curricula - TEACH Magazine

MAY/JUNE 2012 $3.85
E D U C AT I O N F O R T O D AY A N D T O M O R R O W - L’ E D U C AT I O N - AU J O R D ’ H U I E T D E M A I N
CURRICULA:
CANADA’S CAPITAL
CAPITALTREASURES
TREASURES
CANADA’S
LESTRÉSORS
TRÉSORS DE
DE LA
LA
LES
CAPITALE DU
DU CANADA
CANADA
CAPITALE
FEATURES:
Behind The
The Scenes
Scenes of
of
Behind
The Shadowed
Shadowed Road
Road
The
COLUMNS:
Our Reveals
Reveals Now
Now Are
Are Ended
Ended
Our
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - 1
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
Behind the Scenes of The Shadowed Road
........................................................................................................................ 10
Wili Liberman
COLUMNS
Futures
Our reveals now are ended .............................................. 6
Richard Worzel
Web Stuff
.................................................................................................... 19
Field Trips
What’s on - Reptiles and Amphibians .......................... 20
DEPARTMENTS
CURRICULA
CANADA’S CAPITAL TREASURES
LES TRÉSORS DE LA CAPITALE DU CANADA .............. 13
AD INDEX ................................................................................ 19
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NOTES
O
ver the past twenty years we’ve seen a
on the undulating wave of the future. It’s
great deal of change and also, perhaps,
been a great run and I will remember his
not enough change in the educational
cogent contributions with fond gratitude.
landscape. Back then, publishing a magazine
There is more to be said about the
involved a different kind of process.
content of this issue, however. I have written
We worked mechanically. The Internet
a piece about my travels to Ethiopia to
remained in the domain of universities
shoot some video for the TEACH online,
and the military industrial complex, out of
digital project, The Shadowed Road (www.
which it grew. Computers were clunky and
theshadowedroad.com).
awkward and software came in primitive
extraordinary experience and a privilege to
forms. No one had email. We actually wrote
explore such a vibrant culture.
It
was
In CURRICULA, we continue on with
using an old IBM Selectric typewriter—
the Canada’s Capitals Treasures series of lesson
state of the art for its day. I became very
plans. This lesson plan explores the historic
adept at using self-correct tape and whiteout
monument dedicated to Maurice “The
after revising a piece.
Rocket” Richard, one of Canada’s greatest
hockey players.
early days of TEACH happened to be a guy
This is the close of the current academic
who called himself a futurist—whatever
year. We wish you all a healthy and safe
that was—and his name was and is,
summer season and we’ll see you in the fall.
Richard Worzel. Little did either of us know
at the time, we’d still be collaborating two
decades on. Richard had a fresh eye and no
loyalties that dampened his perspective. He
wrote honestly and at times, provocatively
because, even for such a sanguine guy, he felt
passionately, as do I, about education and
publicly funded education, in particular.
As a futurist, he explored trends in society
Wili Liberman, Editor
Assistant Editor:
Lisa Tran
Editorial Intern:
Christie Belfiore
Contributing Writers:
Christie Belfiore, Richard Worzel
an
letters by hand. I wrote stories and columns
One of the first writers I contacted in the
Publisher / Editor:
Wili Liberman
Art Direction:
Vinicio Scarci
Design / Production:
Studio Productions
Circulation:
Susan Holden
Editorial Advisory Board:
John Fielding
Professor of Education,
Queen’s University (retired)
John Myers
Curriculum Instructor,
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/
University of Toronto
Rose Dotten
Directory of Library and Information Services,
University of Toronto Schools (Retired)
www.teachmag.com
TEACH is published by 1454119 Ontario Ltd. Printed
in Canada. All rights reserved. Subscriptions
are available at a cost of $18.95 plus $1.14 GST
including postage and handling by writing our
office, 87 Barford Rd Toronto, ON, M9W 4H8 E-mail:
[email protected]
T: (416) 537-2103, F: (416) 537-3491. Unsolicited
articles, photographs and artwork submitted are
and specifically, how those trends would
welcome but TEACH cannot accept responsibility
affect how we educate our kids. He kept at it
for their return. Contents of this publication may
doggedly, never flagging for all those years.
classrooms without permission. Others may not
It is with great regret that our journey
together has now come to an end. Richard
be reproduced for teachers‘ use in individual
reproduce contents in any way unless given express
consent by TEACH. Although every precaution
is taken to ensure accuracy, TEACH, or any of its
has written himself out of the picture. He
affiliates, cannot assume responsibility for the
has said all he is going to say on the topic
content, errors or opinions expressed in the articles
of education within these pages. And in
keeping with the times, his last column that
appears in this issue, can be read in the
or advertisements and hereby disclaim any liability
to any party for any damages whatsoever. Canadian
publication mail sales product agreement No.
195855. ISSN No. 1198-7707.
digital version of TEACH. He says farewell
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - 5
FUTURES
By Richard Worzel, Futurist
Our reveals now are ended 1
S
ometime in mid-1992, I was approached by someone who had read a column I’d written about the
future of education for the Globe & Mail. His name
was Wili Liberman, and he wanted me to write a
regular column on the future of education for a
new magazine he was going to call (appropriately
enough) Teach. He said he couldn’t pay me, but the
magazine could give me a quarter-page ad in each
issue. I didn’t quite know what I would do with
such an ad, but was intrigued about writing such
a column. As I said then, and have frequently repeated, I don’t think you can be a futurist and not
be interested in education.
For almost 20 years since then, I’ve written five
columns a year, often hurriedly between consulting and speaking events for paying corporate clients, and have found the experience intriguing,
satisfying, and intensely frustrating. It has caused
me to think about the future of education, the
future of kids and teachers, the future of parents
and parenting, and the future of our society. It’s
been frustrating because I used to get regular feedback from readers, teachers, parents, even some
students, and whether they were complimentary
or not, I found their comments instructive. I have
also ended each and every column with an offer to
speak—for free—to high school students, and have
had a number of memorable experiences as a result, some times with entire high schools, speaking
to a thousand kids or more, and sometimes with
a small, individual class of twenty. More recently,
the feedback has tapered off, and the invitations to
come and speak have completely dried up. I’m not
sure if that’s because of me, the subject matter, if
readers are less engaged or busier, or if people have
generally become more like sightseers and less like
participants. Perhaps it’s all of the above.
What’s more frustrating is that the things I’ve
been saying, and especially the things I’ve been
warning about, have been happening with dreary regularity. I guess that means that not enough
people have been reading what I’ve been writing,
or else the people that need to read it, haven’t,
6 - MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF or the people who read it either didn’t care or
couldn’t do anything about it. That’s intensely
frustrating. So as my valedictory, I’m going to
review the major developments I’ve focused on
over the past twenty years, and offer some final
thoughts on what’s ahead.
First and perhaps most importantly, is that the issues of the elderly are going to crowd out the issues
of the young. I’ve been saying and writing about
this since the late 1970’s, and the time has finally
“ Bureaucrats, often with no
teaching experience, are increasingly
giving instructions that dictate what
all teachers should teach, and how
they should teach it, every single
day of the school year. ”
come: the recent cuts in education funding are—
unfortunately—proving me right. This need not
be a disaster if the spending per student remains
steady, or even rises, and if school boards close
redundant schools, but neither of these is a given.
In particular, communities become enamoured by
having a local school and fight closures even when
it’s the best thing to do for their school system. And
if we cut education budgets per student, or spend _________________________________________
1 Yes, I do know that I wrote reveals and
Shakespeare wrote “Our revels now are ended,” but he’s dead.
FUTURES
the money poorly, then we, as a society, are eating our seed corn,
and we will starve. What’s more, we will deserve to starve. As I’ve
said to many audiences, in many circumstances, on many occasions,
if we get education right, then we have a chance to solve all the other
problems. If we get it wrong, then we have no chance and no future.
The next common theme in my writing has been that the status
of teachers in our society has been consistently eroded away. This is
partly a tribute to the success of their efforts. A century ago, teachers
were among the most educated members of their communities and
looked up to accordingly. But they have been so successful at raising
the level of educational attainment in society that now society looks
down on teachers. And since everybody’s been to school, everybody
thinks they know what goes on there, that it’s not that hard, and
that anyone could do it. Ironically, this comes at a time when education is becoming ever-more important. All you have to do is look at
the rising income disparities between those who have only a high
school diploma, those with a university degree, and those with postgraduate qualifications to see the importance of this trend.
One of the consequences of this is the very strong movement towards micromanagement in the classroom. Bureaucrats, often with
no teaching experience, are increasingly giving instructions that
dictate what all teachers should teach, and how they should teach it,
every single day of the school year. This is completely backwards, as
the Edmonton model has clearly demonstrated. Ministries of education should set standards, provide relevant research and support
materials to indicate what has been shown to work as best practices,
here and abroad, and then get out of the way to let teachers do what
works best for their individual students. The teachers should be held
accountable for achieving specific results, but bureaucrats and politicians should keep their interfering paws off of what goes on in the
classroom.
Likewise, teachers, being given the freedom to teach students according to the teachers’ abilities and their students’ needs, must accept accountability, up to and including being fired if they’re not
good at teaching. Seniority is a lousy way to run an education system. I have generally avoided talking about teachers’ unions, but
the various times that I’ve been interviewed in the media in parallel
with a teachers’ union representative, I’ve been embarrassed at how
reactionary, petty, and narrowly selfish they have been. Indeed,
along with incompetent bureaucrats and politicians (which are
most, but not all of them), I believe that most (but not all) teachers’
unions are among the biggest stumbling blocks to improving education in this country.
A recurrent theme in my early columns was the fiction of “computer literacy.” I recently went back and reread a lot of my early
columns and find it amusing—now—that it was necessary to say
that computers could be valuable in education and that the Internet
was a very powerful tool that was here to stay. It seems—now—to
be incongruous that anyone could have thought otherwise, but I
can assure you, in the 1990’s I was often considered a wild-eyed,
technological nut. While I thought (and still think) that it was and is
inevitable that computers and technology would come to the classroom, I also thought that, as computer people say, “to err is human;
to really screw things up takes a computer.” Much of the money
spent on putting computers into the classroom was wasted because
the provinces and school boards who spent it didn’t know what they
were doing, or what could be done with a computer that couldn’t be
done with books and paper.
Despite this, computers, the Internet, and technology are really
just getting started in the classroom. Unfortunately, they’re still not
being used well, generally speaking. A computer is a tool, nothing
more. If it’s used well, it can produce marvelous results because it’s
a very powerful tool. If it’s used badly, it soaks up resources and
multiplies the inferior efforts to produce inferior results. And this
has led to one of my greatest frustrations: the deliberately-avoided
potential of computers.
Computers have created a new medium whose difference is as
important as the difference between the oral tradition on one hand,
and writing and literacy on the other. Yet, we persist in ignoring
the real potential to deliver a customized curriculum for each and
every student. We should be doing away with grades and grading so
that there are no more “grade 3 math” classes; only “Johnny Smith
math” class, “Jenny Chen math” class, and so on. Yet, the education establishment, all of it, from governments down to classroom
teachers and parents, continues to cling to the industrial era, massproduction, drill-and-kill, one-size-fits-all model of education. It’s a
horrendous waste of human and computer potential.
A theme I’ve been pounding for the last three or four years is that
I believe that our current education system is failing today’s students
because it does not adequately prepare them for tomorrow’s working world. We need to be teaching creativity, innovation, critical
thinking, and research techniques; the ability to express yourself
verbally, in writing and through mixed media; the techniques of
learning; interpersonal skills like leadership, teamwork, persuasion,
marketing and sales; and an understanding of how the human mind
works so that students can learn more quickly and absorb new fields
of study on their own. Instead, we persist in teaching stale curricula
from lectures and textbooks, requiring students to memorize facts
that they could look up in no time on the Internet so that they can
regurgitate them on a test before forgetting them forever. These are
not the skills they will need in tomorrow’s world, yet we persist in
treating them as Holy Writ.
Another theme I’ve discussed over the years is how society
has changed. Educators know that parents in particular have
changed, and not necessarily for the better. They may be more
“involved” in their children’s education, but that involvement
may often be as helicopter parents, hovering over their kids to
protect them from harm, excusing their children’s faults, and berating teachers when their little darlings are not given top marks
so they can get into Harvard or the Sorbonne, even though the
darlings may not have earned them. Unfortunately, I don’t see
any end to this trend. The current generation of students are the
spoiled children, of spoiled children.
And society has changed as well. One sociology professor has
described America as becoming a “toxic society,” and as much as
Canada would like to avoid a similar descriptor, I fear it’s coming
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - 7
here too. By this, he meant that we tell parents they are responsible
for ensuring their children are kept away from filth and harm, but
then exploit them by selling things to them that purvey violence,
pornography, and inappropriate behaviour through television, videos, and computer games.
But perhaps the most worrying development is the trend towards
accepting myths and fictions at the expense of truth. When evolution is cast into doubt because it conflicts with the cherished myths
of some religions, and creationism is shopped as a reasonable substitute, it erodes the foundations of rational western thought. When
the scientific facts of climate change are thrown into doubt, and
self-interested parties use propaganda and outright lies to pervert
public understanding of the very real threats that are emerging,
it represents a triumph of selfish, commercial interests at the expense of the common good and threatens the social compact that
underlies our society. Truth is a guiding light in a difficult world,
not an opinion that can be used or discarded at whim yet increasingly, people seem to think that facts are a matter of convenience,
and that uninformed opinions are equivalent to facts, and that is
outright dangerous. And when schools are asked to teach opinions,
myths, or propaganda instead of verified truths, we undermine our
very way of life.
Much of this is really gloomy. Does that represent what I think of
the future? Well, there is much of the future that is scary and gloomy,
just as the 20th Century included two world wars plus an assortment
of smaller ones, a Great Depression, the threat of thermonuclear
war, and a wide variety of tragedies and disasters. Yet, what we will
remember most about the 20th Century are the incredible advances
in medicine that lead to an increase in life expectancy of about 30
years; the development of computers and the Internet, placing the
greatest library in history literally at our fingertips; a massive increase in wealth that produced the most substantial improvement in
lifestyle in human history, and a concomitant flourishing of the arts,
plus the technology to record and transmit it to anyone, anywhere.
And I see similar changes, and much more, for our future.
I once said that anything that was possible would be accomplished, or at least started, in the 21st Century. I find that frightening because of the enormous breadth of this statement. Yet, I cannot
find it within me to deny it. I was recently at a conference for a
biotech company of which I am a founding shareholder, and was
able to have a 10-minute, private conversation with Dr. Craig Venter. Dr. Venter was the person who did more to decode the human
genome than anyone else. I asked how long it would be before we
could design life. He replied that his group had done it in 2010, and
that they could now design life forms in a computer then create
them in the laboratory.
So our future is even more astonishing than our past. And education is the key. Let me end by repeating something I’ve said many
times, including earlier in this article: If we get education right, we
have a chance to solve all of our other problems. If we get it wrong,
then we have no chance at all. Education is our future, and teachers
and principals are its guardians.
Thank you.
Richard Worzel is Canada’s leading futurist, and speaks to more than
20,000 people a year. He volunteers his time to speak to high school students for
free. Contact him at futurist@ futuresearch.com.
Invite Mr. X Into Your Classroom!
TEACH Magazine is pleased to present the fourth in the series of teen adventure stories for readers
aged 11-14 years. Follow the antics of Xerxes Frankel and his crew in Mr. X and the Vancouver
Iceman as they head to the Winter Olympics to film the hit television series, Get Outta Town! Fun,
funny and entertaining, Mr. X helps you support literacy in your classroom.
You can purchase Mr. X and the Vancouver Iceman, as well
as the first three titles in the series, Mr. X and the Circle of Death,
Mr. X and the Cog Train from Heaven and Mr. X and the
Rainforest Monkey through Amazon.ca, Chapters/Indigo
and other fine bookstores.
Mr. X and the Rainforest Monkey, ISBN: 978-1-55278-639-0
Mr. X and the Cog Train From Heaven, ISBN: 1-55278-583-1
Mr. X and the Circle of Death, ISBN: 1-55278-583-3
Mr. X and the Vancouver Iceman ISBN: 978-1-55278-814-1
8 - MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF Every 40 minutes, the Make-A-Wish
Foundation® grants the wish
of a child with a life-threatening
medical condition — being
a veterinarian for a day, having a
computer to stay connected or
going anywhere their imagination
takes them. Join in our
mission to create lasting hope,
strength and joy. Visit
www.makeawish.ca today.
A CHILD’S WISH IS WAITING.
YOU CAN HELP MAKE IT COME TRUE.
© 2010 Make-A-Wish Foundation. All marks are
the property of the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Behind the Scenes
of The Shadowed Road
By Wili Liberman
S
trangely, when I conceived of the online, educational project, The
Shadowed Road, which explores the history, culture and education
system of modern day Ethiopia, it never occurred to me to actually go there. At the time, Ethiopia represented a metaphor and a
context in which the major themes of Global Citizenship, Human
Rights, Democracy and Basic Education, were set. Ethiopia was
just an idea, a faraway place that, in my untutored imagination,
represented all of the clichés associated with Africa: poverty, disease, instability, blazing heat, drought and famine. Naturally, I was
wrong on every count.
The project consists of a number of core components: a graphic
novel of the same name, instructional videos, music, digital images,
a suite of themed lesson plans that link to curriculum nationally, as
well as a raft of tools and resources for educators and students.
Like most projects, The Shadowed Road begins with a story. In fact,
it is a story. The narrative of the graphic novel revolves around its
protagonist, a 14-year old girl living in the rural north of the country—Selome Fekadu. The character of Selome is an archetype, one
that represents the hopes and aspirations of many young people in
Ethiopia, girls in particular. Aspirations such as finishing school and
getting a desirable job, breaking the chains of poverty, and pushing
10 - MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF the boundaries of cultural norms where girls in rural areas are expected to stay home and marry young. Selome becomes an ambassador for learning, as her character wants to become a teacher. To do
this, she must complete her education, an impossibility in her rural
village. Her father wants her to stay at home and marry someone of
his choosing. Selome rebels and takes to the road—the shadowed
road—to fulfill her dreams. Along the way, she has adventures and
encounters that fuel her determination to be successful.
