Teach with Mr. Hawkins

Hi Everyone! We hope back to school is going well for everyone whether it’s at school, remote learning or homeschooling! Sorry it’s been a long time since we last posted. Lots has been happening for us, but we are getting reorganized and hope to post some new content and videos soon!

Here's our newest episode on "Verdi".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT6i5CuVnlg

Verdi - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 12 Book review of "Verdi" by Janell Cannon, with some teaching tips. Watch educator Mr. Hawkins discuss how to use children’s picture book teaching strategy wit...

Fairy tales are a foundational piece of Western literature and they exist in many cultures. Episode 6 “The Rough-Face Girl” by Rafe Martin was a Cinderella story. Episode 9 “Rumpelstiltskin” by Paul O Zelinsky is Rumplestiltskin (of course) but that story has Cinderella elements to it. Many romantic comedy movies are built on a Cinderella storyline –people make a living off fairy tales hundreds of years later.

How many fairy tales can you (or your teenager or younger child) name and summarize the basic plot of?

Newest episode is up! Here we take a look at the book "Seven Blind Mice".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKEvTzlwaCA

Seven Blind Mice - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 10 Book review of "Seven Blind Mice" by Ed Young, with some teaching tips. Watch educator Mr. Hawkins discuss how to use children’s picture book teaching strate...

Part 5 is the final part of this Indigenous inquiry. Today's questions move past the time of the Wendat into the present day with the final questions summing it all up. Question #30 is the big question that a teacher wanting students to do full-explore inquiry could have started with. 30 questions seems like a lot, but really this is just getting started on a topic like this --you will have studied the Wendat and their legacy but could easily have more questions than you have answered (i.e., about the Iroquois, Anishinabek, other treaties, New France, etc.). A classroom teacher might also have assigned groups sets of questions and had them share findings and so on.

25. Chief Misquuckkey was also known as Musquakie and William Yellowhead. Who was he and what is the significance of his leadership?

26. Look up Lake Simcoe-Nottawasaga Treaty No 18. You weren’t there and you don’t have all the information. Would you sign this treaty today? Does your answer change if you are a First Nation Chief or representative of the government?

27. Look up the other Williams Treaties. They are examples of pre-Confederation treaties. Why are such old agreements important today?

28. So you get into a really big question: Why do treaty rights matter? Who do they matter to?

29. Imagine you were one of the original wooden stakes of the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs. Archaeologists believe about 4000 years have gone by. You have seen a lot of changes. What would your message to the Chippewas of Rama First Nation be?

30. What does truth and reconciliation look like for the Wendat?

Notes for parents/guardians/educators

Some sources suggest Muskoka is named after Chief Misquuckkey. His grave is located on the St. James Anglican Church property in Orillia with a historic plaque. Last hereditary chief of the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe, signature to multiple treaties, --a brief note cannot summarize his life.

Lake Simcoe-Nottawasaga Treaty No 18 is not a long text or full of difficult words, so it is a good treaty to start students with. From a Wendat perspective, the Wendat were no longer in their historic Ontario territories by this time (arguably? have become the Wyandot nations and Huronne-Wendat by this point). "At time of treaty" establishes traditional land rights --even if the details of the treaty seem unbalanced in past or present the existence of a treaty shows the government acknowledgement of First Nations rights there (you don't need someone to sign a treaty if it isn't their land). Keep in mind that the Narrows was known and used by many First Nations over thousands of years and Parks Canada researchers dated stakes from the weirs into post-Wendat centuries. What students should note is that it was not the "enemy in war" Iroquois that conquered and stayed on the former Wendat territory (for the most part --north side of Lake Ontario there may be some exceptions?), but rather longstanding trading partner the Anishinabek (hence the Chief Misquuckkey question above) who had been present in the area since "the Great Anishinaabe migration" which some sources suggest moved north to avoid the "Beaver War" and then returned when that conflict settled.

Canada's government is still bound by treaties, Royal Proclamations, Wampum and such dating back hundreds of years. The USA perspective is different and complicated by state by state variations. This topic becomes massive quickly.

