Two-Eyed Seeing Podcast/Video Project

Core Competencies

Communication

• Focusing on Intent and Purpose 
• Acquiring and Presenting Information
• Working Collectively 
• Supporting Group Interaction

Thinking

• Questioning and Investigating 
• Designing and Developing
• Creating and Innovating 
• Evaluating and Developing 

Personal and Social

• Understanding Relationships and Cultural Contexts
• Contributing to Community and Caring for Environment
• Valuing Diversity 

Language Arts 4-7 

Big Idea

• Exploring stories and other texts help us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world. (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Texts can be understood from different perspectives (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens. (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking (Gr.6-Gr.7)

Content

• Literary elements (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Literary devices (Gr.4-Gr7)
• Evidence (Gr.4)
• Oral language strategies (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Metacognitive strategies (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Features of oral language (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Perspective/point of view (Gr.5)
• Presentation techniques (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Argument (Gr.7)

Curriculum Competencies

Comprehend and Connect 

• Access and integrate information and ideas from a variety of sources and from prior knowledge to build understanding. (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Access and integrate information and ideas from a variety of sources and evaluate their relevance, accuracy, and reliability (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Use a variety of comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing to deepen understanding of text (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written oral, and visual texts, guide inquiry, and extend thinking (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Consider different purposes, audiences, and perspectives in exploring texts (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Recognize and appreciate how different features, forms, and genres of texts reflect various purposes, audiences, and messages (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Apply a variety of thinking skills or gain meaning from texts (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Recognize and explain the role of language in personal, social, and cultural identity (Gr.4-Gr.6)
• Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives in texts (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to text and deepen understanding of self, community, and world (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Respond to text in personal, creative and critical ways (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Show an increasing understanding of the role of organization in meaning (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Demonstrate awareness of the oral tradition in First Peoples cultures and the purposes of First Peoples texts (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Recognize and appreciate the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view (Gr.6-gr.7)
• Identify how story in First Peoples cultures connects people to land (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Recognize the validity of First Peoples oral tradition for a range of purposes (Gr.7)

Create and Communicate

• Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Use writing ad design processes to plan, develop, and create texts for a variety of purposes and audiences (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes and audiences (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Use and experiment with oral storytelling processes (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Transform ideas and information to create original texts (Gr.4-Gr.7)

Applied Design, Skills and Technology 4-7 

Big Idea

• The choice of technology and tools depends on the task (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Complex tasks require the acquisition of additional skills (Gr.6
• Complex tasks may require multiple tools and technologies (Gr.6

Content 

• Digital Literacy

  • Search techniques, how search results are selected and ranked, and criteria for evaluating search results (Gr.6
  • Strategies to identify personal learning networks (Gr.6-Gr.7)

• Media Arts

  • Techniques for using images, sounds, and text to communicate information, settings, ideas, and story structure  (Gr.6-Gr.7)
  • Media technologies and techniques to capture, edit, and manipulate images, sounds, and text for specific purposes  (Gr.6-Gr.7)
  • Influences of digital media for the purpose of communication and self-expression (Gr.6-Gr.7)

Curriculum Competencies

Applied Skills

• Use materials tools and technologies in a safe manner, and with an awareness of the safety of others, in both physical and digital environments (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Identify the skills required for a task and develop those skills as needed (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Demonstrate an awareness of precautionary and emergency safety procedures in both physical and digital environments (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Identify and evaluate the skills and skill levels needed, individually or as a group, in relation to a specific task, and develop them as needed (Gr.6-Gr.7)

Applied Technologies

• Use familiar tools and technologies to extend their capabilities when completing a task (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Choose appropriate technologies to use for specific tasks (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn new technologies as needed (Gr.4-Gr.5)
• Select, and as needed learn about, appropriate tools and technologies to extend their capability to complete a task (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Identify the personal, social, and environmental impacts, including unintended negative consequences, of the choices they make about technology use (Gr.6-Gr.7)
• Identify how the land, natural resources, and culture influence the development and use of tools and technologies (Gr.6-Gr.7)

