Canadian Oil:
A Cross-Curricular Challenge Unpacked
This exploration of multiple curricular areas could come together under the umbrella of one provocation. This is an example of one cross-curricular approach.
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Project Focus: Canadian oil industry.
Challenge: develop a wholistic, multi-disciplinary understanding of the economic, environmental, and socio-political aspects of the oil industry, in order to form an opinion.
Provocation: the perspective of artist & environmental activist Lawerence Paul Yuxweluptun used as a real-world provocation to provoke critical thinking, analysis, inquiry, and reflection.
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Why build cross-curricular learning around a provocation?
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Grounding in a real-world Connection: We hook students with images, news articles... to set the stage for new learning. Why not ground their learning even more deeply in that real-world provocation? Scientists & all academics... do their work because of human observations & experiences: let's be human.
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Common Third: This is a shared activity to build relationships and connections, both social and curricular. By engaging together in a common exploration, we can bring together different groups of learners or classes who might not already have established connections (social pedagogy).
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Equity & Accessibility: All learners can engage with a visual provocation to their degree of their own ability. By noticing, learners begin to construct their own understanding. With this conceptual foundation, knowledge can be build upon it, change it, form it. This exercised becomes a lived experience for new information to "stick" to.
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Representation: Of the countless real-world provocations one could use, why not allow us to be led by a powerful indigenous voice? Engaging with Coast Salish Artist, Lawerence Paul Yuxweluptun's, intellect and edgy, unbridled passion commands respect.
This plan is:
Constructivist
wholistic
Rooted in Indigenous Pedagogy
empowering of educated citizens
inclusive: Accessible to all learners
designed for voice & Choice
challenge-based
with Indigenous representation
How & by whom this could this be used:
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An individual teacher who wants to incorporate cross-curricular and/or real-world connections to add depth and/or dimension to their teaching (those aiming for a more wholistic approach)
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A team of teachers who would like to collaborate with specific, pre-determined curricular goals
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Teacher (s) who want to set up an open-ended inquiry. Students will develop a guiding question and identify THEMSELVES which area of the curriculum they will be exploring
PHASES of THIS CHALLENGE
use provocation to engage critical thinking & to set up focus question
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Guided steps below
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conduct cross-curricular inquiry to gain broad scope of the issues
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Learning could be over days, weeks, or months
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This could be co-created with students or pre-planned by teacher(s)
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Pre-planned approach requires clarity of curricular foci and processes
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Process could employ the BCTLA's Points of Inquiry, Design Thinking, or other frameworks as part of the process
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Formative & summative assessment built around curricular foci
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Connect learning back to original question to develop and opinion
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Laying out the study could be over days, weeks, or months
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Tips for group wok below
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learners exercise
voice and choice in how they share their learning
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Laying out the study could be over days, weeks, or months
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Tips for group work below
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Stanford Design Thinking process could be employed to figure out how to best persuade an audience
Step back into.... PLANNING
THE PROVOCATION
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For this challenge, we already know that we're focussed around a provocation.
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Lawerence Paul Yuxweluptun's painting "Environmental Assassins" and an online article will be used to hook, engage, and to introduce the challenge question.
The question is:
To what extent do you agree with Yuxweluptun's statement that "we don't really need oil tankers"?
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The beauty of this question is that it seems simple and invites simplistic responses. After investigating, students may see more complexity to the question. Opinions may shift. Either way, they will be more developed.
planning for inquiry
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The possibilities of HOW this could be organized are endless. When brainstorming, keep your purpose front and centre. To develop that focus, look at the curricular areas through the lens of the challenge question.
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Below :
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curricular big ideas, competencies, & content that connect with this challenge (this is not an exhaustive list)
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tips on inquiry
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assessment suggestions
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curricular big ideas, competencies, & content
Below are some highlights of areas of the curriculum that could work: this could go in so many directions!
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SUGGESTION: once you know what areas of the curriculum you'd like to explore, print out those pages, find the commonalities and find the strong connections to the challenge question. Those become the curricular aspects on which to focus teaching & assessing.
To what extent do you agree with Yuxweluptun's statement that "we don't really need oil tankers"?
Environmental Science 11
Big Ideas:
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Human practices affect the sustainability of ecosystems.
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Humans can play a role in stewardship and restoration of ecosystems.
