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Africville Note-Taking Exercise

Elementary, Middle

Description

This resource focuses on the details of the history of Africville, Nova Scotia while also teaching the students how to listen attentively, take notes and summarize their learning.

The lesson begins with a warm up activity of a class discussion around interesting facts about the students' community. Then interesting facts about the community of Africville are shared.

The lesson continues with the viewing of the video "Remembering Africville". A read aloud of the the book "Africville" by Shauntay Grant is also shared. The class will also explore the NS Archives online exhibit "Gone but Never Forgotten". During these three activities, the students will be filling in a note taking graphic organizer. The students will use their notes to write a 5-7 sentence paragraph to demonstrate their understanding of Africville's history.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

This resource teaches the students how to listen attentively, take notes and organize them into a summary paragraph.

Strengths

  • a good quantity of background information for the teacher
  • interesting and interactive activities
  • all links are active with the exception of the read aloud but teachers can simply search on YouTube for the video
  • all materials are provided and easy to use

Weaknesses

  • there are no suggestions nor tools provided for assessment
  • there are no suggestions for learners who may have difficulties with the materials

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This lesson plan along with the animated video “Remembering Africville” is a thought-provoking journey through the actions that led to the demise of the Black settlement community in the 1960’s. With the resource's focus on note taking along with the video's theme of social justice this lesson serves two functions at one time, The lesson plan would be best suited for the upper elementary and middle school classroom with a focus on the outcomes of citizenship, social justice and environmental racism.  The resource could be used as a case study for these topics.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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Themes Addressed

Human Health & Environment (2)

  • Environmental Contaminants & Health Hazards
  • Quality of Life

Human Rights (3)

  • Cultural Diversity
  • Environmental Racism/Justice
  • Social Justice

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

The goal of the resource is to teach students how to take notes; however, it also explores the unfair treatment that the residents of Africville were subjected to. By exploring three different artifacts (video, read aloud and photographs) the students are able to take an informed opinion on the matter.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

The resource, through the use of the artifacts, does address the environmental and social dimensions of the problem very well.  The teacher will have to help the students to see the economic issues that were a part of the history of Africville.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The video  helps to portray the feelings of the residents of Africville while at the same describing the arguments the city of Halifax used as justification to demolish the neighborhood.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Poor/Not considered

This is not the goal of the resource.  It aims to teach the skill of note-taking as well as develop an awareness of the issues surrounding the Africville demolition.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

The writing exercise at the end of the lesson, allows students to express their thoughts and feelings after working on the activities.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Very Good

The resource does a very good job explaining how the residents of Africville felt and the issues they had with the decisions made.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered

This is not a goal of this resource.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Satisfactory

This resource is very specific to the province of Nova Scotia; however, parallels could be made to other similar situations in the lives of the learners with some effort on the part of the teacher. 

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

This resource does explore all aspects of the past, present and gives some hope for the future by concluding the video with scenes depicting present-day celebrations that are held at the Africville site.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The writing activity at the end of the resource allows the students to express their thoughts and feelings on the issue.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Poor/Not considered
  • Literacy
  • Social Studies
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Poor/Not considered

The resource is not structured in this manner.  Its goal is to promote an understanding of the Africville residents suffering and to teach students how to take notes.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The variety of resources that the lesson plan uses allows for a wide scope of students to be engaged in the activities. The lesson plan, however, does not provide any strategies for learners who may have difficulties.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Poor/Not considered

The resource is not structured for this type of learning.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

There are no suggestions made nor tools for assessment given.  The writing activity could be used as a formative assessment piece.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Very Good

The Africville neighborhood serves as a very relevant real-life example of social injustice in Canada.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

The students are given a choice at the end of the lesson plan as to how they would like to write their summary piece: traditional paragraph or something more creative.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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