What are the gifts of the birch?
A Grade 4/5 class was studying the novel Forever Birchwood by Danielle Daniel. This book was nominated for a Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award, and learners were working toward a school-wide event celebrating the authors and books that were nominated in the Grades 4 to 6 category. The learners explored many strong themes through the novel including identity, traditional connections to the land, and Indigenous cultures, as well as land protection, peaceful protest, and the importance of a balanced ecosystem.
In the book, the four main characters face the risk of losing their beloved meeting place, a treehouse nestled in the birch forest. As the learners engaged with the book, they empathized with the characters and their problem. The learners were tasked with a design challenge to create and construct their own model tree forts with the goal of meeting the criteria outlined by the author’s description in the book. In teams, the learners began to work through the creative process to design their tree fort, creating plans and adjusting them as needed to meet their goal. The teams reflected on their process and progress, both within their own team and across teams, seeking and using feedback from others as they worked through the steps of designing their unique tree forts.
Learners were also tasked with investigating the question, “What are the gifts of the birch?” They engaged in an inquiry into the traditional uses of the birch tree, the role of this tree in its ecosystem, and the threats of building expansion, pollution, and other environmental issues such as mining. All research into the birch tree was approached through a lens of traditional uses, land-based understandings, and moving in a direction of protection for the land by accessing Indigenous teachings. Learners gathered information from print and digital resources as well as numerous teachings from an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, through which they explored traditional relationships with the land and the cultural importance of caring for and communicating with the land—a key theme also evident in the book.
The learners also went on community walks to identify birch trees living in the community, sketching, touching, and observing these trees numerous times throughout the winter season and creating logbooks to record their observations and findings. They also noted and identified factors that disrupt the natural function of ecosystems. As the learners accessed information through their multiple sources, they asked clarifying questions of their classmates, and their sources if applicable, to help support their deeper understanding of the topic. As they moved through their inquiry related to birch trees, the learners came to understand how perspectives are rooted in certain contexts—in this case, being from the perspective of all living things. As they added to their research and findings, they made connections and noted relationships, which ultimately informed their decisions around what information and evidence they had found that best answered their driving question of “What are the gifts of the birch”?
Learners shared their findings through a variety of formats, choosing the form that worked best for their new learning and their team members. Some teams made posters or graphic representations using Canva, while others created a multimedia presentation using a platform like a digital slideshow or a podcast. Families were invited to the classroom for an evening event where they were able to “tour” the birch forest and tree forts and to view all the inquiry project work as they learned about the traditional uses of the birch and the steps that are necessary to protect the land.
Daniel, Danielle. Forever Birchwood. HarperCollins Canada, 2022.
