Final Project- Lesson Plan

LESSON PLAN: INTEGRATING ALASKA WAYS OF KNOWING

Class: Alaska Studies (Culture Unit)

Grade Level: 11

Enduring Understandings
2.2 Students learn there are regional variations in the ways humans have lived on Alaska’s land and utilized its resources.

4.6 Students understand that in Alaska “subsistence” denotes an entire way of life.

4.7 Students understand that struggles for and changes in land use, control, and ownership have been a constant theme in Alaska’s history.

Essential Question
How can digital resources and effective teaching methods be used to integrate Alaska Native ways of knowing and Western scientific methods in order to create greater understanding of, and interest in, geosciences for students?

Time Frame: Two to three 45 minute class periods

Lesson

1. To introduce students to the idea of differing Native Alaskan and Western perspectives, the class will view the video, Talking and Listening the Alaska Way.
2. Students will work in their table groups (3-4 students) and be assigned one topic from the Explore Alaska class (Landscapes, Earthquakes/Tsunamis, Oceans, Atmospheric Conditions, Climate, Arctic Sea Ice, Terrestrial Ice)
3. Groups will contrast Western perspectives on science and culture with Native Alaskan perspectives unique to their group.
4. To assist groups, students will be given a handout with a list of Teacher Domain URL’s and the Merging Traditional Native Knowledge with Western Science Venn diagram.
5. Students will use whiteboards or butcher paper to create their own Venn diagrams on their topic, including Western and Native perspectives. They will then present these in front of the class.

Materials

1. Talking & Listening the Alaska Way Video
2. Merging Traditional Native Knowledge with Western Science
3. Computer access to Teacher’s Domain for entire class
4. Handout (included below)


Integrating Alaskan Ways of Knowing

Introduction: You will work in small groups to compare and contrast traditional Native Alaskan and Western perspectives on a variety of scientific topics using short videos and interactive media from Teacher's Domain. You will then present your findings to the class through the use of a Venn diagram like the one on the last page, but geared toward your specific topic. There will be a short quiz following the presentations.

Topics: The following list includes the topics and a variety of URL’s for videos on Teacher’s Domain that will help you collect information on both perspectives. TD also has other recommendations on each page you should explore.

1. Landscapes
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.aktectonic/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.yukonriver/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.denaina/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.evo.spirit/

2. Earthquakes/Volcanoes/Tsunamis
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.alaskaquake/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.infravol/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.watcyc.oceanfury/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/echo07.sci.life.coast.shorelines/

3. Oceans
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.denaina/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.eco.foodfish/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.eco.garza/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.watcyc.seasurface/

4. Atmospheric Conditions
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.oceancur/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.vertical/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ipy07.sci.life.eco.pcbfoodchain/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.arctichaze/

5. Climate
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.microbe/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/nsn08.sci.ess.watcyc.capcarbonint/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ipy07.sci.ess.watcyc.inuitobserv/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.watcyc.teens/

6. Arctic Sea Ice
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.climatesys/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.eco.arctichange/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.watcyc.shishmaref/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/echo07.sci.life.coast.climate/


7. Terrestrial Ice
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ipy07.sci.ess.watcyc.cryoantarctica/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.climatechange/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ipy07.sci.ess.earthsys.glacierphoto/

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.ess.earthsys.permafrost/