Tipi: Introduction to All Subjects

by Jessica Wesaquate and Andrea Rogers

"Tawow...Welcome" The video clips are a demonstration of a tipi raising done with a group of grade five and six students.  Elder Glen Anaquod facilitated the tipi raising and shared with the students the traditional Saulteaux teachings that he was taught surrounding the tipi and ways of life.

Using the tipi to teach mathematics is a great opportunity to integrate other subjects such as Social Studies, Language Arts, and Arts Education.  Seek community resources to bring an Elder into the classroom to share with the students about the tipi teachings of the First Nations groups in your area.  Remember to follow traditional protocol.

Class Idea: Contact your community resource person in your school or your local school board to organize a tipi raising with your class.  This will be a good way to have the traditional knowledge behind the tipi taught before incorporating tipi mathematics into the classroom.

Some curriculum connections | Source: Saskatchewan Evergreen Curriculum

Grade One-Three – Social Studies – Heritage – Family & local community

Grade One – Social Studies – Heritage – Families in the Past

Grade One Sample Unit – All About Me – What Makes me Special

Grade One-Five – Mathematics - Measurement

Grade Two/Three/Four/Six – Arts Education – Visual Art

Grade Four – Social studies – Heritage (Saskatchewan’s First Peoples)

Grade Six/Seven – Mathematics - Measurement – Geometry

Grade Seven – Science – Structure and Design

Aboriginal Perspectives is supported by the University of Regina, the Imperial Oil Foundation, the Canadian Mathematical Society and the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences.