From the creators of Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning Through Ceremony, the Sḵ’ad’a Stories series brings intergenerational learning to life. Haida children learn important life lessons from their Elders through real-life situations, cultural traditions, and experiences out on the land.
Written by Sḵ’ad’a Stories author Sara Florence Davidson and educator Katya Adamov Ferguson, the Teacher Guide for the Sḵ’ad’a Stories helps teachers engage their students through the lens of intergenerational learning and authentic experiences. This guide
- outlines the Sḵ’ad’a principles found in the stories
- shows how to use the Sḵ’ad’a principles in your classroom
- provides the behind-the-scenes thinking of the authors and illustrator
- explains the significance of this series as part of Haida cultural resurgence and preservation
- provides critical perspectives on the impact of colonialism on Haida knowledges
- includes resources and inspirations for educators
This teacher guide is appropriate for all grade levels.
Table of Content
Table of Contents
Introduction
About the Sḵ’ad’a Stories Series
About This Guide
Part 1: Teacher Preparation: Understanding Cultural Contexts and the Emergence of Sḵ’ad’a
Haida Culture and Knowledges- Haida Gwaii
- Silencing the Haida
- Thriving Haida Communities
Understanding Sḵ’ad’a
- Conversation With Sara
- Branch of Davidson Family Tree
Becoming “Story-Ready”
- Holistic Engagement with Stories
Part 2: Teacher Learning: Sḵ’ad’a for Educators
Significance of Series
Intergenerational Stories
Sḵ’ad’a for Educators and Professional Learning Communities
Sḵ’ad’a Principles
Part 3: Teacher Practice: Ideas for Engaging With the Sḵ’ad’a Stories
Sḵ’ad’a Principles in Practice
Themes and Connections
Engaging Sḵ’ad’a Stories With Students
- Interactive Read-Alouds
- Making Meaning From Stories
- Mentor Texts
- Critical Literacy
- Artifactual Literacies
Sampling of Sḵ’ad’a Activity Ideas
Book-Specific Supports—Jigging for Halibut With Tsinii
Book-Specific Supports—Learning to Carve Argillite
Book-Specific Supports—Returning to the Yakoun River
Book-Specific Supports—Dancing With Our Ancestors
Resources
References
About the author
Sara Florence Davidson (she/her) is a Haida/Settler Assistant Professor in Indigenous Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. Previously, she was an educator working with adolescents in the K-12 system in British Columbia and Yukon Territory. Sara is the co-author of Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning through Ceremony, which she wrote with her father, and Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii, which she wrote with her stepmother, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson.When she is not reading or writing, Sara can be found walking with her dog, drinking tea, or listening to stories and learning something new.