Social Studies 4-7

Big Idea

• Interactions between First Peoples and Europeans led to conflict and co-operation, which continue to shape Canada's identity. (Gr.4)
• The pursuit of valuable natural resources has played a key role in changing the land, people, and communities of Canada. (Gr.4)
• Natural resources continue to shape the economy and identity of different regions of Canada. (Gr.5)
• Canada's policies for and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies. (Gr.5)
• Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues. (Gr.6)
• Religious and cultural practices that emerged during this period have endured and continue to influence people. (Gr.7)
• Geographic conditions shaped the emergence of civilizations. (Gr.7)

Content 

• The history of local community and of local First Peoples communities (Gr.4)
• Physiographic features and natural resources of Canada (Gr.4)
• Resources and economic development in different regions of Canada (Gr.5)
• First Peoples land ownership and use (Gr.5)
• Economic policies and resource management, including effects on Indigenous peoples (Gr.6)
• Human responses to particular geographic challenges and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and natural resources (Gr.7)
• Origins, core beliefs, narratives, practices, and influences of religions, including at least one Indigenous to the Americas (Gr.7)

Curriculum Competencies

• Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions. (Gr.4-Gr.7)
• Compare information and viewpoints about a selected problem or issue (Gr.4)
• Identify patterns in information, and use those patterns to draw inferences (Gr.4)
• Summarize information and opinions about a selected problem or issue. (Gr.4)
• Develop a plan of action to address a selected problem or issue (Gr.5-Gr.6)
• Construct arguments defencing the significance of individuals/groups, places, events, and developments (Gr.5-Gr.6)
• Ask questions, corroborate inferences, and draw conclusions about the content and origins of a variety of sources, including mass media (Gr.5-Gr.6)
• Take stakeholders' perspectives on issues, developments, or events by making inferences about their beliefs, values, and motivations (Gr.5-Gr.6)
• Assess the credibility of multiple sources and the adequacy of evidence used to justify conclusions (Gr.7)
• Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places (Gr.7)

Assessments

• Assess students’ ability to offer a two-eyed seeing approach engaging with both Indigenous and Western Ways of Knowing 
• Assess students’ group work and collaboration in picking topics, filling out their outline, and filming/recording their podcast or video project 

Teaching Two-Eyed Seeing Respectfully

When introducing Two-Eyed Seeing, it is important to emphasize that this approach is about bringing together the strengths of both Indigenous and Western Ways of Knowing, rather than comparing or ranking them. Help students understand that Indigenous knowledge systems are living, evolving, and deeply connected to relationships, land, and community, not something from the past.

You may wish to explain that Two-Eyed Seeing reflects a way of learning that values balance, respect, and collaboration. Encourage students to approach this work with curiosity while also reinforcing that Indigenous knowledge should be treated with care and respect.

Model respectful language (e.g., “Indigenous knowledge teaches us…” rather than “Indigenous people believed…”). This helps position knowledge as ongoing and relevant.

Supporting Indigenous Content

To ensure authenticity and respect, prioritize local Indigenous perspectives and resources whenever possible. If available, connect with Indigenous education staff, Knowledge Keepers, or approved community resources to help guide learning.

Provide students with teacher-vetted materials to avoid misinformation. Recommended sources include:

• First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) resources
• Local Nation websites or cultural centres
• National Indigenous resource platforms (e.g., Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada)

It is also important to explain to students that not all Indigenous knowledge is meant to be shared publicly, especially sacred teachings or certain cultural stories. Encourage students to focus on public, educational knowledge and to always approach topics with respect.

Inquiry & Research Support

Guide students in developing meaningful inquiry questions that explore both perspectives. For example:

• “How do Indigenous and Western knowledge systems understand this topic?”
• “What can we learn by combining these perspectives?”