The ending of the story is multi-layered with three endings. Students have the option to select the one they feel is most appropriate,
credible or desirable. It is an indicator that The Shadowed Road, no
matter who travels on it, is nuanced and not always straight or easy
to follow. It’s a universal story not bound by geography or culture.
Early in October 2010, myself and the two members of the video
crew, flew into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city. Addis Ababa
erupted before us. It is a chaotic, frenetic city of about three million people with wide thoroughfares bursting with traffic. No lane
markers to speak of and the bumper-to-bumper vehicles that weave
in and out whenever a tiny gap opens up. Horns blare and beep.
Blue mini-buses throng the streets. It is a city with a pulse, one that’s
on overdrive.
October marks the beginning of the dry season. The weather was
sunny and clear, but not overly hot. I hadn’t realized that the parts of
Ethiopia on our itinerary took us to the elevated sections of the country. Addis Ababa is 2500 metres above sea level. Much of the country
is comprised of steep hills and mountains. Rarely did we encounter
flat land. Driving the hill country was manageable, but walking it was
arduous beyond belief, especially when the altitude came into play.
From Addis Ababa, we flew to Bahir Dar to the north. Bahir Dar
is close to Lake Tana, a huge lake that is the hub of the inland fishing and resort industry in Ethiopia. On a promontory 45 minutes
offshore, we motored to an ancient monastery. After a hike through
the forest, a compound appeared with the monastery within it. When
we arrived a funeral was in process. We came across a lot of funerals as the life expectancy in Ethiopia is low by western standards.
The monastery, dating back to the 16th century, approximately, was
built in the round. Astonishing paintings adorned its walls and as
you walked around, the entire story of the Old Testament appeared
before your eyes.
Ethiopia is a religious country. Orthodox Christianity dominates
while about one third of the population is practicing Muslims. There
had been a native Jewish population, but hundreds of thousands had
been evacuated to Israel during the last civil war. Paradoxically, Ethiopia is governed by a socialist-military regime although some aspects
of democracy have been maintained. In many ways, figuratively,
physically and structurally, Ethiopia is a land of contrasts.
The Lake Tana region is also home to the breathtaking Blue Nile
Falls. After an arduous climb through the hills, toiling up rocky paths
peopled by goats and villagers, an amazing vista opens up. As the
rainy season had just ended, the falls pounded out in fulsome glory.
Yet, as the dry season continues, the waters abate and the falls come
to a standstill. Watching tons of water per second pour over the promontory, it’s difficult to imagine times when it all but disappears.
We ventured further north to the town of Gondar and it seemed
as if we climbed higher and higher continually. Gondar is also home
to some impressive stone castles. In Gondar, we met a young woman
who runs a program that houses street kids. She receives no government funding and somehow manages to scrounge enough to keep the
program afloat.
From Gondar, we continued further north to the even more elevated town of Lalibela, famous for its churches carved out of a single
piece of rock. There is a large restoration program under way to preserve parts of the churches that are beginning to crumble or sag, all of
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - 11
DIGITAL LITERACY
which however, are still used as houses of worship. The most famous
carved church is that of St. George, shaped like a cross. It rises out of
the ground from which it had been excavated. While wandering the
grounds of that church, we heard blood-curdling screaming. It turns
out we’d happened on an exorcism. A young woman felt she’d been
possessed by the devil while a priest sprinkled her with holy water,
found in a pool on the site. It is said that the water burns as the evil
spirit is driven out.
The scenery of Ethiopia is extraordinary and the views spectacular. It’s difficult to convey just how beautiful the country is. And also,
how welcoming the people are. Naturally, being foreigners and carrying video equipment, we attracted attention everywhere we went.
People were naturally curious and friendly and inevitably asked for
a handout. Saying no became part of the common vocabulary but
when said firmly, a refusal was accepted with good grace.
Not far from Lalibela, we visited a local rural school, Bilbala Elementary to get a sense of how education was conducted in the countryside. Clearly, the community was poor and the school had little in
the way of resources. A polluted river ran near the grounds where the
children got their drinking water. The classrooms had no electricity,
no windows, few desks, scarce materials and resources, and roughly
65 students packed each class. The goal was to get the class size down
to an average of 50 students. So many children attended this particular elementary school that they had to come in shifts.
Lalibela represented the northern pinnacle of our journey. We had
roughly traced the path that Selome would have taken on her journey to Addis Ababa. As we travelled the rough and tumble roads of
12 - MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF the country where it is nearly impossible to venture out in the dark,
we approached the capital city. A highlight of the back leg of the
trip comprised a visit to a buzzing Muslim market where everything
from camels, oxen, furniture, blocks of salt, handmade rope to fruit,
honey, huge sacks of coffee beans, vegetables and clothing were sold.
Set on a hillside, the marketplace buzzed with activity representing
a fundamental lesson in economics. For lunch, we ate a goat that had
been slaughtered for that purpose.
Balancing our visit to a rural school, we went to see a privately
run school in Addis Ababa. The contrast between the two schools
couldn’t have been clearer. The private school featured modern
buildings, electricity, a basketball court and bleachers, standard materials and resources, and some access to computers. The children
wore uniforms and were well groomed. They were taught entirely in
English. Class sizes were small. Young students with whom we spoke
were articulate and thoughtful. All of them were proud of their country and proud to be Ethiopian. They had a revealing sense of identity. Their destiny was to lead the country in generations to come. A
heady ideal for a 10 or 11-year old.
All of my pre-conceived notions about Ethiopia had been exploded. The country does face significant challenges and the contrast
between education in the city and the country was pronounced. We
witnessed scenes that might have been taken straight from the Old
Testament. Yet so much of the country, its people and the countryside thrives. Going there, experiencing a small aspect of Ethiopian
life made Selome’s fictional journey more tangible and real. It has
been a privilege to take my own journey down The Shadowed Road.
