The Barren Grounds Teacher Resource Guide

SD35 Middle School Read Aloud 2021-2022

Purpose:

This Teacher Resource Guide is intended to support and inspire teachers and students in the LangleySchool District on their reading journey of The Barren Grounds by David Robertson.

This guide is deliberate in addressing the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, specifically the call to “integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms (clause 62) and “build student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect” (clause 63).

Organization:
This Teacher Resource Guide is organized into 9 sections. The Introduction/Teacher Strategies and the Annotated Resource List were created directly for teacher use. A recommended Opening Activity has been created and recommended to set up classroom systems and situate the text in Indigenous worldviews. The next six sections follow the six week Read Aloud schedule and are paired with a FPPL and a theme that connects to Indigenous pedagogy. The page numbers listed below relate to the novel, not the teaching guide.

Support materials for each section, are included directly within each section. This may include graphic organizers, supplementary materials and excerpts from The Barren Grounds itself. We have also tried to hyperlink additional resources for teacher use. All activities and resources are included as suggestions. Teachers are encouraged to adapt and find meaning for their own classrooms and student population. Click here for the full guide.