This lesson idea was designed in partnership with the UBC teacher education program.
About the Book
Author(s): Roy Henry Vickers & Robert Budd
Illustrator(s): Roy Henry Vickers
Place: British Columbia’s Northwest Coast, Sacred Headwaters
Abstract: “Deep in British Columbia’s northwest lies the Sacred Headwaters, birthplace of three mighty salmon rivers, lifeblood of the region. A captivating Gitxsan legend tells the tale of Astace, a young hunter consumed by the ambition of catching swans with his bare hands. Swept away by the birds’ powerful wings, Astace finds himself lost in the clouds, clinging only to a cedar box filled with water. As his strength wanes and the precious water spills, a desperate Astace falls back to earth. Miraculously, where once there was only barren land, now flow sparkling lakes, meandering creeks, and a majestic river. Reunited with their hero, the Gitxsan people celebrate his return and name the life-giving waterway “Ksien,” meaning “Juice from the clouds.”
Indigenous Connections: The illustrator Roy Henry Vicker is of the Eagle clan, born to a Tsimshian, Haida and Heilsuk father and settler mother
Storywork Ideas by Angela Ang and Emmelin
Indigenous Pedagogy
- First Peoples’ Principles of Learning (FPPL)
- Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
- Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge.
- Indigenous Storywork
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Land-Based Learning
- Place-Based: Community Knowledge
Curriculum Big Ideas:
- Numbers to 100 represent quantities that can be decomposed into 10s and 1s.
- Development of computational fluency in addition and subtraction with numbers to 100 requires an understanding of place value.
Curriculum Content
- Number concepts to 100
- Addition and Subtraction to 100
- Change in quantity, using pictorial and symbolic representation
- Likelihood of familiar life events, using comparative language
Curricular Competency
- Develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry, and problem-solving.
- Engage in problem-solving experiences that are connected to place, story, cultural practices, and perspectives relevant to local First peoples communities, the local community, and other cultures