Materials: whole salmon, detailed river maps, journals, bulletin board paper, pencils, markers, and chalkboard.
Objective: the students will be able to name the outside parts of the salmon in English and Athabascan. The students will learn the life cycle of the Dog Salmon.
Alaska Standards: Science A15, B1, B5, B6, D1, and D2. Language Arts A1, A2, B3, C1, and C2.
Cultural Standards: A3, B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5.
Procedures: The teacher will bring a whole dog salmon into the classroom and discuss the lifecycle. This includes the modern cycle of life as well as the local history of using the salmon for a subsistence lifestyle. The teacher will write on the board the modern local names for the outer parts of the salmon as well as the Athabascan names according to the Elder in residence. The students will touch the fish and feel the different textures of the salmon parts. Each student will take notes on the lesson in their salmon unit journal. The students must adhere to the sample journal that will be provided and include today's lesson on the lifecycle of the salmon.
Evaluation: The students will write the Athabascan terms for the salmon parts in their journals. The students must include the modern and local history lifecycle of the salmon in their journals. The teacher will evaluate the journals every two to three days for correct procedures.