Links to Literacy

I have learned in my Education degree that there are always ways to connect children's literature to help enhance a subject. I have a few favourites that are connected to Aboriginal themes that I think grade 2 students would enjoy. These books could be used as read alouds, ideas for dramatic tableaus, they also could be adapted to me acted out as a pantomime.



Immi's Gift 
by Karin Littlewood 
(Scholastic, 2010)
This is a story about a little Inuit girl named Immi. Immi finds colourful objects as she is ice fishing. She adds them to her necklace and she decorates her home with these objects which attracts all sorts of animal friends. She and her new friends exchange stories all winter. At the end of the story she gives her polar bear to the sea and it ends up reaching someone very far away.

Ideas: This story contains some beautiful symbols and artwork. It also contains messages about sharing and global community (Social Studies). Behind the book there is a saying: "Sometimes the simplest gifts bring the greatest joy". I think this is an important lesson for the students to learn. One activity that I thought of that encompasses this feeling is and activity of giving. I think the best way we could reenact this notion is by creating symbols (from nature) that represent our selves. I think I would use Sculpey (a colourful oven-bake clay). At the end of the activity the students will put their "beads" in a bag and we will go in random order to pick them out. These will be our class friendship bracelets or necklaces.
Day 1
1. Read Story
2. Brainstorm symbols (Go outside for inspiration, look in books)

Day 2
3. Draw the symbol 
4. Create the symbol
5. Poke a hole in the object so that it can go on a string
6. Bake the objects

Day 3
7. Read the story again
8. Students will "go fishing" for an object
9. Have other beads to decorate the necklace/bracelet
10. Get students to do a journal entry about the object that they got


A Promise is A Promise
by Robert Munsch and Michael Kukugak
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
(Annick Press, 1989) 
This story is about Allashua who promises her parents that she will not go out on the ice, but when she breaks her promise she gets into trouble with the Qallupilluit (people who live under the ice). She must outwit the Qallupilluit to be set free.

 This story has extreme dramatic potential. This story could be easily converted into a script, but it could also be used as a tableau. 

 
Northern Lights, The Soccer Trails
by: Michael Kusugak
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
(Annick Press, 1993) 
This story helps students make personal connections to Inuit living. When I was growing up, I liked this story because I could see the similarities between living in the north and living in the south of Canada. I liked that the main character plays soccer, just like me. I also liked the other part of the story that involved the intimacy with her grandmother. 

The art in this book by Vladyana Krykorka is amazing and I think that it will inspire students to want to create their own northern lights.
Steps to this activity: (2 days)
1. Students will take pictures of each other outside playing games in the snow 
2. We will do watercolour painting for the background (can do crayon resist for the snow)
3. Print out the pictures and get students to cut them out
4. Glue the picture on the watercolour once it is dry
5. Students write a caption for the picture 

This art project can be a present for a family member for a Christmas present or another winter holiday.