CURRICULA
FOR GRADES:
6 TO 9
CANADA’S CAPITAL TREASURES
Series Introduction
Seven classroom-ready lesson plans and five introductory videos highlight and explore the significance and importance of Canada’s
Capital Treasures. These treasures represent knowledge, sacrifice, commitment and ingenuity. This series of lesson plans is available for
download at www.teachmag.com/curricula. These lesson plans were produced by the National Capital Commission (NCC) in collaboration
with the Virtual Museum of Canada and TEACH Magazine.
LESSON FIVE: “NEVER GIVE UP!” — MAURICE RICHARD MONUMENT
Learning Objectives
The learner will:
• Make compelling and persuasive arguments regarding community achievements;
• Conduct individual and group research;
• Understand the role of memorializing as an important function of maintaining identity;
• Examine Canadian personalities of the mid-20th century.
Keywords
Maurice Richard; Stanley Cup; The Hockey Sweater; Never Give Up
Introduction
Walking in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau, Quebec, most Canadians aren’t surprised to see a bronze statue of a giant hockey player. After
all, hockey is Canada’s game, a unifying force across the country, and Maurice “The Rocket” Richard was one of the game’s greatest players.
Richard dominated the NHL in the 1940s and ’50s, playing for his hometown Montréal Canadiens, and increased international recognition
of a young Canada on the world stage. His records and achievements are legendary: scoring 50 goals in 50 games, winning eight Stanley
Cups, and being fast-tracked to the Hockey Hall of Fame. His image appeared on everything from magazine covers to cereal boxes. His
famous number 9 jersey was retired within a month of his leaving the league in 1960.
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - CURRICULA
13
Leçon
4 : Capital
Diversité
et Nord canadien
Canada’s
Treasures
and advertising. Canadians follow their organized teams, from
the NHL to minor leagues to the local peewee teams. Olympic
hockey, both men’s and women’s competitions, can bring entire
cities to a complete standstill.
But more than that, Canadians regularly lace up and take to the
ice for community shinny games. Turn over a five-dollar bill and
there we are, parents and children, on a frozen pond. Even when
the snow and ice are gone, street hockey — with the familiar cry
of “car!” — takes over summer evenings.
When the Montréal Forum closed in 1996, Richard’s appearance at
the closing ceremonies resulted in a 16-minute standing ovation,
the longest ever recorded in that city. During the ovation, while
fans chanted his nickname, “Rocket” over and over, he closed his
eyes and mouthed the words, “thank you.” Four years later, at
his funeral, more than 115,000 people visited, as his body lay in
state at the Molson Centre in Montréal, including the Governor
General and the Prime Minister of Canada.
The following year, the larger-than-life bronze statue of Richard
was erected in Gatineau, created by Au Coeur du Bronze. Richard,
without a helmet as was typical of his era, races toward the
viewer, ready to shoot the puck, his penetrating gaze part of his
terrifying reputation as one of the most determined goal scorers
of all time. The words “Never Give Up!” are etched in the statue’s
base, reminding us of Richard’s place in Canadian history, and the
role of hockey in our national psyche.
Maurice ‘The Rocket Richard’ statue
‘Never Give Up!’ 2001
Photo: National Capital Commission
Known for his speed on the ice and his powerful shots, Richard
spent 18 years with the Montréal Canadiens. Prime Minister
Chrétien remarked of this most dedicated hockey player that
he “…defined and transcended the game of hockey.”
His life has been chronicled in books, television, and film. The
Hockey Sweater, the children’s book written by Roch Carrier, is
about a child trying to obtain a number 9 “Habs” jersey. Richard’s
legacy reverberates more than 50 years after his retirement.
It’s no wonder that Maurice Richard remains a national icon. A
quick peek at Canadian popular culture reveals hockey as a
defining aspect of our lives in fields as diverse as music, literature,
14
Activity One:
Make a Hockey Card
Choose a present-day hockey player. Create a hockey card
outlining their contributions to the game, including if they have
been featured in other commemorative ways (e.g. on a stamp or
a sculpture), or in popular culture (as a spokesperson for a charity
or company, for example).
Activity Two:
Celebrating Hockey
Canadians are passionate about hockey. It’s more than just a
game. As a class, brainstorm the various ways hockey is celebrated
in Canada (e.g. Hockey Hall of Fame, Hockey Day in Canada). What
other ways could hockey be celebrated? Individually or as part
of a small group, choose one of these celebrations. It could be
a monument, an event, a publication, or any other idea. Discuss
whether your celebration needs to be permanent, or if it should
have a definite beginning and end. As a group, present your idea
to the rest of the class.
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - CURRICULA
Activity Three:
Propose a New Monument
Someone in your community, perhaps
even in your school, is contributing, or
has contributed to your community in a
positive way. Research the different ways
to commemorate a person for example,
with stamps, statues, scholarships,
building and street names, etc.). Select
someone who you think deserves to
be commemorated in your community.
Determine
which
commemorative
method (e.g. a monument, a special day)
would be the most appropriate for your
honouree. Present your commemoration
to your class.
Activity Extension:
There is also a Maurice Richard statue
in Montréal. Why does Richard have
a statue in two cities? Consider the
individual you have decided to
commemorate. Would it be fitting to
have a second commemoration of them
in the country’s capital? Where would be
the best location for such a monument or
commemoration?
Activity Four: Individual
Research and Class Discussion
Maurice Richard came to prominence
during the middle part of the twentieth
century. During this time, Canada was
still growing as a country and many
laws and social norms were changing.
Discuss as a class what other Canadian
events happened during Richard’s
playing career (1942–1960). Were there
other personalities of the era that helped
define Canadian identity? Choose one
and present your Canadian personality to
the class.
Activity Five: Writing a Short
Paper and Creating Epitaphs
(Grade 7)
The words “Never Give Up!” are etched
in the base of the Maurice Richard
Statue base, 2005
Photo: National Capital Commission
The number 9 identifies Maurice Richard as much as his official signature. This detail
is from the monument’s base.
statue. With a partner, research Maurice
Richard’s life and then write a short
paper explaining why these words are
an appropriate epitaph for him. With
your partner, think of two or three other
Canadian icons or heroes and come up
with appropriate epitaphs for them. Be
prepared to engage in a discussion about
these epitaphs with your classmates and
explain your reasoning.
