Guidelines for Teachers and Students
Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation Challenge
What Is It?
The Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation Challenge is about communication and how
we can use it to broaden awareness about Aboriginal peoples, histories and issues.
High school students from across the province are invited to create and deliver a
multimedia presentation on a topic of their choice relating to Aboriginal peoples. The
presentation can be created using any of the following media:
 Website;
 PowerPoint Presentation;
 Overhead Presentation;
 Radio Broadcast Recording;
 Video / Digital Video;
 Audio recording;
 CD; or
 A combination of the above.
Presentations will be reviewed and several of them will be posted online and/or made
available through the resource library of the First Nations Schools Association so that
they will be a long-lasting and accessible classroom resource. Students will receive
recognition for their work and creators of the winning presentation will receive a
prize for their school.
Who Can Participate?
While the challenge is intended to be particularly useful to students in First Nations
Studies 12 classes, all BC high school students are welcome to participate.
Individuals, small groups, or whole classes can create the multimedia presentations.
We welcome submissions from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, and
submissions from public schools, independent schools, and First Nations schools.
Deadline:
Dec. 15, 2002
First Step:
Teachers, please call us toll-free at 1-877-422-3672 if students in your
class will be participating. This will let us know that you are interested and give us
an opportunity to answer any questions you might have.
Learning Outcomes
By participating in the Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation Challenge, students will:
 gain a greater appreciation of an aspect of Aboriginal peoples, histories and/or
current issues
 gain research skills
 gain experience in creating a multimedia presentation and in communicating
information to an audience
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The Media
The only requirements are that the students create a multimedia presentation and
use it to present information to the audience of their choice. The type of
presentation media the students use can include, but are not limited to:
-website
-PowerPoint slideshow
-video
-digital video
-computer CD
-overheads
-music
-audio cd or tape
-recorded radio broadcast
-a combination of the above
Not sure? Contact us if you have any questions about the types of media that your
students want to use.
One type of media is not necessarily any better than another, but students should be
encouraged to learn how to use their media appropriately and to keep in mind the
goal of effective communication with their audience.
The Presentation
Students are asked to deliver their presentation to the audience of their choice.
Potential audiences include:
- the students’ classmates
- another classroom
- a school assembly
- a club meeting
- a meeting with Band or Tribal Council
members
- a local/community group
-
a
a
a
a
a
a
parents meeting
teachers meeting
radio show
local mall
conference
superintendents/trustees meeting
Remember that we want to use the winning presentations to create a resource for
teachers and students, so each presentation should contain enough information to be
a stand-alone resource (not entirely dependent on a “live” presentation).
Support
Teachers and students are welcome to contact Nora Greenway at P:250-675-2807 or
norag@fnesc.bc.ca or Jennifer White toll-free at 1-877-422-3672
jenniferw@fnesc.bc.ca with questions about the Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation
Challenge. We also greatly appreciate your feedback on this project.
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How Are the Presentations Evaluated?
A small committee of teachers from public schools and First Nations schools, as well
as the Anti-Racism Officer, Nora Greenway, and First Nations Steering Committee
representatives will evaluate the submissions in January of 2003.
The committee will consider the following questions when they evaluate the
presentations:
 Will this presentation broaden awareness/understanding about Aboriginal
peoples, histories and/or issues?
 Is the presentation interesting and imaginative?
 Would it be a useful classroom resource?
 Is the topic clear?
 Have the students credited sources of information and avoided plagiarism?
 Have the students used a variety of good sources of information? First-hand
information, such as correspondence through interviews and e-mails, are
particularly valued.
 Does the presentation avoid perpetuating stereotypes?
 Is the information in the presentation relevant to the chosen topic?
 Did the students use their chosen medium effectively?
 Was the presentation delivered to an audience?
 Is there evidence that the students put great effort into the presentation and
the research it entailed?
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Teacher’s Checklist
We ask that teachers to try to achieve the following:

Please remind the students to be polite and respectful in all interviews and
meetings related to the Challenge. Additionally, if students want to use
cultural property such as stories, songs, dances, crests, photographs and other
materials, permission should be sought from the appropriate individuals,
families, Elders, Chiefs, Band Councils or Tribal Councils. It is important to
recognize and respect that Aboriginal communities have differing procedures
and expectations with respect to cultural issues.

Students must credit all sources of information– including names and titles of
interviewees, Internet site addresses, books/articles, etc. Please remind them
to respect the copyright laws so that we will be able to make the presentations
available to others.

If students are working in teams to create the presentation, aim for diversity!
One way of doing this is to encourage the formation of teams that exhibit a mix
of genders, ages and ethnicities. Encourage Aboriginal students to team up
with non-Aboriginal students if possible. You may find that this type of
diversity brings a richness of perspectives to the presentations

Encourage the students to go beyond the textbooks and encyclopaedias to get
the inside scoop! Consider possibilities for speaking directly with Aboriginal
individuals and representatives of Aboriginal organizations. There are many
possibilities: interviews, phone conversations, e-mailing, and visits to the local
Band or other Aboriginal organizations. Subscribe to Kahtou, BC’s Aboriginal
newspaper or Windspeaker, the national Aboriginal newspaper, and visit
Aboriginal websites - the sky’s the limit. Need specific contact information?
Call us and we will try to help you find it.