Taking the perspective of an object may seem unusual, but it allows students to demonstrate a grasp of the content/ideas beyond the scope of a personal opinion.

Indigenous Inquiry Part 4: The Weirs

Today's seven questions zoom in on one specific aspect of the Wendat legacy and bring us to the present day.

17. Why are the Mnjikaning fish weirs considered by archeologists to be one of the great wonders of the woodland age?

18. Why were the weirs built at the Narrows?

19. What is a palisade? Did the Wendat people have basket making technology? How might palisades and baskets connect to the fish weir technology?

20. What is the traditional significance of the Narrows at Atherly and Orillia, Ontario?

21. Why is the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs at the Narrows a National Historic Site of Canada?

22. How come the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs survived and others did not?

23. Are the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs safe today? Why or why not?

Notes for parents/guardians/educators:

#17 offers some tangents such as "What was the woodland age?" and "What were other wonders or standout accomplishments of the woodland age?"

Fish weirs are usually built in a location where a river channel narrows as this assists the function of the weirs in funneling the fish for easier capture. The Narrows is where Lake Couchiching meets Lake Simcoe. The Wendat were on indigenous people known for making weirs but it was not an exclusive technology to them.

A palisade is a fence-like structure built with logs that are sharpened on top in most depictions. Many indigenous nations had forms of basket weaving using reeds and/or leaves. Fish weirs are kind of like small sections of palisade made with smaller sticks connected with sheet-like (think net) sections of basket.

The Narrows was/is a traditional meeting ground location for many First Nations holding both spiritual and trading significance. There is archeological evidence of goods traveling great distances via such trade routes, including European iron goods beating the Europeans to some western locations by years if not decades. The Mnjikaning Weirs being at the Narrows means many First Nations had an awareness of them.

Where a river narrows is generally the best spot to build a bridge or road. This was true at the Narrows and parts of the original weirs have been lost to construction over the years. However, being the meeting point of two lakes the Narrows is a longer area than perhaps other weir locations so possibly there was just more space to fit train bridges and roads without totally destroying them. As well (though I can't verify this right now due to Covid-19) the Simcoe County Museum in Midhurst, Ontario used to have a large pump on display that was "used to drain the Holland Marsh". On the plaque for this pump it talks about how Lake Simcoe's water level was altered by this action (several feet is my vague recollection). If the water level of Lake Simcoe is much lower today than in the past then the Mnjikaning Weirs used to be much deeper in the water? Maybe we aren't looking in deep enough water in other spots? Ultimately, the survival of the weirs has more to do with the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and allies (i.e., some of the people working in Parks Canada) as construction pressures could have entirely removed them in the 1990s otherwise.

New Video is up! Here we look at the classic fairytale "Rumpelstilstkin".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uUxOMUVoJ0

Rumpelstiltskin - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 9 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Rumpelstiltskin" by Paul...

Part 3 of our Indigenous Inquiry looking at the Wendat. Only 3 questions today as these could be an essay project each at the high school level. Question 16 could be the open-ended inquiry question a teacher starts this whole thing with if comfortable with that approach. As stated before, information was compiled from mixed and conflicting sources --corrections and/or additional information or sources are welcomed in the comments.

14 -What if historians have had it wrong and Ossossane was the power centre of the Wendat nation and Hochelaga was the frontier they retreated from due to European contact --what does this change?

15 -Who are the Wyandotte of Michigan, Wyandot of Anderon, Wyandot of Kansas and Nation Huronne-Wendat and how does their history connect to what you have looked into with the Wendat?

16 -Should it be called Lake Huron?