Activity Six: Creating a
Biographical Graphic Novel
(Grade 8)
The life of Maurice Richard has been
chronicled in books, television, and film.
Create a biographical graphic novel (2
or 3 pages, or longer, if you wish) that
depicts an event (or several events) in
the life of the great hockey player. If
necessary, do some research to learn
more information about the life and
times of Richard. Make sure your facts
are accurate. Before you begin drawing,
spend some time reading graphic novels
to learn about the various ways of telling
a story in panels. Remember to include
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - CURRICULA
space for characters’ dialogue or for
narration. Graphic novels are a great
way to combine words and images in
narrative. Try to take advantage of the
genre by building in some action scenes.
Do a quick rough mock-up of your pages
before moving to a final version.
Activity Seven: Mapping Sports
Icons (Grade 9)
All around the world, people play sports
and celebrate their national sports stars.
Edison “Edson” Arantes do Nascimento,
known by his nickname Pelé, was named
the “Athlete of the Century” in 1999 by
the International Olympic Committee.
This incredible soccer player is a national
hero in Brazil. With a partner, label the
countries on a world map. Research to
find a national sports hero or icon for
as many countries as possible. What is it
about each hero that makes him or her so
popular? Find a creative way to represent
each icon on the map and to describe
why he or she is so popular throughout
their nation.
15
CURRICULA
ANNÉES :
De la 6e année à la 9e année
ou de la 6e année du
primaire à la 3e année du
secondaire au Québec
LES TRÉSORS DE LA CAPITALE DU CANADA
Introduction
Sept plans de leçon prêts à être utilisés en salle de classe et cinq vidéos d’introduction soulignent et expliquent brièvement la
signification et l’importance des trésors de la capitale du Canada. Ces derniers représentent le savoir, le sacrifice, l’engagement et
l’ingéniosité. Téléchargez cette série de plans de leçon en visitant la rubrique Curricula de TEACH Magazine – Le Prof à l’adresse www.
teachmag.com/curricula. Produits par la Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN) en collaboration avec le Musée virtuel du Canada
et TEACH Magazine.
5e LEÇON : NE JAMAIS ABANDONNER! — LE MONUMENT MAURICE RICHARD
Objectifs d’apprentissage
En participant à une ou plusieurs des activités qui suivent, les élèves :
• élaboreront des arguments solides et persuasifs au sujet des réalisations collectives;
• feront de la recherche seuls et en groupes;
• comprendront le rôle de la commémoration en tant que fonction importante du maintien de l’identité;
• se familiariseront avec les personnalités canadiennes du milieu du XXe siècle.
Mots clés
Maurice Richard, Coupe Stanley, Le Chandail de hockey et Ne jamais abandonner
Introduction
Lorsqu’ils se promènent dans le parc Jacques-Cartier à Gatineau, au Québec, la plupart des Canadiens et Canadiennes ne sont pas
surpris de voir la statue en bronze d’un géant du hockey. Après tout, le hockey est le sport national du Canada, qui unit les amateurs
d’un océan à l’autre, et Maurice « Rocket » Richard a été l’un des plus grands hockeyeurs.
Maurice Richard a dominé la Ligue nationale de hockey (LNH) dans les années 1940 et 1950 alors qu’il jouait pour le club de sa ville
natale, les Canadiens de Montréal. Sur la scène internationale, il a accru la reconnaissance de la jeune nation du Canada. Ses records
et ses réalisations sont légendaires : 50 buts en 50 matchs; gagnant de huit coupes Stanley; intronisé à la vitesse grand V au Temple
de la renommée du hockey. On a vu sa photo partout, à la une des magazines comme sur les boîtes de céréales. Son célèbre chandail
numéro 9 a été retiré quelques mois après avoir quitté la ligue, en 1960.
16
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - CURRICULA
On a raconté sa vie dans des livres, à la télé et au cinéma. Le
Chandail de hockey, un livre pour enfants écrit par Roch Carrier,
raconte l’histoire d’un garçon qui tente de se procurer un chandail
numéro 9 des Canadiens. Le legs de Richard est toujours très
présent plus de 50 ans après sa retraite.
Pas surprenant que Maurice Richard demeure un symbole
national. Dans la culture populaire canadienne, le hockey fait
partie de nos vies, dans la musique, la littérature et la publicité.
Les Canadiens et Canadiennes suivent leurs équipes, qu’elles
soient de la LNH, des ligues mineures ou de la ligue pee-wee du
quartier. Les compétitions de hockey olympique, masculin et
féminin, peuvent paralyser des villes entières.
Mais surtout, les gens du Canada chaussent régulièrement leurs
patins pour une partie improvisée à la patinoire du quartier.
Examinez un billet de cinq dollars; la scène est typique : des
parents et des enfants sur un étang gelé. Même quand il n’y a plus
ni neige ni glace, le hockey de rue — et son cri familier « auto!
» — prend la relève les soirs d’été.
Quand le Forum de Montréal a fermé ses portes en 1996, Maurice
Richard était présent à la cérémonie; la foule l’a ovationné durant
16 minutes, la plus longue ovation jamais faite dans cette ville.
Pendant l’ovation, alors que les fans scandaient « rocket », son
surnom, à répétition, il a fermé les yeux et prononcé le mot « merci
». Quatre ans plus tard, à ses funérailles, plus de 115 000 personnes
sont venues lui rendre un dernier hommage alors que son corps
était exposé en chapelle ardente au Centre Molson de Montréal.
La gouverneure générale et le premier ministre du Canada étaient
parmi ces gens.
L’année suivante, une statue en bronze plus grande que nature
de Maurice Richard a été érigée à Gatineau. Richard, sans casque
protecteur, comme c’était le cas à l’époque, déjoue le spectateur,
prêt à lancer la rondelle, avec ce regard pénétrant qui lui a valu sa
terrifiante réputation de compteur parmi les plus déterminés de
tous les temps. Les mots « Ne jamais abandonner » sont inscrits
sur le socle de la statue pour nous rappeler la place de Richard
dans l’histoire du Canada et le rôle du hockey dans notre psyché
nationale.
1re activité : Fabriquez une carte de hockey
Choisissez un hockeyeur qui joue présentement dans une équipe.