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Curricular Competencies:
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Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal, local, or global interest
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Construct, analyze, and interpret graphs, models, and/or diagrams
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Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence
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Analyze cause-and-effect relationships
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Curricular Content:
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human actions and their impact on ecosystem integrity
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First Peoples ways of knowing and doing
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resource stewardship
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restoration practices
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Social Justice 12
Big Ideas:
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The causes of social injustice are complex and have lasting impacts on society.
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Curricular Content:
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human actions and their impact on ecosystem integrity
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First Peoples ways of knowing and doing
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resource stewardship
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restoration practices
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Curricular Competencies:
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Determine and assess the long- and short-term causes and consequences, and the intended and unintended consequences, of an event, legislative and judicial decision, development, policy, or movement
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Explain different perspectives on past and present people, places, issues, and events, and distinguish between worldviews of the past or present
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Socials 11
Big Ideas:
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Understanding how political decisions are made is critical to being an informed and engaged citizen (Political Studies)
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Indigenous peoples are reclaiming mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being despite the continuing effects of colonialism (Contemporary Indigenous Studies)
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Curricular Content:
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current issues in local, regional, national, or global politics as represented in mass media
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natural resource use and local, regional, national, or global development
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Curricular Competencies:
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Assess the credibility and justifiability of evidence, data, and interpretations
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Assess the short- and long-term causes and expected and unexpected consequences of people’s actions, events, phenomena, ideas, or developments
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Infer and explain different perspectives on people, places, events, phenomena, ideas, or developments
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Make reasoned ethical judgments and determine appropriate ways to respond
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Pre-Calculus 11
Big Ideas:
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Quadratic relationships are prevalent in the world around us.
Curricular Competencies:
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Engage in problem-solving experiences connected with place, story, cultural practices, and perspectives relevant to local First Peoples communities, the local community, and other cultures
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Explain and justify mathematical ideas and decisions in many ways
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Curricular Content:
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linear and quadratic inequalities
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financial literacy: compound interest, investments, loans
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MAth Foundations 11
Big Ideas:
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Statistical analysis allows us to notice, wonder about, and answer questions about variation.
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​Optimization informs the decision-making process in situations involving extreme values.
Curricular Competencies:
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Explore, analyze, and apply mathematical ideas using reason, technology, and other tools
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Estimate reasonably and demonstrate fluent, flexible, and strategic thinking about number
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Model with mathematics in situational contexts
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Curricular Content:
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graphical analysis: linear inequalities...
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applications of statistics
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scale models
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financial literacy: compound interest, investments and loans
English 11
Big Ideas:
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The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others, and the world.
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Curricular Content:
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literal meaning and inferential meaning
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elements of visual/graphic texts
Curricular Competencies:
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Discern nuances in the meanings of words, considering social, political, historical, and literary contexts • Identify bias, contradictions, distortions, and omissions
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Respectfully exchange ideas and viewpoints from diverse perspectives to build shared understandings and extend thinking • Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
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Pre-Calculus 11
Big Ideas:
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Quadratic relationships are prevalent in the world around us.
Curricular Competencies:
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Engage in problem-solving experiences connected with place, story, cultural practices, and perspectives relevant to local First Peoples communities, the local community, and other cultures
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Explain and justify mathematical ideas and decisions in many ways
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Curricular Content:
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linear and quadratic inequalities
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financial literacy: compound interest, investments, loans
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Tips on Inquiry
An inquiry model can be used for each area that will be explored. There are many models for the inquiry process. The Points of Inquiry, created by the BCTLA is one. The initial provocation for this project mirrors this process. Take a peek below to see...
A common error in inquiry is jumping to developing questions before exploring ideas & constructing one's own understanding: provoking curiosity. Curiosity is where questions come from.
This process, also called the Stipling Model, is unpacked here:
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For this project, I would brainstorm what questions would need to be answered in order to fully understand the topic.
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Early on, these questions might need to be from the lens of different disciplines. But, as knowledge grows, so will the connections between the different lenses. It is imperative that the interconnectedness of disciplines be explicitly highlighted for this to be truly multi-disciplinary. Those guiding questions may be different for every learner; you may have only one or two directed questions for struggling learners.
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How does an oil spill (science) affect humans (socials) & how do we measure the cost (math) of that that?
* recording & analyzing data is already imbedded in maths, social studies, and science. Expose that truth!
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Assessment
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Clarity of purpose
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Feedback, feedback, feedback
Does your assessment tool reflect your values and the intention of your teaching practice?
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• learner centred
• inquiry based
• based on experiential learning
• emphasizes an awareness of self and others
• recognizes the value of group processes
• supports a variety of learning styles
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These are the main focus points of the First People's Pedagogy and are helpful in guiding assessment work.
