Arts Education 4 Lesson Plan

Name: Noelle Nestman Date: November 30, 2016

Subject: Arts Education Grade: 4/5
Content: (Topic) Teaching Instructional Strategies:
First Nations storytelling and Northern Indirect Instruction
Lights oil pastel art

Outcomes: Indicators:
CP4.7 Create visual art works that express
own ideas and draw on sources of inspiration
from Saskatchewan.

Demonstrate awareness that arts expressions

CH4.2 Analyze and respond to arts
expressions of various Saskatchewan First
Nations and Mtis artists.
Prerequisite Learning:
(e.g., drum groups, birchbark biting, beadwork,
powwow dances, quilts, storytelling) from
different First Nations often have strong
foundations in traditional lifestyles and
worldviews.

N/A

Adaptive Dimension:
- Students could paint the silhouette with black paint, rather than construction
paper.

Materials Needed/Preparation
- Black construction paper: one for each student for background and extra for
cutting out silhouettes
- Oil pastels (many colours)
- Glue
- Scissors
- Computer/Projector to show youtube video of Northern Lights and examples of
Northern Lights art
Set:
Explain the importance of story telling to First Nations people:

The First peoples of Canada used stories to explain to one another about things that
might otherwise not be understood. For example, the sun, moon, stars and the northern
lights were difficult to understand before technology and science. Many different tribes
or First people had different thoughts to what different things meant and how they were
created (because this was before the technology and science knowledge that we have
now).
Stories were also all oral because they had no pen or paper like we do now. They were
all verbal stories passed down from generation to generation.
Storytelling is an important tradition to all First Nations people.

Their stories were legends. Who can tell me what a legend is? A legend is a
traditional story or a group of stories told by a particular person. They are like folktales
or fictional stories they often have mythical creatures in them, have other mythical
elements to them, and describe something that is difficult to understand.

Ask the class: who has seen the Northern Lights? Does everyone know what the
northern lights are? Explain that they are also called aurora borealis.
May need to show short video of the northern lights if students are unsure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVsONlc3OUY

Before reading the story, Land of the Northern Lights, explain that this is only ONE
story that First Nations people used to make sense of the northern lights.
As I read the story out loud, I will point out any words we do not know and write them
on the board and touch on the meaning of the word.
After reading the story, explain a few different points of view. (Attached after land of
northern lights story)

Development:
Explain: We are going to create our own Northern Lights picture using oil pastels. While
you are creating your masterpiece, think of a way that the northern lights were created
that makes sense to you.

Show examples of different Northern Lights examples on the projector. (I have them
saved).
Point out how the Northern Lights go in different directions, use many different colours,
and how the colours flow together in the sky. Explain that they can use which colours
they want and which direction they want their lights to go in.

Explain that they will fill their entire black construction paper with their colourful
northern lights, and they can include stars with a white or yellow pastel if they would
like to (but dont have to). After the entire paper is filled with colour, they can cut out
black construction paper and gluing on a silhouette at the bottom of their page. The
silhouette should just be an accent of the paper and should not take up much space.
They can include on their silhouette: trees, hills, mountains, tipis, animals like moose,
Teaching Notes:
http://farrenjohnson.weebly.com/art-lessons/5th-grade-science-and-art-
northern-lights

Definitions:
Northern Lights- charged particles from the sun that enter the earths atmosphere
Wigwam- a rounded domed hut that was used by First Nations people for a meeting
place.

Closure:
If students are finishing their pictures early, I will read the story of Wiigyat and the tale
of how the stars came to be.

