How Chipmunk Got His Stripes

Curricular integration of ELA, Science, Art & School-Wide Bullying Unit

Students will be exposed to an important aspect of the Indigenous community,
sharing experiences and stories. This lesson of Indigenous perspective is integrated
with ELA as it includes expression through writing, creating questions, responding to
text, and responding to questions. Fine Arts is also integrated as drawing, and colouring
are included in order for students to further express themselves. How Chipmunk Got
His Stripes, an Indigenous legend, was a perfect fit because it also offers the ability to
integrate Science, as students are now researching characteristics of animals. It also
offers insight into anti-bullying. The focus of this lesson is for students to gain an interest
in the shared experiences and stories of Indigenous people, this will be further explored
as students will apply their knowledge and present their story as storytellers.
Grade:
2
Subject:
Social Studies
Unit:
Cluster 2 Communities in Canada
Number of Students:
20
Length of time: Part 1= 20 min. Part 2= 55 min
Important: Part 1 and Part 2 must be completed on different days.
Objective Statement
Student will demonstrate an interest in the shared experiences and stories of members
of Indigenous communities in Canada by forming questions, listening to a story, and
responding to the story.
GLO:
Identity, Culture, and Community
Students will explore concepts of identity, culture, and community in relation to
individuals, societies, and nations
Primary SLO:
VI-006A Demonstrate interest in the shared experiences and stories of members of
Indigenous communities in Canada.
Secondary SLO:
2-1-12 Describe and classify a wide range of animals according to various
characteristics and behaviours.
Essential Question
What does this story teach us about Indigenous culture?

Guiding Questions
What happened in this story?
What did the bear do?
What did the chipmunk do?
How did the chipmunk get his stripes?
How do you think other animals get their special qualities?
Vocabulary and Concepts
Indigenous, Bragging, Bullying
Materials and Resources

Part 1:
Recording Template

Part 2:
Questions
From Part 1
Add extra questions
Cut and put in the hat or bag
Animal Pictures
First day: Used as discussion in the centre of the carpet
Second day: Hung as a visual aid
How
The Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac & James Bruchac

Hat or Bag
Story Template x20
Activating Strategy (20 min. + 15 min.)

Part 1:
- Set up: students sit on the edge of the carpet- legs crossed, hands in their lap. Animals
pictures placed in the middle for students to see.
- Activate prior knowledge by referencing yesterday when students were scientists and
learnt about solids, describing, and their properties: colour, size, texture, shape
- Hook: Ask students to choose an animal on the carpet and describe its properties.
- After a few examples, tell the students they now have to use their imagination. Use the
latest example and ask How did the (animal) get his (unique characteristic) ?
- For example, if the last student said a pig has a curly pink tail then ask: How did
the pig get his curly pink tail?
- If students are struggling to come up with an answer, start by giving the students a
very creative, out of the box story.
- For example, the pig one day was running out of the house because he was
running late for school. As he was running out of the house he walked through the gate
surrounding his house and closed the door right on his straight tail. He didnt have time
to open the door so he tried pulling his tail out! He pulled and pulled. He pulled so hard
that his tail slipped right out and when it came out, it was nice and curly!
- Have students continue to create stories orally from the first example.
- After some stories, ask for a student to describe another animal.

- Then ask How did the (animal) get his (unique characteristic) ?
- Ask students to continue creating stories. Continue the process of describing an
animal until all students have shared a story.
- Write on the whiteboard: How did the whale get his humungous body?
- Ask students to create their own questions.
- Tell the students: Choose an animal that could be a picture on the ground or a
different animal. Find a special thing about the animal to put in your question. Is
it special that the whale is black? Is it special that the whale has a humungous
body?
- Tell all students to take one minute to quietly think of a question.
- Use the Recording Template to record the students questions.
- Type and cut these questions after class, and use them tomorrow for the
Acquiring stage of the lesson.

Part 2:
- Review and reflect on yesterdays activating strategy by asking to describe an animal,
and create a story.
- Say: Now its time to find out how the Chipmunk got his stripes
- Say: This is an Indigenous legend. Animals play a big role in many Indigenous cultures
and families. These stories gets passed down from many generations, sometimes
people who are older than your grandparents first said the story, they told their kids,
those kids told their kids and so on.
- Read story
Acquire (30 min.)
- Tell students in the hat there are pieces of paper, and these pieces of paper each have
a question that you made yesterday.
- Each of you are going to choose a question out of the hat, and write your story.
- Show: Example by physically doing the following steps, and explaining with detail.
1. Pick a question from the hat and take template
2. Read the question out loud to a teacher.
3. Find a spot, you dont need your basket.
4. Write name at the top
5. Write the question with a pencil. (do this on clipboard)
6. Write your story (do this on clipboard)
7. Show and read your story to a teacher
8. Draw
Write the bolded steps on the whiteboard.
- When students have completed their story, they can sit on the carpet and share their
story with a friend. They also have the choice of reading books with Indigenous
legends.

Apply (10 min.)

- Ask students to sit in a circle on the outside of the carpet.
- Say: Storytelling is an important part in lndigenous culture, so we will practice telling
our stories.
- Begin with one student sharing their name and story, then continuing throughout the
circle. If a student is unwilling to share their story, then they can pass and present it
one-on-one to the teacher before the next break.
Assessment:
-Social Studies Value: Use this throughout the unit while observing for the BDI
(Beginning, Developing, Independent) rubric of values. In the case of concerns or
accomplishments, speak to the student privately to challenge, encourage etc.
B: Student shows this value/attitude rarely, throughout the lesson.
D: Student shows this value/attitude sometimes, but not always.
I: Student shows this value/attitude always, throughout the lesson.
Used to assess VI-006A
Teacher Reflection: _____________________________________________________
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