The Big Picture
Welcome to The Six Cedars website!
The purpose of this website is to provide a platform for teacher inquiry and exploration into BC’s Core Competencies using a place-based learning approach. This website provides educators with ideas to implement the lessons learned from the book, The Six Cedar Trees, by Margot Landahl and Celestine Aleck. Please note that “The Six Cedars” is used to refer to “the work” that has been developed in connection with BC’s Core Competencies.
Disclaimer
The stories shared here are my own, or stories shared with permission by fellow educators. Any opinions expressed here are my own and do not represent the opinions of my employer.
Throughout this site, you will find Coast Salish images that are not the works of Celestine Aleck, as depicted in the book, The Six Cedar Trees. With gratitude, I have borrowed them from School District 79 . They are the works of Stuart Pagaduan and Maynard Johnny Junior who retain copyright. They hold a special place in my heart as they have been with me since the beginning of my story’s journey.
All written content on this blog is copyrighted. The stories and lessons shared here are shared for the purpose of helping and inspiring other educators on the journey of learning. You are welcome to download lessons for personal use or post ideas from this site on a personal blog as long as you acknowledge the source and provide a link back to the original page.
What lessons whisper in the wind?
Snapshot This is the question Eagle explores as he settles in a tall grove of cedar trees nestled in the corner of a school playground. The Six Cedar Trees invites readers to understand the characteristics and habits of six Coast Salish animals and how these teachings can help them develop a deeper understanding of themselves. … Continue reading What lessons whisper in the wind?
Birth of an Idea
My journey began in the Spring of 2016, as I sat down with three incredibly talented Delta educators, Peter DeConti, Sarah Shove and Mary Messer. It was during our conversations that I realized that the Core Competencies might well be the most exciting change for me in the new BC curriculum. I began to understand … Continue reading Birth of an Idea
Connecting with the Core Competencies
Connecting the Six Coast Salish Animals to BC’s Core Competencies The Six Cedar Trees, grew out of a personal inquiry into British Columbia’s Core Competencies and a school inquiry into the The First Peoples Principles of Learning. Each animal has been chosen carefully as an “anchor” to teach children holistically, ways of being a reflective, … Continue reading Connecting with the Core Competencies
Cheat Sheet
The Big Picture As the story of The Six Cedar Trees began to spread around Brooke Elementary, it became clear that our teachers needed a bit of a cheat sheet to help them remember what each animal represented. Several teachers printed this sheet out and kept it taped inside their teacher cubby to refer to … Continue reading Cheat Sheet
The Six Cedars 