Notes for parents/guardians/educators

Most if not all of the history of the Wendat has been written from a European point of view and accepted without being questioned. While true that Cartier first encountered them at Hochelaga (Montreal) the idea that they "fled West" has a slight flaw in that Ossossane (Elmvale) was said to have a population of 20 000 to 30 000 (according to most sources) and Cahiague (Orillia) has the 4000+ year of fish weirs. It seems reasonable to think that perhaps the eastern-most Wendat that were at Hochelaga retreated into historic homeland to the west. This also means the Jesuits at Ste. Marie (Midland) were very close to the heart of Wendat society and the Wendat had learned from the earlier experience at Hochelaga only now they could see the impact rather than hear about it from their traders.
4 modern First Nations descend from the Wendat. Contact with the French led to epidemics (smallpox) devastating the population which would be pronounced in a large-village society with no immunity. Alliance with the French escalated conflict with the Iroquois and led to an all-out war that saw the Wendat adopted in large numbers by the Iroquois or driven away from historic territory. Decades as refugees compounded by decisions made by the US government (in respects to 3 of the modern nations) planted these nations in some diverse locations. The Huronne-Wendat are different in that they were Catholic and French-speaking and sought a place that would accept such, so they went back to Quebec (eastern edge of historic Wendat territory). These modern-day First Nations are worthy of study in their own right, and their take on their ancestral history would add greatly to the historical picture.
If your student has done the 15 questions prior to #16 they should have learned that most accounts suggest the Wendat did not like the name Huron. It seems the only self-use of the word that carried forward is the Huronne-Wendat. Were the Wendat still present in Ontario it is highly likely they would have asked this to be changed decades ago. It also raises interesting questions for students of "Is it respectful honouring or celebration if we don't really know what we are celebrating/honouring?"

Wendat Inquiry Part 2 (remember, we wanted something for our older students to do...)

These 6 questions build on the background basics we researched in Part 1. To answer these questions you need to interpret the facts and decide how much personal opinion will influence your responses.

8. -Did the Wendat people benefit from European contact?
9. -Why did the French want to ally with the Wendat?
10. -Why have many people today not heard of the Wendat nation?
11. -What do you think of Etienne Brule’s role in Wendat history?
12. -Would Samuel de Champlain be considered a hero to a Wendat person today?
13. -There was a controversy around the restoration of the Champlain monument in Orillia, Ontario. Do you agree with the 2019 decision? What are the pros and cons of updating the wording of the 1930s plaque?

Notes for parents/guardians/educators
Put the word "how" in front of question #8 and you have the traditional text book question. However, that "how" implies solely benefit.

For question 9 a prompt could be "Would the French choose a weak ally?" A deeper question is "Were they true allies?"
Etienne Brule is instrumental in the development of the fur trade, that is a complicated legacy if one considers different points of view and/or digs into it.

Champlain was a hero to New France. How the Wendat viewed him initially would likely be much different than later. How he is viewed today should be complex as his actions had great (not necessarily all good) consequences and looking back on them with a critical eye is the whole point of studying history.

Specific to the wording on the 1930s plaque, as with any dated in attitude, symbolism or message artifact, is the issue of what to do with the original plaque (if the decision to move/change it has been made)? If it is destroyed or hidden in an archive then do we forget that such views were considered normal and/or acceptable? (in this case for decades after it was placed in the 1930s). This is a big deal in the last 30 years or so across the world with statues of dictators, American Civil war monuments and so on. There is certainly no widespread agreed to answer at this time and usually consensus is difficult to reach even in a single-artifact or individual discussion. I have read some authors that caution us to "judge someone's actions in the context of their own time" although there is also value with students in judging actions in other times. I would strive with my students to consider the difference between celebrating the past and remembering it. Discussing where or how it is appropriate to celebrate vs. remember may help us with controversies in the future.

A parent requested "something for my bored grade 8 to do as they don't have enough work" so we decided to put together an inquiry assignment in the form of questions. Rather than being a big open-ended inquiry question (as would be familiar to some teachers/educators) we'll attempt to lead you step-by-step with a series of questions that build towards a greater understanding. To start, some basic background work:

Part 1: Background Research --this would be typical of a grade 5/6 Indigenous Studies classroom assignment looking at any specific First Nation, ancient civilization or other culture/people

1. -Who were the Wendat People?
2. -Where did they live before European explorers came? Hint: draw a map.
3. -Where was Cahiague and why was it important?
4. -Where was Ossossane and why was it important?
5. -Where was Hochelaga and why was it important?
6. -How did the live with the land such as get food, shelter and so on?
7. -Who were the Wendat allies and/or enemies before the European explorers came? How were they alike and how were they different?

