Big Ideas

Big Ideas

The exploration of text
“Text” and “texts” are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, or digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, oral stories, and songs.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all of the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
and story
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, behaviour, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers.
deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others, and the world.
Texts
“Text” and “texts” are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, or digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, oral stories, and songs.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all of the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed.
Language shapes ideas and influences others.
Creative writers take risks and persevere.
Creative writers are observant of the world.
Writers write for authentic audiences and real-world purposes.

Content

Learning Standards

Content

Text forms
Within a type of communication, the writer, speaker, or designer chooses a form based on the purpose of the piece. Common written forms include narrative, journal, procedural, expository, explanatory, news article, e-mail, blog, advertisements, poetry, novel, and letter.
and genres
literary or thematic categories (e.g., adventure, fable, fairy tale, fantasy, folklore, historical, horror, legend, mystery, mythology, picture book, science fiction, biography, essay, journalism, manual, memoir, personal narrative, speech)
Text features
elements of the text that are not considered the main body. These may include typography (bold, italic, underlined), font style, guide words, key words, titles, diagrams, captions, labels, maps, charts, illustrations, tables, photographs, and sidebars/text boxes
and structures
refers to the way the author organizes text
  • form
    Within a type of communication, the writer, speaker, or designer chooses a form based on the purpose of the piece. Common written forms include narrative, journal, procedural, expository, explanatory, news article, e-mail, blog, advertisements, poetry, novel, and letter.
    , function
    the intended purpose of a text
    , and genre
    literary or thematic categories (e.g., adventure, fable, fairy tale, fantasy, folklore, historical, horror, legend, mystery, mythology, picture book, science fiction, biography, essay, journalism, manual, memoir, personal narrative, speech)
    of texts
  • elements of visual/graphic texts
  • narrative structures found in First Peoples texts
    for example, circular, iterative, cyclical
  • protocols related to the ownership of First Peoples oral texts
    First Peoples stories often have protocols for when and where they can be shared, who owns them, and who can share them.
Strategies and processes
  • reading strategies
    There are many strategies that readers use when making sense of text. Students consider what strategies they need to use to “unpack” text. They employ strategies with increasing independence depending on the purpose, text, and context. Strategies include but may not be limited to predicting, inferring, questioning, paraphrasing, using context clues, using text features, visualizing, making connections, summarizing, identifying big ideas, synthesizing, and reflecting.
  • oral language strategies
    includes speaking with expression, connecting to listeners, asking questions to clarify, listening for specifics, summarizing, paraphrasing
  • metacognitive strategies
    • thinking about one’s own thinking, and reflecting on one’s processes and determining strengths and challenges
    • Students employ metacognitive strategies to gain increasing independence in learning.
  • writing processes
    There are various writing processes depending on context. These may include determining audience and purpose, generating or gathering ideas, free-writing, making notes, drafting, revising, and/or editing. Writers often have very personalized processes when writing. Writing is an iterative process.
Language features, structures, and conventions
  • elements of style
    stylistic choices that make a specific writer what make one “writer” distinguishable from others, including diction, vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone
  • exploration of voice
    • point of view
    • humour, irony, satire, wit
    • perspective (e.g., persona)
  • usage
    avoiding common usage errors (e.g., double negatives, mixed metaphors, malapropisms, and word misuse)
    and conventions
    common practices of standard punctuation, capitalization, quoting, and Canadian spelling
  • literary elements and devices
    Texts use various literary devices, including figurative language, according to purpose and audience.
  • literal and inferential meaning

Curricular Competency

Learning Standards

Curricular Competency

Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing)

Read for enjoyment and to achieve personal goals
Recognize and understand the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view
Recognize and understand the diversity within and across First Peoples societies as represented in texts
Understand the influence of land/place
refers to the land and other aspects of physical environment on which people interact to learn, create memory, reflect on history, connect with culture, and establish identity
in First Peoples and other Canadian texts
Access information for diverse purposes and from a variety of sources to inform writing
Recognize and understand how different forms
Within a type of communication, the writer, speaker, or designer chooses a form based on the purpose of the piece. Common written forms include narrative, journal, procedural, expository, explanatory, news article, e-mail, blog, advertisements, poetry, novel, and letter.
, formats
refers to the consideration of format choices including layout, sequencing, spacing, topography, and colour
, structures
refers to the way the author organizes text
, and features of texts
elements of the text that are not considered the main body. These may include typography (bold, italic, underlined), font style, guide words, key words, titles, diagrams, captions, labels, maps, charts, illustrations, tables, photographs, and sidebars/textboxes.
reflect a variety of purposes, audiences, and messages
Think critically, creatively, and reflectively to explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts
Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives in texts
Recognize and understand how language constructs personal, social, and cultural identities
Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world
Evaluate how text structures, literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance and shape meaning and impact
Recognize an increasing range of text structures and understand how they contribute to meaning
Identify bias, contradictions, distortions, and omissions

Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)

Respectfully exchange ideas and viewpoints
using active listening skills and receptive body language, paraphrasing and building on others’ ideas, disagreeing respectfully, extending thinking (e.g., shifting, changing) to broader contexts (social media, digital environments), collaborating in large and small groups
from diverse perspectives to build shared understandings and extend thinking
Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
Demonstrate speaking
Strategies may include conscious use of emotion, volume, pace, pause, inflection, and emphasis.
and listening skills
Strategies may include receptive body language, eye contact, paraphrasing and building on others’ ideas, and disagreeing respectfully.
in a variety of formal and informal contexts for a range of purposes
such as to inquire, to explore, to inform, to interpret, to explain, to take a position, to evaluate, to problem solve, to entertain
Use writing and design processes
There are various writing and/or design processes depending on context, and these may include determining audience and purpose, generating or gathering ideas, free-writing, making notes, drafting, revising and/or editing, and selecting appropriate format and layout.
to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful texts for a variety of purposes and audiences
Students expand their understanding of the range of real-world audiences. These can include children, peers, community members, professionals, and local and globally connected digital conversations.
Express and support an opinion with evidence
Reflect on, assess, and refine texts to improve clarity, effectiveness, and impact
  • creatively and critically manipulating language for a desired effect
  • consciously and purposefully making intentional, stylistic choices, such as using sentence fragments or inverted syntax for emphasis or impact
  • using techniques such as adjusting diction and form according to audience needs and preferences, using verbs effectively, using repetition and substitution for effect, maintaining parallelism, adding modifiers, varying sentence types
Use the conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation proficiently and as appropriate to the context
Use acknowledgements and citations
includes citing sources in appropriate ways to understand and avoid plagiarism and understanding protocols that guide use of First Peoples oral texts and other knowledge
to recognize intellectual property rights
Transform ideas and information to create original texts, using various genres, forms, structures, and styles
Manipulate language purposefully