Lesson Plan Title: Alternative Justice

Subject: ELA Grade: 11

Topic: Canadian Indigenous and the Justice System Essential Question: What justice
strategies could/should be utilized in the Canadian Justice system in order to create a more balanced
and inclusive justice system? Will these strategies make the justice system more successful?

Materials:
- White board
- Computer lab
- Exit slips
Stage 1- Desired Results – you may use student friendly language
What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
For this lesson students will need to understand the difference between reliable and unreliable internet
sources. They will need to categorize their findings in the displayed chart and have a confident enough grasp
on the strategies they are posting to engage in class discussion. Students will need to critically evaluate these
strategies and discuss why or why not they would be beneficial to their country’s justice system.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Sense of Self, Community, and Place – Students will gain knowledge of their community and their place within
it by exploring the justice strategies of others and thinking critically about their strengths and weaknesses.

Lifelong Learners – By informing themselves of the numerous justice methods that have been used by various
cultures, students are creating lifelong learners of themselves. This can spark interest in the justice system
itself, in the well-being of others, in the inclusivity of the justice system and in the recognition that everyone
learns/heals differently. By categorizing and being aware of these findings, students will be committing
themselves to acknowledging the world around them.

Engaged Citizens – Researching the current justice system of Canada and deepening this understanding by
supplementing that information with the knowledge of other justice strategies will encourage students to
become engaged citizens. They will be educating themselves on things that could help Canada in the future,
the categorization of these strategies will allow students to make connections between healing and Aboriginal
worldviews, engaging them in Canada’s dominant population and their belief/justice systems.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Develop Thinking – students will develop thinking when categorizing their newfound information, they will
also make connections this way and embody critical thinking when discussing why these strategies are not
implemented in Canada’s justice system and if they would be beneficial; to whom?

Develop Identity and Interdependence – exploration of crime rehabilitation in different cultures will help
students develop their own identity and pace within the larger society. It will also help develop the sense that
cultures are interdependent on each other (or should be) in this way for the common goal of crime reduction
and rehabilitation of criminal acts.

Develop Literacies – Students will develop thinking as well as reading and making connections in this lesson.
They will use and navigate technology as well in order to explore new ideas.
Develop Social Responsibility – In this lesson students will begin to develop the idea that they can have a role
in the Canadian justice system and by educating themselves on various forms of justice they can responsibly
contribute and improve our society into the future.

Outcome(s):
CR 20.4 - Read and demonstrate comprehension and appreciation of grade-appropriate informational (including instructions and
procedural texts) and literary (including fiction, nonfiction, script, poetry, and essays) First Nations, Métis, Saskatchewan, Canadian,
and international texts.
CC 20.3 - Speak to present ideas and information appropriately in informal (including discussions and collaborative work) and formal
(including an interview, a dramatic reading, and introducing and thanking a speaker) situations.

PGP Goals:
1.1 - the ability to maintain respectful, mutually supportive and equitable professional relationships with
learners, colleagues, families and communities
1.2 - ethical behavior and the ability to work in a collaborative manner for the good of all learners
1.3 - a commitment to social justice and the capacity to nurture an inclusive and equitable environment for
the empowerment of all learners
1.4 - a commitment to service and the capacity to be a reflective, lifelong learner and inquirer
2.1 - knowledge of Canadian history, especially in reference to Saskatchewan and Western Canada
2.3 - knowledge of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit culture and history (e.g., Treaties, Residential School, Scrip
and Worldview)
2.4 - ability to use technologies readily, strategically and appropriately
2.6 - ability to strive for/pursue new knowledge
3.1 - the ability to utilize meaningful, equitable, and holistic approaches to assessment and evaluation
4.3 - The capacity to engage in program planning to shape ‘lived curriculum’ that brings learner needs, subject
matter, and contextual variables together in developmentally

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next steps.

- Instructor giving explicit instructions on what is expected in the computer lab before entering as well
as circling the computer lab once entered to ensure valid information is being found and that
students are on the right track/know what they are looking for and why
- Viewing which category the student’s given strategy is placed in and attempting to understand
(through class discussion) why a strategy fits in a given category and what the benefits/weaknesses of
the given strategy would be
- Assessment for learning will also take form of an exit slip, this slip will have the question “Will the
strategies discussed today make the justice system more successful? Why? Or why not?” The slip will
not be marked but will allow for instructor to see what students have gained and give students a
chance to reflect on the lesson’s contents
Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate what they have learned.

Assessment of learning will not be present in this lesson.

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7BiE1xIoWM

This video will be shown to engage students and provide them with relevance to the lesson to follow. The
video discusses one Aboriginal woman’s account of her experience with the Canadian Justice System. It will
give students insight as to why the system is not currently working for Aboriginal offenders, how the
offenders end up in the prison system and why it is critical that we reform the system in order to help the
success rate of incarceration (repeat offenders, etc) and prevent overrepresentation of our indigenous culture
in prisons. Giving students this information as a motivational set will hopefully encourage them to find
alternate justice strategies to contribute to a more inclusive justice system for their country.

Main Procedures/Strategies:

1.1 – Show video

- Discuss main ideas of video and guide discussion towards why the current justice system is not effective for
our indigenous population and introduce day’s assignment

1.2 – Medicine Wheel of Categorization

- In computer lab, draw a large circle divided into 4 sections and label them “Spiritual Wisdom”, “Human and
Nature Relationship”, “Community Relationship” and “Respect of Elders”

- Discuss what each of these categories means and that student’s will be expected to categorize their research
findings into these sections and be prepared to explain why each method belongs in said category

- Provide students with sticky notes to display their findings on the diagram with

1.3 – Alternative Justice Strategy Research

- In computer lab, instruct students to research alternative justice strategies that would be inclusive to
Canada’s indigenous population

1.4 – Debrief
- After students have finished their research and provided examples on the diagram of alternative justice
strategies for cultural inclusivity, conclude with a class discussion

- Class discussion will be led by instructor choosing sticky notes at random and discussing the strategy as well
as the category it was placed in, questions such as “what does this strategy do for the victim?”, “would this be
beneficial to our justice system? Why or why not?”, and “why do you think the Canadian justice system does
not incorporate this strategy?” can be asked to guide conversation

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- students who need assistance with technology or with categorization may work with other students
to co-learn the strategies researched
- as an alternative to exit slip, students may communicate their learning/answer to question orally to
instructor
- subtitles will be turned on during video to assist students with hearing impairments or
comprehension issues
- being in the computer lab will allow students to self-differentiate by having the freedom to look up
the form of information they best understand whether this be written reports, videos, graphs/charts,
etc

Closing of lesson:

Closing of this lesson will involve an exit slip that will have the question “Will the strategies discussed today
make the justice system more successful? Why? Or why not?”