are not afraid of anything, you are a Pens
Bear.” Erasers
2. Have a slide with just pictures of all the Animal Masks
animals left for students to see. Ask each Sometimes I feel like a Fox story
student to draw a picture of the animal they (Danielle Daniel)
believe is their Totem animal on a blank
piece of paper.
3. Once they have drew their picture, ask
them to line up at the door with their white
board.
4. Have the animal masks ready for the
students. Go to each student and hand
them the correct Totem animal mask in
exchange for their whiteboard.
5. Before students leave the classroom to
head outside, have students walk out as
their animal sneaking through the woods -
this should help manage the level of noise.
(If it is cold, a sharing circle on the carpet
would work). Walk outside with students.
6. Find a nice place of grass outside and
ask students to sit in a circle and put on
their Totem animal masks.
7. I will now read the story, “Sometimes I
feel like a Fox” by Danielle Daniel aloud.
Tell students that whenever they see or
hear their animal, to stand up, and begin
making their noise.
8. Once the story is over, ask them
questions. One question could be, do you
feel like your Totem animal right now?
Another question could be, “What are some
ways you showed (insert meaning here)
lately? For example: “I showed bravery
when I checked for monsters under my
bed.”
9. To reflect with students, ask students
what makes a Totem Animal important?
9. Ask students to rise and line up single
file to go back into the classroom

How do I differentiate for ALL learners? Accommodations (ISP’s)

 Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Beginning: Students just simply pick one of the given Brayden does not like having
Totem animals. things cover his face. He can
simply hold the mask in his
Developing: Students can start identifying what Totem hands.
Animals are.

Achieving: Students can identify the connection between

who they are and their Totem Animal. They legitimately
choose their Totem Animal.

Exceeding: Students can describe why they chose the

Totem Animal and how it relates to them.

CLOSURE:
Reflect with students by once again going over the different Totem Animals and their meanings.
To close, have students color a picture of their animal. In a sharing circle, each student will
hold up their picture and explain why they chose the animal. (10 mins)

Lesson Plan Analysis: Using your lesson above, describe the following: (This
information MUST be in your learning opportunities)
Cooperative Learning Stand up, Hand Up, Pair up
Strategies used

Movement Breaks Run on the spot for 10 seconds, Walk outside, Walk back
into classroom

Modes of Learning Visual - Smart Notebook Presentation

Physical - Draw a Totem Animal, Wearing the Animal
Mask
Social - Sharing Circles, Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up
sharing
Auditory -
Logical - Learning Totem Animals
Verbal: Discussion, Closure
 Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Higher Order Question(s) What makes a Totem Animal important?

Reflection and Revisions:

References:
Alberta Learning. (2000). Retrieved from: https://education.alberta.ca/media/160360/ela-pos-k-
9.pdf

Daniel, D. (2018). Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

 Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Reflection

In the lesson, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, Kindergarten students will explore the topic

and meaning of Totem Animals. Indigenous people hold Totem Animals very close to their

culture and spirit as they are connected to these animals through the spirituality of the bear and

themselves. The Totem Pole is Totem animals represented together in a collective piece of art

that represents the interconnectedness of the Indigenous cultures. I chose to find a Language Arts

outcome to fit the story, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel. I felt these two fit

quite nicely together as students can begin to make connections among pictures, words, and

meaning. I thought this teaching could be a great way to start their understanding of the

interconnectedness of Indigenous persons. With that being said, I found this lesson plan quite

challenging to build as I changed a lot of my ideas. I started this lesson plan incorporating

imagination into it but I felt that it took away from the significance of Totem Animals. Then, I

decided to strictly stick with the idea of importance. My biggest challenge to writing this lesson

plan was trying to teach the First Nations culture with trying to do it justice but yet creating a

lesson that is engaging and appropriate for Kindergarten students. As I go into my practicum, I

think I will be constantly feeling this way for the first few weeks as I never want to offend their

culture or belittle the significance. As a pre-service teacher, I believe I will be on the same

journey as the students as I learn how to teach Indigenous studies and how to teach it in terms

Kindergarten students will understand. However, I feel it is invaluable for students to begin

learning about our heritage and culture at a young age to guide them in learning about those that

have walked before us.The teachings, inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge that can be gained

through Indigenous people is far beyond learning out of a textbook and this learning needs to

start in Kindergarten. If teachings on Indigiousnes studies begins at a young age, students will

feel more comfortable as they learn and connect with the thought, “all things in the universe are
 Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

related and influence each other” (Guiding Voices document). To close, although there may be

challenges to incorporating Indigenous studies into the classroom, there are many ways of doing

so. When I was finished this lesson, I could not believe how I integrated it to fit a Language Arts

outcome. Incorporating Indigenous studies into different outcomes can have a beautiful and

powerful effect on what and how students are learning as they learn how to view the world and

themselves as one.