Have your students chosen topics that are historical? That’s great, but also ask
them to think about how history has influenced the present day. What are the
current affairs resulting from those historical topics that require greater
understanding?

Please verify that the students actually delivered the presentation to an
audience by checking the appropriate box on the Contact Form.
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About the Anti-Racism Working Group
and the BC Aboriginal Education Partners
In early 1998 an invitation was extended to all partners in the provincial education system to
work together to build solutions and support Aboriginal learners. The following organizations
formed the BC Aboriginal Education Partners Committee:
BC Teachers’ Federation
BC School Trustees Association
BC Principals’ and Vice Principals’
Association
BC College of Teachers
BC School Superintendents Association
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development
Ministry of Education
First Nations Schools Association
First Nations Education Steering Committee
To publicly demonstrate this commitment, the Education Partners signed the following
Memorandum of Understanding on February 2, 1999. The MOU reads as follows:
We the undersigned, acknowledge that Aboriginal learners are not experiencing
school success in British Columbia. We state our intention to work together within
the mandates of our respective organizations to improve school success for
Aboriginal learners in British Columbia.
During the past four years the Education Partners have continued to meet quarterly and have
drafted an agenda identifying three priority matters. It was a significant challenge to focus
solely on three priorities but this was a necessary step to assist the Partners in creating a
manageable work plan.
The three priority areas are:



