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Lesson Plan: Worldviews

By: Charlene Camillo

Charlene Camillo

Education Collaborator

Charlene Camillo is from the Moose Cree First Nation and of Italian heritage.  She is a teacher and coach in the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB).  

From 2016-2022, Charlene was the Learning Coordinator in TVDSB for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education.  In this role, she led professional learning for staff and helped to develop various opportunities for Indigenous students.  She also created lesson plans and resources for use in classrooms, and shared best practices in bringing Indigenous content into schools.  

Charlene taught multiple subjects from 2010-2016 at Saunders Secondary School in London, ON.  In 2022, she returned to Saunders and has been teaching History and Indigenous Studies while coaching Girls Basketball and Girls Hockey, and supporting the Indigenous Student Association.

Charlene has been fortunate to work with multiple First Nations as a teacher and a coach.  She continues to take feedback and learning from Indigenous students and families to provide opportunities for staff and students to enhance their knowledge of Indigenous experiences. 

Materials

• Printed copies of worldviews handout (downloadable below)
• Computer, projector, and speakers to play a YouTube video (included in slideshow)

Worldviews Slideshow

Worldviews Handout

1. Welcome students and complete any opening routines you usually do as a class.
   
   
2. Have the worldviews slideshow ready to go on a computer and projector.
   
   
3. Distribute copies of the worldviews handout to students. Note that some sections of the handout correspond to the slideshow.
   
   
4. Share the definition of worldview with students (available on the slideshow and the handout).
   
   
5. Ask the students to complete Part 1 of the handout on their own. The examples provided are from this website.
   
   Note: It is important for students to complete this task independently to ensure cultural safety—do not lead the class in any debates about worldviews or the worldviews statements in order to avoid harm in the classroom. Review the blog on cultural safety to learn more.
   
   
6. After walking around the room and seeing that the students have completed Part 1, ask them to review how many of the statements they circled on the left and how many on the right. Then, let them know that the statements on the left are examples of a worldview held by many Indigenous nations. It is also helpful to share that ongoing colonialism continues to impact worldviews.
   
   
7. Support students in completing Part 2 of the handout: the mind map. Use the slideshow to show students how to create a mind map and provide examples to help get the students started. Encourage the students to work with a partner/small group if they wish.
   
   
8. Walk around the classroom to review the student responses. Based on your observations as the teacher, share some common examples aloud with the whole class.
   
   
9. Transition into Part 3 – Video: Foundations of Indigenous Thought by Renee Gurneau.  Renee is Anishinaabe and the slideshow provides a summary about Renee. Feel free to replace the slides/video with content of an Indigenous nation closer to your location if you wish. Ensure students are aware of which nation the speaker is from and that each nation has their own teachings that can vary even within the nation.
   
   
10. Explain the chart in Part 3 to students. You may set an expectation that is appropriate for your class. For example, write down 8 examples in total from the video, which could be 2 on one side of the chart and 6 on the other, or 4 and 4, etc.
    
    
11. Pause the video as needed.  Content warning: Renee includes information on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women between the 6:45-7:15 mark.  Communicate to the students that this is included before watching the video, or do not include this portion of the video if it is best to not include it on this day for the class. 
    
    
12. Provide time for students to discuss the video and the content they included in their charts, and work on the reflection questions in Part 4.  Edit the reflection questions if needed for your class, keeping cultural safety in mind.  Teachers may consider assigning marks to the tasks and counting the completed work as an assessment.