Créez une carte de hockey qui résume ce qu’il a apporté au
hockey. Mentionnez s’il a été honoré d’autres façons (p. ex. par un
timbre ou une sculpture) ou s’il est associé à la culture populaire
(en tant que porte-parole pour une œuvre de charité ou une
entreprise, par exemple).
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - CURRICULA
Statue de Maurice « Rocket » Richard — Ne jamais
abandonner!, 2001
Photo : Commission de la capitale nationale
Reconnu pour sa rapidité sur la glace et ses puissants lancers,
Richard a joué pendant 18 ans avec les Canadiens de Montréal.
Le premier ministre Chrétien a dit de lui qu’il « avait défini et
transcendé le hockey ».
2e activité : Soulignez l’importance du hockey
Les gens du Canada sont passionnés de hockey. Ce sport est
plus qu’un jeu. En classe, remuez vos méninges pour trouver les
différentes façons de souligner l’importance du hockey au Canada
(p. ex. le Temple de la renommée du hockey, la Journée du hockey
au Canada). Quelles pourraient être les autres façons? Seuls ou en
petits groupes, choisissez-en une; ce pourrait être un monument,
une activité, une publication ou toute autre idée. Discutez pour
établir si cette façon de faire devrait être permanente ou si elle
devrait avoir un début et une fin. En groupe, présentez votre idée
à votre classe.
3e activité : Proposez un nouveau monument
Quelqu’un de votre collectivité, peut-être même de votre école,
a ou a eu une influence positive sur votre collectivité. Cherchez
les différentes façons (timbre, statue, bourse, édifice, nom de rue,
etc.) de rendre hommage à quelqu’un. Choisissez une personne
17
pour en savoir davantage sur la vie de
Maurice Richard et l’époque où il a vécu.
Assurez-vous de l’exactitude de votre
information. Avant de commencer à
dessiner, prenez quelques instants pour
regarder des romans graphiques afin
d’en savoir davantage sur les diverses
façons de raconter une histoire à l’aide
de panneaux. N’oubliez pas de réserver
de l’espace pour écrire le dialogue ou le
texte narratif. Les romans graphiques
sont une excellente façon de combiner
des mots et des images dans des textes
narratifs. Profitez aussi de l’occasion pour
intégrer des scènes d’action. Faites une
maquette grossière rapide des pages
avant la version finale.
Socle de la statue, 2005
Photo : Commission de la capitale nationale
Le numéro 9 identifie Maurice Richard au même titre que sa signature officielle.
On voit ici un détail du socle du monument.
qui, selon vous, mérite d’être honorée par
votre collectivité. Établissez la façon (p. ex.
un monument, une journée spéciale) qui
conviendrait le mieux selon la personne
honorée. Présentez votre projet en classe.
Élargissez l’activité!
Maurice Richard a aussi sa statue à
Montréal. Pourquoi Richard a-t-il sa statue
dans deux villes? Pensez à la personne que
vous avez décidé d’honorer. Conviendraitil de lui rendre hommage une seconde
fois dans la capitale du pays? Quel serait
le meilleur endroit pour un tel monument
ou pour tout autre hommage?
4e activité : Recherche
personnelle et discussion
en classe
Maurice Richard a attiré l’attention au
milieu du XXe siècle. À cette époque, le
Canada était encore en plein essor et
de nombreuses lois et normes sociales
évoluaient. Quels évènements sont
survenus au Canada durant la carrière
de hockeyeur de Richard (1942-1960).
Discutez en classe d’autres personnalités
de cette époque qui ont contribué à
définir l’identité canadienne. Choisissezen une et présentez cette personnalité
18
7e activité : Faites une carte
du monde avec des icônes du
sport (9e année ou 3e année du
secondaire au Québec)
canadienne à votre classe.
5e activité : Rédigez un court
texte et créez des épitaphes
(7e année ou 1re année du
secondaire au Québec)
Les mots « Ne jamais abandonner »
sont inscrits sur le socle de la statue
de Maurice Richard. Avec un ou une
camarade de classe, faites une recherche
sur la vie de Maurice Richard et rédigez
un court texte expliquant pourquoi ces
mots sont une épitaphe appropriée.
Avec votre camarade, pensez à deux ou
trois autres icônes ou héros canadiens et
trouvez-leur des épitaphes appropriées.
Préparez-vous à discuter de ces épitaphes
avec votre classe et à expliquer votre
raisonnement.
6e activité : Créez un roman
graphique biographique
(8e année ou 2e année du
secondaire au Québec)
Partout dans le monde, on fait du sport et
on vénère les vedettes nationales du sport.
Edison « Edson » Arantes do Nascimento,
connu sous le sobriquet de Pelé, a été
nommé « athlète du siècle » par le Comité
international olympique en 1999. Ce
joueur de soccer exceptionnel est un
héros national au Brésil. Avec un ou une
camarade de classe, inscrivez les noms
des pays sur une carte du monde. Faites
une recherche pour trouver une icône
ou un héros national ou une héroïne
nationale du sport pour le plus grand
nombre de pays possible. Qu’est-ce
qui a rendu ces héros ou héroïnes si
populaires? Trouvez une façon créative de
représenter chacune de ces icônes sur la
carte et écrivez les raisons pour lesquelles
elles sont si populaires dans leur pays.
On a raconté la vie de Maurice Richard
dans des livres, à la télévision et au cinéma.
Créez un roman graphique biographique
(deux ou trois pages, ou plus si vous le
désirez) qui décrit un évènement (ou
plusieurs) dans la vie du grand joueur de
hockey. Au besoin, faites une recherche
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - CURRICULA
WEBSTUFF
Puzzle your students with crosswords, word
searches, scramblers and other learning games.
Create your own paper-based games or enjoy
online interactive exercises.
ESL Galaxy
www.esl-galaxy.com/worksheetmakers.htm
This site is geared towards ESL, EFL, and ESOL teachers and
students. Board games, class games, and game templates are ESL
specific. This site offers free demos or links to other websites for
access to word searches, crossword makers, sentence scramblers,
and word scramblers.