Model how to:

• Select reliable and appropriate sources
• Take notes and identify key ideas
• Respectfully represent Indigenous knowledge

Encourage students to draw from:

• Classroom-provided resources
• Library books or databases
• Educational websites

Create a short list of pre-approved resources for students to use during research. Here are some we recommend:

• Home | Two-Eyed Seeing
• First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC – Quality First Nations Education in BC
  • Science First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide (Gr. 5-9) (2016) – First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC
• National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education - NCCIE
• British Columbia — Indigenous Education Resources
• Home New - Braiding Knowledges Canada
• Environment and natural resources - Canada.ca
• Home - LPRC Kids
• Mongabay Kids - connecting kids with nature and conservation
• Education | National Geographic Society

Scaffolding Student Understanding

Students will benefit from explicit teaching of key concepts before starting their project. Spend time unpacking ideas such as:

• Perspective (how someone sees or understands something)
• Worldview (a system of beliefs shaped by culture and experience)
• Connection to land (relationships between people, environment, and responsibility)

Use concrete examples to show Two-Eyed Seeing in action. For example:

• Water: scientific properties vs. cultural/spiritual importance
• Plants: biological functions vs. traditional uses and teachings

Provide sentence starters to support student thinking:

• “From an Indigenous perspective, this topic connects to…”
• “Western science explains this by…”
• “Using Two-Eyed Seeing, we can understand that…”

Technology Support

Students may have varying levels of confidence with technology, so consider providing short mini-lessons on:

• How to record audio or video using available devices
• Basic editing skills (trimming clips, adjusting volume, organizing segments)

Simple tools can be used effectively, such as:

• Tablets, laptops, or phones for recording
• Built-in apps (e.g., voice recorder, camera)
• Basic editing tools (e.g., Clipchamp, iMovie, or similar school-approved programs)

Ensure that students understand that technical quality is not the primary focus—communication and understanding are most important. Offer low-tech alternatives where needed, such as:

• Audio-only recordings
• Minimal or no editing

Time & Process Management

This project works best when broken into clear stages. Consider organizing your timeline as follows:

1. Introduction to Two-Eyed Seeing
2. Topic selection and planning
3. Research and note-taking
4. Script writing or outlining
5. Recording
6. Editing and revising
7. Final sharing

Build in checkpoints along the way (e.g., outline completion, draft recording) to monitor progress and provide feedback. Allow time for students to practice, revise, and improve their work.

About the Artist

The art design on the worksheet and slideshow in this activity was done my Indigenous artist Kelli Clifton. Kelli Clifton was born and raised in Kxeen (Prince Rupert), British Columbia and is Ts’msyen from the community of Txałgiiw (Hartley Bay). Clifton is both an artist and educator who dedicates her time to learning and teaching Sm’algyax, which is the traditional language of the Ts’msyen peoples. She often incorporates Sm’algyax within her artwork, hoping to inspire others to learn their Indigenous languages. 

On this tab, you’ll find information about careers that students may be inspired to explore after completing this activity. These profiles highlight real roles in related fields, helping students see how the skills, knowledge, and interests they are developing can translate into meaningful career pathways. Use this section to spark curiosity, encourage future planning, and show students the many ways they can contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Below are some potential career paths connected to this activity:

• Indigenous Relation Advisor 

Indigenous Relations Advisors build and maintain respectful relationships between BC Hydro and Indigenous Nations. They work collaboratively with communities, support engagement and consultation activities, and help incorporate Indigenous perspectives and knowledge into projects and decision-making processes.

Possible education path: Indigenous Studies, First Nations Studies, Public Administration, Community Development, Environmental Studies, or related fields.

• Environmental Professional 

Environmental Professionals study and help protect ecosystems, wildlife, water, and land affected by energy projects. They may conduct environmental assessments, monitor habitats, and work with Indigenous communities to incorporate both Indigenous Knowledge and scientific research into environmental planning.

Possible education path: Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or Environmental Engineering.

• Archaeologist or Heritage Specialist 

Archaeologists and Heritage Specialists help identify, document, and protect cultural, historical, and archaeological sites. They work closely with Indigenous Nations to ensure culturally significant places are respected and considered during project planning and development.

Possible education path: Archaeology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, History, or Heritage Conservation.

• Communications and Community Engagement Professional

Communications and Community Engagement Professionals share information with the public, community groups, and Indigenous Nations about BC Hydro projects and initiatives. They create presentations, videos, articles, and engagement activities while gathering feedback to support informed and inclusive decision-making.

Possible education path: Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Community Development, or related fields.