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Native Pathways to Education
Alaska Native Cultural Resources
Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Indigenous Education Worldwide
 

Curriculum Resources for the Alaskan Environment

Subject Areas: science, language arts

Timeline: one week to one month (depending on the weather)

Grade Levels: 4-12

Purpose: to use students' knowledge of their environment as a resource for classroom study; to practice writing; to use group decision making skills

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Sharon Moore
Freeze-Up Essays

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Square bullet Activities

  • Have students write essays describing freeze-up:

    • essays should include how people judge the safety of the ice and the date the river usually freezes.

  • Have students work as a group on a description of freeze-up. Chart daily temperature and weather conditions.
  • Predict date river will be frozen. The group must agree on a definition of "frozen": the first day it is safe to cross (by a 75 lb. child or 160 lb. adult?), first day the ice doesn't move or float away, or ice thickness or color. Predictions can be made by individuals, classes, or the school:

    write the definition.

  • Set up local version of "Nenana Ice Classic."

Square bullet Resources

  • local radio weather reports and forecasts
  • thermometers and weather maps

Variations

  • Include a broad study of weather and weather prediction. 
  • Include in the descriptions freeze-up dates for the last five years. 
  • If the river freezes but thaws later on, begin all over again. 
  • Predict breakup. 
  • Choose another natural event of interest to the students: caribou migration, berry season, salmon run, etc. Write descriptions of the event. Make predictions about the harvest.

  

Artist in Residence Program

Community Mural Project

Elder Posters and Interviews

Literature from Life History and Village Lore

Bilingual Exercise

Illustrated History of Eskimo Games

Freeze-Up Essays

Literacy Bank

Elementary Reader

Grant and Proposal Writing

Student A/V Presentation

"Focus on Your Village," a short videotaped news program

Developmental Photography

Film and Video Scripting

Animation

Producing a Play

Ceramics-Chess Class

Block Print Sales

Weavers Guild

 

 

Go to University of AlaskaThe University of Alaska Fairbanks is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, educational institution, and provider is a part of the University of Alaska system. Learn more about UA's notice of nondiscrimination.

 

Alaska Native Knowledge Network
University of Alaska Fairbanks
PO Box 756730
Fairbanks  AK 99775-6730
Phone (907) 474.1902
Fax (907) 474.1957		 Questions or comments?
Contact ANKN
Last modified August 17, 2006

 

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