Extension:
 Land of Northern Lights
The Native American Story of the Land of Northern LightsThe Red
Indian Fairy Book by Frances Jenkins OlcottAn Algonquin Story
The Story of the Land of Northern Lights
Once there was a Wabanaki Chief who had an only son. The boy worried
his parents very much because he never played with other boys and girls in
the village. Every few days he took down his bow and arrows from the side
of the wigwam, and went away, no one knew where. And when he came
back, his mother and father asked him: "Where have you been? What have
you seen?" And he never answered a word.
One day the Chief said to his wife: "Our son must be watched. I will follow
him." So the next time the boy took down the bow and arrows, his father
followed in his path. They travelled along for some time, until the Chief felt
himself walking over a trail of dim, white light. Then his eyes were closed
by invisible power, and he saw nothing more. When he could open his eyes
again, he was standing in a strange country lighted by dim, white light, and
the people walking about him were different from any he had ever seen
before. And near him were many white wigwams. While the Chief was
looking around, an old man stepped up to him, and said, "Do you know
what land this is?" "No," said the Chief. "You are in the Land of the
Northern Lights," replied the old man. "I came here many years ago from
the lower country. I walked along the Milky Way, which is the same trail
over which you came. There is a boy who comes every few days over that
path, to play with our people." "That boy is my son," said the Chief; "where
may I find him? And how may we return in safety to the lower country?"
"You will soon see your son playing with our people, and if you wish it, the
Chief of the Northern Lights will send you both home safely."
Then the Chief saw that a ball-game was beginning. Many braves came
from the wigwams. They wore around their waists belts made of rainbows,
and from their heads arose lights of every colour. And as they threw the
ball, the lights from their belts and heads shot up against the dim, white
sky. Flashes of rose, violet, green, yellow, orange, and red, quivered,
leaped, and danced against the Sky, and died down. And then the flashes
shot upward again, flickering and dancing. And the brave, with the brightest
lights upon his head, was the Chief's son. While the Chief was watching the
game, the old man went to the wigwam of the Chief of the Northern Lights,
and said, "There is a man here from the lower country, who wishes to
return to his home, and take his son with him." So the Chief of the Northern
Lights called all his people together, and bade them give back the boy to
his father. Then he summoned two great birds and told them to carry the
boy and man back in safety to the lower country. One bird lifted up the boy,
and the other took up his father, and they flew away with them along the
Milky Way. The Chief felt his eyes closed again, and when he could open
them, he was standing with his son, near his own wigwam.
And after that the boy taught the men of the village the ball-game that
created the Northern Lights.

Other tales of the northern lights:

In Alaska, some Inuit groups saw the lights as the spirits of the animals
they had hunted, namely beluga whales, seals, salmon and deer.

In Finland, a mystical fox was thought to have created the aurora, its bushy
tail spraying snow and throwing sparks into the sky.

In Estonia, one legend said the lights appeared when whales were playing
games. Another said they were sleighs taking guests to a spectacular
wedding feast.

Wisconsins Menominee Indians saw the lights as torches used by giants

when they speared fish at night.
Wiigyat The Gitxsan Trickster
Introduction: Origin of a Gitxsan Trickster
The story tells that a baby boy was found by a fisherman near a pile of driftwood on
the shores of the Skeena River. The fisherman took the baby back to their village. The
chief and his wife did not have any children, so they adopted him. The chiefs wife
named the baby Wiigyat. It was soon discovered that Wiigyat could not or would not
eat, but he continued to grow. The chief and his wife were very concerned because the
Gitxsan were always whispering about their strange child. The chief offered a reward
to anyone who could entice the child to eat. All attempts were unsuccessful.

Then one day a tall dark stranger with skinny, scabby legs arrived by canoe to
Wiigyats adopted village. The stranger would pull scabs off his skinny legs and place
them in Wiigyats mouth when he thought no one was looking. The children ran to
their parents to tell of the strangers actions but no one would believe them.

It was then that Wiigyat started to eat. The mysterious stranger, who was really a
raven, refused any gifts for his kindness. The chief and his wife were very pleased that
their problem was solved and their child was now eating.

It was soon discovered that Wiigyats ravenous appetite could not be satisfied. He ate
all the food in his parents home. He went and stole food from the other smokehouses
and food caches. The chief gave away all his belongings as retribution for Wiigyats
stealing. Wiigyats eating was out of control.

In the early morning the chief assembled all his people very quietly. It was time to
leave the village and Wiigyat. Wiigyat awoke as the canoes were leaving. Wiigyat
shouted for his parents to come back for him. The canoes disappeared into the
morning mist. Wiigyat was all alone. Wiigyat thought that they did not hear him. So he
planned to set off on a journey to find them. A journey that involved stealing, lying,
cheating, bullying, greed and poverty.

Chapter 1: Wiigyat Visits the Shining Village

Wiigyats father, the chief, gathered the people together. It was time to leave the village
and Wiigyat. His eating was out of control and the resources were at running low. In
the early morning while Wiigyat slept, after a night of stealing and eating, the canoes
silently slipped away. Wiigyats mother had left some food for Wiigyat. He quickly
gobbled it up and looked around for more. There was nothing left in the village.