To engage the learners in a process​ that is reflective, the focus must be on the work and development of ideas and competencies. One way to maximize engagement is to focus on feedback in multiple ways (written, oral, rubrics...) and keeping this form of ongoing assessment with in the language of goals and a proficiency scale.
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The evaluative (quantitative: numbers: marks) step comes at the end. It may be a wholistic summary of the overall learning based on evidence gathered (portfolio) and criteria (clearly laid out in advance). This complements well with 1-on-1 meetings with students where they participate in forming their grade. This meeting could include an oral assessment as one, additional summative piece.
OR, it could be that the evaluative piece is an independent, application of the competencies and knowledge learned. This works well when, in a rich process of learning, a piece of work has been reworked so many times that it's not a valid representation of what the student can do independently. It's too hard to tell where the teacher's or classmate's input ends and the student's begins. In this case, that piece was the learning exercise & a new, fresh assignment becomes the summative piece. Yes, that means that not everything gets a 'mark. There's a cultural switch to the work being valued as the learning process.
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HOW TO BEGIN WITH A PROVOCATION
Through a slow, critical process students will build an understanding of Lawerence Paul Yuxweluptun's point of view. In this process, personal biases, generalizations, & opinions may emerge and should be recorded, for later reflection.
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1) Critical viewing of a painting WITHOUT BACKGROUND INFORMATION (students will construct own understanding): recorded in group document
2) After viewing, pause for students to write their own initial responses, thoughts, analyses
3) Read Yuxweluptun quote from the Megaphone magazine
4) Students write a brief summary then personal response to Yuxweluptun's statement (to be revisited)
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Critical viewing of the painting (text analysis, critical thinking)
Fucking Creeps They’re Environmental Terrorists
Often referred to as "They're Environmental Terrorists"
2013, Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 72”
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Find image & more info:
http://mfineart.ca/macaulay-co-fine-art/artists/lawrence-paul-yuxweluptun/
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https://moa.ubc.ca/exhibition/lawrence-paul/art-lawrencepaul/
Teacher as Facilitator Do:
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1. Without guiding nor introduction:
Present the image without the title.
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2. Have learner record responses on a shared document or white board.
Facilitator
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3. Ask what they notice first: colours, textures, mood. This will morph into the smaller details & content of the image (Shell logo, forked tongues).
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4. If necessary prompt for more descriptions, without guiding.
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5. When observations seem exhausted:
The details are symbols of ideas and people. What might some of these details represent?
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Purpose:
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1.By not guiding observations, the facilitator leaves time & space for learners to construct their own understanding. The title gives too much away too soon.
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2. Have a learner record for later use by groups & individuals (reference, reflection...).
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3. There are no wrong answers: this is an opportunity for facilitator to include all voices.
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4. They'll get there.
If they're stuck, maybe guide to an area of the image.
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5. This is more fun for a facilitator the first time. Discover with them. Learners might notice connections you don't.
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students create personal response to the painting
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can be revisited later in the process: suggest handing in as a Office 365 assignment for formative assessment & for student to record & save this initial thinking
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include personal opinions, reactions, thoughts, connections to self, world, or other texts
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state the message of the painting
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Choice options: Podcast, video, paragraphs, annotated image, infographic, mind map, detailed notes
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pssst... side note
This one quote could be used for students to each take one piece to unpack: evaluation of Shell, tar sands, karma, stewardship, democracy, indigenous rights, oppression, capitalism, using one's voice, vocation, or platform to stand up for one's beliefs...
Quote from Megaphone magazine
In discussion or reflection. Ask:
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What is Yuxweluptun's message about oil industry?
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How does he defend this messages? Which issues does he touch on?
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THE BIG QUESTION:
To what extent do you agree with Yuxweluptun's statement that "we don't really need oil tankers"?
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“Shell is a very destructive group of people on this planet,” he says, adding the tar sands should be shut down. “If you destroy the world, what [you reap] comes back to haunt you."
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"How do you exile a whole race of people and limit their rights and then call this country a democracy? Why would you even have the notion?” he says. “Do we continue to oppress aboriginal rights just for the sake of capitalism? Or are we going to say, 'No, I think this is wrong. I think this is too dangerous and we don’t really need oil tankers and we can live without them.'” ~ Lawerence Paul Yuxweleptun, 2016
http://www.megaphonemagazine.com/unceded_artist
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Newton, Rosemary. “Unceded Artist.” Megaphone: Change That Works, 20 June 2016,
