In this lesson, students will debate and portray the differing perspectives towards the proposed garbage dump in their communities. Students will speak and question others in role, while maintaining their focus. They will explore how to work collaboratively towards a common goal while representing their own personal interests. Students will focus on the element of role/character, considering her/his inner and outer thoughts and feelings.

Guiding Questions / Questions directrices
  • How do communities work together to solve problems?
  • What obstacles might they face?
  • How does learning about a real life situation (Kirkland Lake) change the way we see the challenge in our own drama?
  • How does using tableau crossover allow us to see the road/garbage dump issue from the perspective of the other community?
  • How do our perspectives differ and why?
  • Comment les communautés travaillent-elles ensemble pour résoudre les problèmes ?
  • Quels obstacles peuvent-elles rencontrer ?
  • En quoi le fait d'étudier une situation réelle (Kirkland Lake) change-t-il notre perception des défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés dans notre propre drame ?
  • En quoi le recours au tableau croisé nous permet-il d'aborder la question de la route/décharge sous l'angle de l'autre communauté ?
  • En quoi nos points de vue diffèrent-ils et pourquoi ?
Learning Goals / Buts d'apprentissage

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to

  • stay in role/character for a sustained period of time
  • speak in role and challenge others in role

À la fin de cette leçon, les élèves seront capables de

  • rester dans leur rôle/personnage pendant une période prolongée
  • parler dans leur rôle et interpeller les autres dans leur rôle
Readiness
  • Review the Role Play Checklist from the previous lesson before beginning the Town Hall Meeting. List what students need to know and be able to do before beginning new learning.
  • Post anchor charts of the pros and cons of the garbage dump and graffiti brainstorming from Lesson 2.
Terminology / Terminologie
  • Kirkland Lake Controversy / La controverse de Kirkland Lake
  • Tableaux Crossover / Croisement detableaux
  • Writing in Role / Écriture en rôle
  • Corridor of Voices / Couloir de voix
Materials / Matériaux
  • Markers & paper or digital recording and presentation tools
  • Mood music
  • Basic costume for teacher in role as mediator of the town hall meeting such as a hat or magnetic name tag (optional)
  • Basic costume for teacher in role as the Minister such as a blazer, suit jacket, etc. (optional)
  • Response journals
  • Kirkland Lake Garbage Dump Article
  • PDF #1 Role Play Checklist / Liste de contrôle pour le jeu de rôle

Note: You may wish to choose an example that is connected to your community, if applicable, or connect it to other examples of environmental racism and the resulting Indigenous resistance and resilience. For example:

  • Grassy Narrows First Nation (Asubpeeschoseewagong) – Mercury Poisoning
  • Aamjiwnaang First Nation – Chemical Valley
  • Six Nations of the Grand River – 1492 Land Back Lane
  • Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation – Mining Resistance
  • Attawapiskat First Nation – De Beers Victor Diamond Mine
  • Algonquin Resistance at Kitchissippi (Ottawa River) & Land Claims
  • Shoal Lake 40 First Nation (near Kenora) – Boil Water Advisory
  • Oneida Nation of the Thames – Landfill Proposals
  • Grassy Narrows & Wabaseemoong – Abandoned Dump Sites
  • Algonquin Territory (Near Ottawa River) – Chalk River Nuclear Waste “Mound”

Minds On / L'esprit en marche (~30 minutes)

Pairs > What's the Difference?

Form students into pairs and have them face partners in two straight lines facing one another. Partner A turns away from Partner B, while partner B changes three things about their appearance (e.g. untuck shirt, change hair style, etc.). Partner A turns back around and tries to guess what has changes. Repeat with Partner A making the changes.

Pairs > Clay and Sculptor > Mother Earth and the Garbage Dump

Refer back to graffiti brainstorming from Lesson 2.  Assign partners by having students pair with a member of the other community. Decide who will be the clay and who will be the sculptor.  Choose a word or phrase from one of the charts and tell the sculptors to create a piece of art using that word as the title using the "clay" in front of them. Encourage students to create a sculpture of the unsightly garbage dump or Mother Earth's feelings about the dump.  Upon completion, the clay remains still as the sculptors wander the room, appreciating the other pieces.  Repeat with another word/phrase, then switch roles. 

Differentiation (DI)
  • Have sculptors model their clay through verbal directions rather than physical contact.
  • Use mood music to enhance work.

Action (~90 minutes)

Small Group > Review Pros and Cons

Have students review the grafitti brainstorming about the potential dump site that was created earlier in their community groups.  Students may wish to add more ideas.  Each member should be able to speak to each point and voice their own personal concerns as well.

Teacher Tip: Consider re-organizing the grafitti list with the class into a list of pros and cons to ensure students are able to see and understand both sides of the issue.

Whole Class > Kirkland Lake Article

Enter as teacher in role of a hired mediator between the government and these two communities.  Invite students to bring the letters to the Minister from Lesson 2 to refer to. This will allow everyone an entry point and something to contribute.  Begin by sharing the article about Kirkland Lake having to house Toronto's garbage from 2000.  Inform students that a concerned colleague who lived through a similar situation in the year 2000 gave you this article to share.  Read article aloud to the class and allow time for questions.  Prompts: What is similar about the two situations? What is different?  

