Welcome to the Bear Room!
We are an Ojibwe immersion classroom at the Neighborhood Early Learning Center site. We are part of Wicoie Nandagikendan, a language revitalization program for the Dakota and Ojibwe languages. Our students are from 16 months to five years old and are enrolled in the Four Directions early childhood program. Our offices are at 1308 E. Franklin Ave., Suite 126 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404, 612-721-4246. Our students are involved in activities that follow the seasons, and are theme-based.
In the Fall, we harvest from our garden and eat foods that are in season. We go to an apple orchard and pumpkin patch. We also go to the Wildlife Science Center and see the animals preparing for winter. Our curriculum follows what is being taught in the other Four Directions classrooms including, numbers, colors, writing, and reading all in Ojibwe. The students are tested both in Ojibwe and in English. Our classroom engages the students in hands-on activities.
In the Winter, we learn about the animals native to this area. We follow tracks and make our own tracks. We learn about the nature of snow, the path of the sun and the four directions. We study the weather and learn about staying warm and healthy.
In the Spring, we go to the maple sugar bush and learn about making sugar. We thank the trees and look for signs of the plants regrowth. We plant our garden and learn about the insects around us. At that time, we learn about the birds returning and listen for their songs. This is a time to look for the signs of renewal.
In the Summer, we watch the animals around us. We work in the garden and have visitors in our classroom (snakes, butterflies, crayfish, clams, grasshoppers, turtles etc.) They stay for a short time and then go back to their homes. Each summer we have our annual Immersion Summer Camp.
Each week, we begin with our classroom elder presenting a smudge and talking circle for all of the students. We have a powwow every Friday and the students are encouraged to dance. Every month we have the children go to the Starlab where they are introduced to star knowledge.
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