Discovery Education Puzzlemaker
www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker
Discover offers a variety of free puzzles that teachers can customize
to the subject they desire, from typical word searches to more
complex cryptograms and math squares. Buy the Puzzlemaker and
receive extra features, such as a searchable dictionary and clip art.
ABC Teach Crossword Puzzles
www.abcteach.com/directory/fun_activities/crossword_puzzles
ABC Teach Crossword Puzzles: Specializing in crosswords, this site
provides pre-made puzzles. There are four general puzzle categories
or themes: books, holiday and seasonal, skills, and interactive
crosswords online.
Super Teacher Tools
www.superteachertools.com
Bring Jeopardy and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire into the
classroom with Flash games. This site has other games and online
interactive tools, including a timer, a random name generator and a
random fact generator for your amusement.
Class Tools
www.classtools.net
In addition to educational games and quizzes, Class Tools allows
teachers to create diagrams. The site promises to be great for
interactive whiteboards. Teachers can also host their creations on a
blog, website, or Internet.
ADVERTISERS INDEX
ADVERTISER............................................................ PAGE#
1 Epson ............................................................................2
Languages Online
www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/default.htm
Languages Online is a site for language teachers and students.
With a combination of template and make-your-own interactive
activities, languages covered include Chinese, French, German,
Indonesian, Italian, Macedonian, Spanish, and Beginner ESL.
2 Make a Wish .....................................................................9
Hot Potato
www.hotpot.uvic.ca
Hot Potato is freeware available for Windows, Linux, and Mac
OSX. Aside from crosswords, teachers can create interactive
multiple choice, short answer, jumbled sentence exercise, and more.
This tool is completely web-based.
5 Textile Museum ................................................................9
3 Mr. X ............................................................................8
4 The Shadowed Road .........................................................9
6 Richard Worzel ............................................................... 19
7 WWF ....................................................................... 4,21
MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF - 19
FIELD TRIPS
S
lime, scales and aquatic life have the cool factor that students love.
du Quebec, including reptiles, fish, and amphibians. The school
This spring, take your class to zoos specializing in reptiles and
activities list is available on the website in French only, but it does
marine life to foster their interest in the cold-blooded. Across the
cover activities for elementary school and all high school levels.
country, zoos and aquariums provide ample populations of crea-
This 16-hectare site expands both indoors and outdoors, making
tures to enlighten students while keeping them engaged with the
it great for picnics and perfect for water games and the tree-to-tree
animals and the curriculum.
pathway for kids.
In Ontario, Reptilia’s programs are suited for different educa-
tion levels. For day care and pre-school, the zoo promises an un-
Field Trip Opportunities
forgettable encounter with a bearded dragon or an alligator. The
elementary school programs are directly linked to the provincial
Reptilia
curriculum where students learn to apply their knowledge outside
Reptile Zoo & Education Facility
of the classroom. The same goes for secondary school and the
Vaughan, ON
www.reptilia.org
science and technology curriculum. There are even specialized
programs for the home-schooled and post-secondary students in
veterinary science or animal care.
The West Edmonton Mall’s marine education program promises hands-on learning that is in sync with Alberta’s kindergarten
to grade 9 curriculum. More than 100 species of fish, reptiles, am-
Marine Life Department
West Edmonton Mall
Edmonton, AB
www.wem.ca/pdf/marine-life-school-programs.pdf
phibians, and other animals live in the Sea Life Caverns. Depend-
Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
ing on the package or adventure purchased, kids can go behind-
Sidney, BC
www.oceandiscovery.ca
the-scenes.
On the west coast, the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre on Vancouver Island offers educational programs with a focus on the Sal-
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
ish Sea ecosystem. The program is directly linked to the B.C. cur-
Stanley Park
riculum. Though classes are welcome to self-guided visits, there
Vancouver, BC
www.vanaqua.org
are lessons designed for pre-school all the way to grade 12. For example, grades 4 to 8 partake in fish forensics and high schools can
discover biodiversity through taxonomy, part of Marine Invertebrate Zoology. On the mainland, however, head to the Vancouver
Aquarium that also offers K-12 curriculum-based programs.
Ten thousand marine animals await students at the Aquarium
20 - MAY/JUNE 2012 TEACH / LE PROF Aquarium du Quebec
Sainte-Foy, QC
www.sepaq.com/aquarium
Protecting the Future of Nature
Arctic sea ice, a critical habitat for polar bears, is vanishing before
our eyes. As polar bears are forced to spend more time on land, the
potential for conflict between humans and bears grows. WWF creates
global solutions to cut carbon emissions—a leading cause of the
depletion of sea ice—while also working with local communities,
scientists and governments in Alaska and Russia to reduce the
threats to polar bears. We can protect the needs of polar bears
while respecting the needs of local communities.
Be Part of Our Work
worldwildlife.org
The Shadowed Road
An Interactive Graphic Novel and Multimedia Experience
An Online Digital Project by TEACH Magazine
The Shadowed Road is an interactive graphic novel
and multimedia experience. Pedagogical themes of
Human Rights, Democracy, Basic Education, and
Global Citizenship make the project a great Social
Sciences or Digital Literacy tool. Imaginative illustrations and unique multimedia means learning will be
fun and intuitive for ESL and ELL students.
The story tells the tale of Selome Fekadu, a young
Ethiopian girl, who is forced to quit school and become the obedient housewife to a local goat herder.
Instead of abandoning her lifelong dreams of becoming a teacher, Selome disguises herself as a boy runs
away from her rural village in order to claim her right
to an education. As students read through the novel,
they’ll embark on a digital treasure hunt, collecting
clues to solve an ancient Ethiopian puzzle that will
unlock the next chapter.
The Shadowed Road graphic novel is also available as a
hardcopy book or an eBook. Order yours today!
Target audience
Grades 6-9, or 6-12 for ESL/ELL learners
Languages
The Shadowed Road graphic novel and all digital and
academic components are available in both English and
French. French curriculum links however, are available
to only those provinces with a French curriculum.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: The first 10 people who purchase a digital subscription will receive a FREE copy of
the hard copy book. A value of $20!
To learn more about The Shadowed Road or to purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial, please
visit www.theshadowedroad.com.