Notes for teachers/parents/guardians:
The Wendat people were called the Huron by the French Explorers. Huron is widely used in older information sources --so one of the keys of this question is the student learning that Wendat equates with Huron as far as historical accounts go. As well, sources don't agree on various Wendat facts --so your child/student should be using more than one source (i.e., not just Wikipedia)
Wendat territority spanned modern day Georgian Bay, across the top of Lake Ontario and up along the St. Lawrence. "Huronia" from the Jesuit perspective was mostly modern day Simcoe County. Cartier encountered "St. Lawrence Iroquoians" at Hochelaga (in present-day Montreal) which more recently historians seem to agree were actually Wendat people. Some historians cite Hochelaga as the area that was left to move further west. Cahiague was near/within modern day Orillia and is where Samuel de Champlain entered the story. Cahiague is also near the "Narrows" which is an important meeting place to many Indigenous nations. Some accounts consider Cahiague to be the capitol or centre of Wendat society. Ossossane was near modern day Elmvale and some historical accounts refer to it as the Wendat capitol or centre with 20 000 or 30 000 inhabitants at the time of European contact --as mentioned above, sources do not always agree.
Wendat spoke an Iroqoian language and were part of what is often called the "Huron Confederacy". Longhouses, farming, fishing with weirs and village life are some key aspects of their relationship to the land. Villages were moved every 20 years or so as the soil was depleted according to some accounts. Iroquoian but not Iroquois in the modern sense or historical Five or Six Nation sense. The Wendat were often in conflict with the Iroquois.
Please post comments for any errors and/or additional information that fits the above. This is only part 1 --if people find it helpful we'll put out another 10-20 questions.

Our episode on the book "Galimoto" is now up! This video features an idea for a great activity for kids of all ages!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb5KeyJyhoQ

Galimoto - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 8 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Galimoto" by Karen Lynn ...

In our “Let it Go” video we mentioned that a song is often like a poem. So true in fact that I didn’t realize “Rachel Delevoryas” by Randy Stonehill was a song and that Randy was a musician.

For years I had seen this text as a poem, one that teachers often use because of the strong imagery and reaction the words bring out.

While usable with a grade 3 class, the depth of this piece is suited to older grades where they can really think about the point of views presented and missing in the song (we don’t get Rachel’s viewpoint) and discuss why Randy felt he had to write this song which is apparently based on a true story.

New episode is up! Here we look at the book "Not A Box" a story about pretending with some fun activity ideas to go along with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkO_ZuaVv88

Not A Box - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 7 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Not A Box" by Antoinette...

Today's Teaching Tip:

The “Graffiti Response” strategy discussed in our “Let It Go” teach with a song video can also be used with poems. Poems are often short, have age-appropriate content and can be revisited in a variety of ways.

Zoe Ryder White is an excellent poet. Her writing style is very descriptive which helps the student visualize --she paints pictures with words.

Teaching guru Lucy Calkins often cites Zoe’s work in teacher resources.

“Inside My Heart”, “Pencil Sharpener” and “Bat” are three examples of Zoe’s poems.

Newest episode is now online! A look at the book "The Rough-Face Girl" that some consider to be an Algonquin Cinderella story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53yLRka3VVA

The Rough-Face Girl - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 6 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Rough-Face Girl" by Rafe...

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great Easter! Here is our new video on the book "A Drop of the Sea".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptcg7EjvJws

A Drop Of the Sea - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 5 Hilary Hawkins How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "A Drop I...

Check out our new video for the book "Tsunami" by Kimiko Kajikawa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YwFr_o7LD0

Tsunami - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 4 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Tsunami" by Kimiko Kajik...