See Appendix 8 Cross-Curricular Connections for suggestions for integrating literacy and science concepts, including Environmental Racism. See Materials for a note about substituting or layering this learning with learning about Indigenous resistance that connects to your community more directly, if applicable.

Questions incitatives: 

Qu'est ce qui est semblable dans les deux situations? Qu'est ce qui est différent?

Whole Class > Town Hall Meeting Role Play

To prepare students for the meeting of the two communities, remind them of the aspects that make them unique and different from the other (e.g. right and left side of the bed).  How might this affect their perspectives?

As the hired mediator, maintain order, peace and fluidity of meeting.  If the meeting is getting out of hand or not moving in a positive direction, stop the drama and speak to the students out of role; then go back into role and carry on.  All students should have a chance to voice their concerns and opinions.  Try to draw out some expert opinions from professionals in the group (e.g., doctors, environmentalists).  Prompt students to share their personal stories with the group (e.g., how the situation affects their family).  

Whole Class > Tableaux Crossover

Separate the two communities, one on either side of the room and place a visual marker (tape line, piece of material) in between the two.  Ensure that there is an equal number of participants on each side, as much as possible.  Label one group A and the other group B. Have each side create a group sculpture that shows how they are feeling right now, after the meeting has finished.   Unfreeze Group A to study the position of their partner (from previous Clay and Sculptor activity) in Group B carefully so that they are able to recreate it.  Repeat with Group B.

On command, have students slowly transition across the center line to take on the position of their partner on the other side; two identical tableaux should appear! Prompt students to begin to change their shape, level and facial expression as they move from one position to the next. Give a slow ten beat count out loud for the students. Enforce that by crossing the center line, they are taking on the perspective of that person.  Use mood music to enhance student work.  

Prompts: How might your body move differently on the other side?  Would your opinion of the current situation change?  
Ask students to respond orally or in their journals. 

Prompts: How did it feel when you crossed over the midway point and took on the role of your counterpart? Have you ever been in a situation wherein taking on the perspective of someone else helped you to solve a challenge?  

Questions incitatives: 

Comment pourrait votre corps bouger différemment à l'autre côté? Est-ce que votre opinion de la situation présente changera?

Questions incitatives: 

Comment vous sentiez-vous lorsque vous avez croisé le milieu et pris le rôle de votre homologue? Avez-vous déjà vécu une situation où prendre la perspective vous a aidé à résoudre un défi?

Assessment for Learning (AfL)
  • Use PDF #1 Role Play Checklist to assess students.

Consolidation (~60 minutes)

Individual > Writing in Role

Have each student write a more developed letter to the Minister describing how this possible dump site will affect their own personal lives.  

Suggested Writing Prompts:
  • What is my position on this matter (for or against)?
  • How might this affect my job? Will I still be able to provide for my family?
  • Will our health be affected?
  • Will we be able to stay living where we are or might we have to move?
  • How will this affect my children?
  • What can I do to bring about a solution?
  • How has my learning about Kirkland Lake changed my thinking?

Questions clés pour incitatives d’écriture:

  • Quelle est ma position sur le sujet (pour ou contre)?

  • Comment est-ce que ça pourrait affecter mon emploi? Est-ce que je pourrai encore nourrir ma famille?

  • Est-ce que ça sera nocif à notre santé

  • Est-ce que nous pourrons rester où nous sommes, ou est-ce que nous serons obligés de déménager?

  • Est-ce que ca touchera mes enfants?

  • Qu'est ce que je peux faire pour trouver une solution?

  • Est-ce que les informations sur Kirkland Lake ont changé mes pensées?

Differentiation (DI)
  • Provide a writing structure/prompts for students having difficulty with the writing in role.
  • Allow students time to read and edit their letter to the Minister with a partner. 

Whole Class > Corridor of Voices

Have students choose an excerpt from their writing in role that they will share with the Minister to convince him to change his mind.  Place students in two rows facing each other with an empty space in between.  Invite students to choose their most powerful words/phrases or sentences to share aloud. As the teacher passes through the corridor of voices in role as the Minister, all citizens read an excerpt from their letter in role to convince the Minister to change his mind. Remind students not to read until the Minister is beside them or has tapped their shoulder. Pace walking slowly to allow all voices to be heard.  Use mood music to enhance this convention.

Teacher Tip: Tapping students on the shoulder with consent during Corridor of Voices will ensure flow and avoid interruptions. 

Whole Class > What Happens Next?

As Minister, announce that you need more evidence to support their thinking. No decision can be reached yet. Exit the role play. Out of role, help students prepare a list of experts on chart paper that students feel would help to clarify the situation (e.g. environmentalists, architects, engineers, construction workers, doctors, parents, etc.)  These 'experts' will appear in the next lesson.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Collect writing in role from students and provide formative feedback.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Use the tableaux crossover and corridor of voices activities as a means for discussion about how their points of view on this issue might have been affected by what they heard and saw from others.