Bringing Authentic First Peoples Content to the K-3 Classroom 125

One evening when he still had a home, Wiigyat had been outside the smokehouse
waiting for the women to leave so he could fill his stomach. Wiigyat remembered the
storyteller among them talking about a chief, in a northern village, who would not
share the ball of light he owned. It was a time when the Gitxsan Territories were still in
semi- darkness. Wiigyat knew if he possessed the ball of light it would change his life
for the better.

Wiigyat began his journey through the vast wilderness to the village of the chief who
owned the ball of light. Along the way he ate berries and drank lots of water to fool his
grumbling stomach. One day he came to a steep canyon. Discouraged and not knowing
how to get across; he sat down and wishing that he could fly. He felt a strange
sensation as his body transformed into a raven. It dawned on Wiigyat that he had
supernatural power. It was a great discovery. Raven flew to the other of the canyon and
wished himself back to human form.

After several days Wiigyat came to the outskirts of a village. Wiigyat was blinded by the
brightness of the surrounding area. He remained in the wooded area and spied on the
activities of the people. Throughout the day a group of young girls would come to the
river to fetch water and have a drink. The girls would scoop up the water with their
hands and drink and then fill their water baskets and return to the village.

Wiigyat decided that he would wish himself into a pine needle and he drifted towards
the daughter of the chief who owned the ball of light. The young girl scooped water
into her hand and she noticed the pine needle, instead of disposing of it she just blew
it to one side. She drank the water and the pine needle slipped down her throat. On
the same day, the young girl was pregnant. The people were amazed with the short
duration of the girls pregnancy. Wiigyat was born after a few short weeks and he
started to grow at an amazing rate.

The new mother loved her strange son who ate everything she prepared for him. Before
long Wiigyat was walking and the first word he uttered was Yee (Grandfather). Yee,
Yee, Wiigyat would cry as he pointed to the bent box that contained the ball of light.
Wiigyat threw tantrums and cried for the ball of light, but the chief who owned the ball
of light did not trust anyone with his prized possession.

Wiigyats mother and grandmother pleaded with the chief to let the child play with the
ball of light. After all, what harm could a little boy do to the precious ball of light?
Finally, fed up with the crying and tantrums, and secretly pleased that the first word
his grandson spoke was Yee, the chief reluctantly gave in to the pleadings of his wife
and daughter. Wiigyat brushed away his large tears and started playing very nicely
with the ball. Wiigyat politely thanked his Yee, the chief and went to play with the
other children. He had suddenly started speaking in full sentences. The beaming
mother was so proud of her son. Look at him, the grandmother, scolded the chief,
he is so charming and smart and you wouldnt let him play with the ball of light.
Each day Wiigyat would ask for the ball of light and he would return it. One day when
Wiigyat was bouncing the ball down the path that led to the river the chief did not pay
any attention, after all his favorite grandson would bring it back.

Wiigyat wished himself into raven and flew away with the ball of light. Wiigyats
grandfather, the chief, was screaming, I knew it was you Wiigyat, who doesnt know
you? Of course, he did not know it was Wiigyat, but he wanted others to think he did.
The village was blanketed in darkness as raven flew away.

Chapter 2: Ravens Accident

Wiigyat flew towards the Kisgegas River where he knew the Gitxsan would be busy
with their salmon harvest. Wiigyat saw people below, there was not much light, except
for the shiny ball in his mouth. Wiigyat did not realize that he was in the land in
between.

126 In Our Own Words

This was where spirits that denied their deaths worked preparing their salmon. The
spirits went about doing the same tasks they did while they were still alive. They were
doomed to repeat these tasks until they surrendered to their deaths. These were the
living dead, who refused to enter into the spirit world. They liked the semi-darkness in
which they existed. They were not ready to go to the light.

Not realizing this, Wiigyat opened his mouth to ask if they would like to use his ball of
light the ball, it fell and broke. The ball shattered into a million pieces. The larger
pieces became the sun and moon and the smaller pieces filled the sky with stars.
Wiigyat took a few pieces and placed them in his robe. Raven accidentally gave the gift
of light to the Gitxsan. He shrugged his shoulders and wandered on devising yet
another plan to ease his great hunger.

Chapter 3: Wiigyats Death

Wiigyat was very tired. He walked towards the West; this was to be his final journey.
He was told that he had a brother living there in a western village amongst the
Tsimshian. After Wiigyat was reunited with his brother, he felt that he had a sense of
family and identity. His search was over. Wiigyat climbed the mountain and found a
cave. He took two young mountain lions into the cave and sat one on either side.
Wiigyat was a supernatural being. He willed that they be turned into stone. And there
they sit to this very day.