Video for the 3rd book in our series is up! It's about Pete the Cat. A story with a good message if things aren't going your way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-tP22MZaRw

Pete the Cat - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 3 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Pete the Cat" by Eric Li...

“Reading Eggs” is an online program that has been used at schools I have worked at. I have seen grade 1-3 students use this program as well as special education students in grade 4-5. They also have a "Junior" (for preschool) and "Express" (for older students) versions but I haven’t seen students use those.

With the regular “Reading Eggs” version engagement was pretty high and most students were independent at doing it. The trick is the program tests the student to place them and the work doesn’t get harder until they succeed at the activities. Phonics is a big part of this program which is a contrast/complement to how reading is taught at most schools. Many of the activities are presented as games.

They are doing a free trial period for parents right now (end of April I think). Check it out: https://readingeggs.com/

Learning to Read for Kids | Learn to Read with Phonics | Free Trial Reading Eggs is the online reading program that helps children learn to read. Hundreds of online reading lessons, phonics games and books for ages 2–13. Start your free trial!

New video is up! In episode 2 of our book series we show you how to use a toddler board book with children of all ages even those in high school!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GumhCd1AwaQ

Go Train Go - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep.2 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Go Train Go" by Reverend...

Mr. Hawkins loves teaching math, but until we create some math videos here are some helpful links!

The Ontario Association of Mathematics Educators is a great resource. From their website:

In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, OAME/AOEM wants to remind members that there are many supports available for teachers and students to assist with online learning that are available on the OAME/AOEM website. Free to all (members and non-members) are resources such as:
Mathies (https://www.mathies.ca/) - These online tools provide students and teachers games, activities, learning supports and other links to assist with learning at home. Note that many of these are also available in French.

Grade Specific Resources (https://oame.on.ca/main/index.php?code=grspecres) - Many resources from K-12 that include activities (many from the TIPS4RM lessons) as well as financial literacy resources. NOTE: This now includes resources that were originally in the Members Only section.

Math4theNines (http://www.math4thenines.ca/resources.html) - These resources were specifically designed for Grade 9. Great tasks for your students and research for you to dive into.

Mathies Home

Check out our newest episode of Teach with Mr. Hawkins. Here he talks about using a song as teaching text.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r22gpqRps4

Let It Go - Teach With Mr. Hawkins - Song #1 How to use songs or poems as a text to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Review of "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel as...

Hi Everyone! Here's a quick lesson you can use about a "Concrete Poem":

A “Concrete Poem” takes a shape as part of the message. Classical Age Greek poet Simmias of Rhodes created some of the earliest surviving examples. Concrete poetry in the modern sense came out of Brazil in the 1950s. If you google search “concrete poems for kids” and click on images you will get a lot of good models.

In my experience most students enjoy making a concrete poem as there are few rules. You can have lines or not. You can repeat words, some only use one word. You can use phrases or sentences.

Students in the earliest years can make one… they just need a few words and maybe a shape outline. Create a wordlist with a kindergarten student and they can make the poem. Example: red, shiny, sweet is enough to make a poem about an apple.

In Mr. Hawkins’ example the hook is these words: “The hook is shiny the hook is cold the hook is sharp ouch!”. The worm is just the word worm repeated. I had some lines to guide me, but decided to erase them rather than ink them in the final copy.

Here is our first episode where Mr. Hawkins discusses the classic children's book "Peter's Chair" by Ezra Jack Keats. He gives an overview of the book, provides discussion questions, and teaching tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOq1TNWqWcs&t=8s

Peter's Chair - Teach with Mr. Hawkins Ep. 1 How to use children’s picture books to teach your student or child through read aloud, silent reading and questions. Book review of "Peter's Chair" by Ezra J...

Hello and welcome to Teach with Mr. Hawkins! We've started this page to help all of you trying to teach your children at home during this difficult time. Mr. Hawkins has been an elementary school teacher for a number of years and we hope that his teaching tips/videos will be useful. We will be posting our first video shortly! Stay tuned!