"Teachers will recognize that these expected outcomes from Alberta Education's Program of Studies are only some of the links my presentations make."

Recycling a Folk Tale 

• Students will be able to listen and respond critically to oral and printed texts (Rita tells the original folktale and then reads the picture book, which is also displayed by PowerPoint so students can follow along and see the pictures). Students are given a chance to compare and contrast the oral and printed texts.
• Students will relate text to culture, as Rita explains how the traditional Central European folktale is told in different cultures.
• Students will learn about collaborative writing, as Rita explains how she and co-author Debby Waldman worked together.
• Students will construct meaning from texts by connecting the thoughts and actions of the portrayed characters to their own experiences.

A Novel Tour Through History

• Linkages to literature and the continued development of historical thinking will be reinforced through the stories of Fort Edmonton’s Chief Factor John Rowand, Famous Fiver Emily Murphy and fighter pilot Wop May.
• Students will be presented with:
  • a sense of Canada’s and Alberta’s physical geography
  • the movements of its people
  • pre- and post-Confederation views of everyday life
  • the influence of Aboriginal peoples as inherent to Alberta’s culture and identity
  • how European immigration contributed to the establishment of communities in Alberta in late 19th and early 20th century
  • how British institutions provided the structure for the settlement of newcomers to Alberta

Follow your Passion

• Students will discover and explore how a variety of experiences can be developed into text.
• Students will experience various texts as Rita describes how newspaper stories, books and a bike museum fuelled her novel.
• Students will see an example of generating an idea by generalizing from one’s own experience (Rita’s family had six bikes stolen) to create text.
• Students will observe an example of how a writer managed ideas and information to create text. 
• Students will hear how a main character develops and changes as a result of actions and events.