Lessons by Ms. Lillian Pitawanakwat, an Ojibwe elder from Manitoulin Island, Ontario.
Direction	Symbols	Teaching / Lessons	Healing Method	

CENTRE
	
       Fire

      Rose
	
You need to take care of yourself first.  Check in on your own fire. Life is a balance of beauty and hurt and the journey to understanding requires both. 	
Reflection and nuturance (care)	

THE EAST – WAABINONG

			

THE SOUTH – ZHAAWANONG

			

THE WEST – EPANGISHMOK

			

THE NORTH – KIIWEDINONG

			
Use the following chart to dot-jot notes as you listen to the various lessons. 
Which of the above lessons do most connect with? Why?	
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OPINION PARAGRAPH
“And so life is like a rose. The thorns are our life’s journey; without them we would lack the hard won teachings that we need to in order to grow. Life’s experiences make us who we are. And like the rose, we too decay and die many times in a life time only to come back to fruition again and again, after reflection, meditation, awareness, acceptance and surrender. 

My father told us the rose is both life and its gifts. So when I am making my own Medicine Wheel, I put the rose here in the centre as a reminder of my own life’s journey and its gifts”
Write a properly formatted opinion paragraph that either agrees or disagrees with this philosophy. 
Make sure that you:
•	Indent only once at the start of your paragraph
•	Have a clear topic sentence
•	Have at least three strong supporting pieces of evidence (try to incorporate a combination of the teachings that you have heard as well as your own personal experiences). 
•	BE SPECIFIC
•	Clearly explain your thinking behind your choices (help your reader to understand you thought process –  answer how and why the examples that you have chosen support your argument)
•	Use transitions in between your ideas
•	Provide a clear conclusion
Use the peer evaluation form to check your work before you submit a final draft with the rubric attached.