Aboriginal Teacher Recruitment;
Employment Equity; and
Anti-Racism.
Anti-Racism Initiatives
The Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation Challenge has been made possible by grants from the
Vancouver Foundation and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The project is administered
by the First Nations Schools Association, with guidance from the Anti-Racism Working Group
and the new Anti-Racism Officer, Nora Greenway.
The Challenge is just one part of a larger anti-racism project, which also includes the
production of an Anti-Racism toolkit, liaison and assistance for local anti-racism initiatives,
and communications activities. For more information please contact:
First Nations Schools Association
#113-100 Park Royal South
West Vancouver, BC V7T 1A2
T: (604) 925-6087 F: (604) 925-6097
fnesc@fnesc.bc.ca
www.fnesc.bc.ca
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Student Tips #1:
Choosing a Topic
To take part in the Aboriginal Multimedia
Presentation Challenge, choose a topic
that will broaden understanding or
awareness about some aspect of Aboriginal
peoples, histories and/or issues.
people who are on both sides of the
debate.
 what are some of the traditions or
challenges of the Métis people in
BC?
The particular topic is up to you and your
teacher to decide. It can be local,
regional, provincial, or even broader in
scope, and it can explore current issues or
focus on history. Try to pick a topic that
gives you opportunities to get first-hand
information that will help to make your
presentation come alive.
 what is the significance of the land
(or salmon or oral traditions) to BC
Aboriginal people? Use historical
photos and quotations from
Aboriginal Elders and community
members to demonstrate this
significance.
Below you will find some sample topics.
You are very welcome to use one of these
topics or to think of your own.
 what does it mean to be an
Aboriginal person who is “nonstatus” in British Columbia?
Sample Topics:
 how does the role of Elders in
Aboriginal communities
compare/contrast to the role of
Elders from other specific ethnic
groups (Korean, Ukrainian,
Scottish)?
 is your local Band, Tribal Council,
or other Aboriginal organization
taking part in the BC Treaty
Process? Interview your local chief
or other community representatives
to find out why or why not.
 how do/did newspapers and radio
news depict Aboriginal peoples?
Collect samples of news clippings,
radio clips, and magazine articles.
You might consider interviewing
Aboriginal adults about their
memories or how Aboriginal peoples
have been portrayed in media,
school textbooks or movies.
 is there an issue that is creating
controversy between Aboriginal
people and non-Aboriginal people in
your community? Explore the roots
of the controversy and interview
Think about how you can present your
topic most effectively and don’t be afraid
to be creative. Consider the possibilities
of drama, comedy, storytelling,
documentary and news reporting
techniques.
Support:
Students are welcome to contact us for
assistance with choosing a topic or for
other aspects of the research process.
Nora Greenway can be reached at
P:250-675-2807 or norag@fnesc.bc.ca and
Jennifer White can be reached toll-free at
1-877-422-3672 or jenniferw@fnesc.bc.ca
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Student Tips #2
What makes a great presentation?
Outstanding presentations come in all shapes and sizes, but look closely, and you’ll
see that they share some common traits.
Good presentations are…
 carefully prepared – Here are some tips to help you prepare:
a) make a schedule so that you know how to budget your time
b) make a list of possible sources of information
c) prepare an outline or flowchart for the information you want to cover
in your presentation and write down a logical order for that information
 focused – In your presentation, strive to make it clear to the audience what
your topic is and make sure that all of the information in the presentation is
relevant to the topic. Don’t get off track!
 interesting – Can you find some real-life stories, quotes and photos to use in
your presentation? These will add interest and credibility to your presentation.
 imaginative – Put your creativity to work and feel free to use comedy, drama
or documentary techniques to make your presentation memorable.
 well-designed – Try to use the media you choose to its best advantage. For
instance if you are creating a website, it needs to be easy to navigate.
Whichever media you choose, make it as easy as possible for the audience to
understand what it is you mean.
 respectful of copyright rules and those who helped – Don’t forget to credit
sources of information such as websites and newspaper articles and each
person who helped with the project.
 sensitive to their subject and the people involved – This is something to
keep in mind especially if you are using quotes or information from interviews.
Try to represent what people say in the way that they intended. All
presentations should try to avoid stereotypes (see Student Tips #3 for more
information on this topic)
Our goal is to make many of the submitted presentations available to
students and teachers for use in BC classrooms. To help us do this,
please try to make your presentations “classroom friendly”. Here a few
ways you can do this:
- include enough content in your presentation that it can be a
stand-alone resource that doesn’t need you to explain the material
- use language that can be understood by a variety of grade levels
- credit all sources of information and always ask for permission to
use cultural material like crests, stories, and songs.
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Student Tips #3
Avoiding Stereotypes and Other Pitfalls
When you are doing research for your presentation, it is wise to be aware that your research
sources may contain stereotypes and other common misconceptions about Aboriginal people.
Stereotypes
When a person fails to recognize individual differences and assumes that a whole group of
people are the same, this is a stereotype.
 (stereotype) “Oh, you’re from Canada! Canadians are so polite.”
 (not a stereotype) “Oh, you’re from Canada! Many of the Canadian people I know are
so polite.”
 (stereotype) “Indians are all on welfare.”
 (not a stereotype) “Many Indians in Ruby Lake City are unemployed and on welfare.”
 (stereotype) “Aboriginal people are all deeply spiritual and have great wisdom about
the land.”
 (not a stereotype) “Many traditional Aboriginal people are deeply spiritual and have
great wisdom about the land.”
Common phrases to avoid:
“The Aboriginal people think…”
(Is there really just one point of view among all Aboriginal people? )
“Aboriginal traditions are” or “Aboriginal culture is…”
(Is there only one set of Aboriginal traditions or one type of Aboriginal culture?)
“Indians” “Aboriginal” “Native” or “First Nations”
There are different opinions on this subject, but here are tips:
 Ask! Particularly if you are doing research locally, ask members your local Aboriginal
community what they prefer and what terms they are most comfortable with.
 If you interview someone and quote him or her in your presentation, quote that person
word for word. This means using whatever term they chose.
 Many people, but not all, view the term Indian as an old-fashioned and inaccurate
word, so you may choose to limit its use.
 Aboriginal is one of the easiest terms to use, because it refers to First Nations people,
Inuit, Métis and non-status Aboriginal people and doesn’t exclude any of those groups
 Native is often considered to be another acceptable term and it can be used in a
similar way to the term “Aboriginal”
 First Nations is also a good term, but it has to be used carefully because it usually
does not include Inuit and Métis people, and in some contexts may not include nonstatus Aboriginal people.
And finally, have fun!
Try to be thoughtful and respectful toward your topic and especially toward any people who
help you with your project, but don’t be so afraid of making a mistake that you miss the
opportunity to learn and try out new ideas. We appreciate that you are taking part in the
Challenge!
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Student Research Page
Topic Brainstorming:
Chosen Topic:
Information Hunt – list specific books, interviews, organizations, newspapers,
Internet sites, magazines that might be sources of information for your presentation
Presentation Outline – On a
separate sheet you can make a
flowchart or picture of the
information you want to present
and the order that would be most
effective.
Sample:
Credits
Start:
Introduction
Background
Summary
Discussion
of related
issues
Issue #2 –
interview and
examples
Issue #1 –
interview
segment and
photos
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Feedback Form for Students
Each student who participates in the Challenge is asked to fill out and submit this
form along with the contact form.
1. What made the Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation Challenge an enjoyable
project?
2. What were the most useful things you learned about Aboriginal peoples, histories
or current issues?
3. What important thing did your project teach your audience?
4. If we held the Challenge again, what should we do differently?
5. Other comments?
Thanks for your feedback!
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Aboriginal Multimedia Presentation Challenge
Contact Form
Please send us this form along with the feedback form and the finished presentation.
To be eligible for the prize, entries must be received by Dec. 15, 2002
Name of School: __________________________________________________________
Name of Contact Teacher/Administrator _______________________________________
Name of Class (if applicable) ________________________________________________
Mailing Address _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________________________________
Fax: _____________________________________________________
Title of Project: _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Media Used: _____________________________________________________________
Name
Grade
(please attach sheet if necessary)
Feedback form completed and attached:  yes
Teacher/Principal verification that the presentation was actually delivered
 yes
Audience (please describe) __________________________________________________
Please note that submitted projects will become the property of the First Nations
Schools Association and First Nations Education Steering Committee, and that they
may be made available online and through the FNSA/FNESC resource library.
Please send entries to:
First Nations Schools Association, #113 - 100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver, BC
V7T 1A2 F: (604) 925-6097 T: (604) 925-6087 jenniferw@fnesc.bc.ca
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