NBE3U Unit 5: Stories Now

Students choose a novel at a book tasting, run literature circles with clear roles, read teacher-chosen poems, drama and short fiction, check representations for accuracy, learn about the writers, publishers, prizes and organizations behind contemporary Indigenous literature and the role of technology, and reflect on where they stand as readers. The activities work with any novel from your board's approved resources; a Circle Guide is included. Teacher notes recommend reviewing the course with your board's Indigenous education lead and inviting Elders, Knowledge Keepers or Métis Senators through board protocol, and include support resources wherever residential schools and loss come up. Contemporary texts are chosen by the teacher from board-approved resources (titles only); public domain writing by Indigenous authors of the past is included in full as historical context.

Assessment of learning: a literature circle seminar and a literary essay, with rubrics.

This unit is free to download and use with your classes.

Lessons

1. Book Tasting
2. How Circles Work
3. Opening Pages
4. Who Is Telling This?
5. Poems Now
6. Circle Meeting 1
7. On Stage
8. Short Fiction
9. Checking the Picture
10. Who Makes Literature Happen?
11. Stories and Screens
12. Circle Meeting 2
13. Where I Stand as a Reader
14. Essay Workshop
15. Literature Circle Seminar

What you get

• A teacher lesson plan for every lesson: curriculum expectations, learning goals and success criteria, a timed sequence, differentiation, look-fors and answer guides
• Detailed slideshows (15 to 18 slides per lesson) with speaker notes on every slide: what to say, what to ask, what to look for and how long to spend, plus model answers and answer-key slides
• Student handouts, organizers and exit tickets
• Editable Word and PowerPoint files, plus PDFs
• A Circle Guide for literature circles
• A unit overview and the summative tasks and rubrics

Part of the free complete NBE3U course.