Final Post

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?

Explore:

I am very excited about the knowledge that I have gained during this course along with the array of resources and ideas that I now have to help me create a new program at my school. I am going to be teaching a cultural leadership class with an emphasis on its importance in math and science. This posting will help me to begin planning how to make this class useful and successful to my students! The ideas below would not entail the entire leadership course, but would be weaved into the course throughout the semester.


The following are some questions that will be presented to my students, and through our research, discussions and presenters the students will be able to answer these questions.

What are scientific ways of knowing?
What are Native ways of knowing?
Can both these methods be used to gain knowledge? Why or why not?

What is the benefit of using both methods of knowing?

Engage:

Module 1:

What are scientific ways of knowing?

Many students will be more comfortable brainstorming these types of methods and the use of these methods for understanding science. I will use different scientific questions from the “6-8 Scientific Ways of Knowing” document to get students recognizing that many of our ways of knowing are things that we do naturally (making observations) and others are things that we are taught (deciphering a graph). The use of the TD Resource that shows students how all the parts of the scientific process are used will help show an accurate representation of how science is conducted.

Resources to use with students:

TD Video: Scientific Processes

6-8 Scientific Ways of Knowing

Professional Resources:

The Evidence Base for Science: Scientific Ways of Knowing

Module 2:

What are Native ways of knowing?

For some students this discussion will require more prompting because they have not been exposed to traditional ways of knowing or living and will be very foreign. Having students share their cultural knowledge gained from elders or community members with a discussion about why this knowledge is important will help access prior knowledge to better see the connection to western science. The TD lesson “Alaska Native Ways of Knowing” is a great resource to introduce how these traditional methods are important to cultures throughout our state. I will present students with examples of living an Alaska Native traditional lifestyle or a less traditional “city” lifestyle and how this knowledge is useful with the “Culturally-Based Curriculum Resources”.

Resources to use with students:

Alaska Native Ways of Knowing

Culturally-Based Curriculum Resources

Professional Resources:

Indigenous Knowledge Systems/Alaska Native Ways of Knowing

Culturally-Based Curriculum Resources

Module 3:

Can both these methods be used to gain knowledge? Why or why not?

This module will emphasize the following Venn diagram.



We will discuss the “common ground” section of the diagram and what this means. It is important for students to understand that both traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge can stand alone but by combining these two ways of knowing we are strengthening our knowledge and supporting the certainty of that same knowledge. We are taking this knowledge beyond data and observations and are giving it depth and significance.

Resources to use with students:

TD Video: Steve MacLean: Conservationist

TD Video: An Alaska Native Community Helps Seals

Science and Culture

Professionl Resources:

Culture and Science Education: A Look from the Developing World

Science and Culture


Extend:

What is the benefit of using both methods of knowing?

The students will explore global warming and its effects at a local level by using both methods of knowing to support their research.

The students will create an essential question that will research the topic of global warming and it’s effects on a plant, animal or ecosystem and how this influences a specific Alaskan Native group’s subsistence lifestyle.

Resources to use with students:

TD Video: Alaska Native Teens Help Researchers


Professional Resources:


Lesson Plan Global Warming

Blog Reviews

Blog Reviews

On that note, I want to thank everyone for all of their hard work and the intellectual stimulation that has occurred over the past 6 weeks.

Blog Review One:

"Life in Alaska" by Wayne was very easy to read, well organized and had wonderful images placed throughout his writing. It was apparent that you had put time into truly understanding the topic and included useful images when it was necessary. I did not feel overwhelmed by the information or by the media that you used to support your thoughts. The two images that stood out to me in VII with the image showing the projected ice melt for the Arctic and the image of the polar bear jumping, WOW! Image of ice loss in the Arctic... upsetting; Image of a Polar Bear jumping from floating ice to floating ice... unforgettable; image depicting George W. Bush as clueless... priceless!

I enjoyed exploring the links that you provided and appreciated that you took the time to find other links to share with us. This is something that I wish I would have been comfortable doing sooner.
Lastly, the awards that you gave for the blog pages were great. I enjoyed getting a feel for your sense of humor (adult content intro, who knew)!

Blog Review Two:

"Alaska Melting Pot" by Collauna was very concise and in-depth (although, I was probably a bit biased since I was lucky enough to work with Collauna in Sitka at Answer Camp last summer). I was intrigued and excited by her sharing of information. I loved (and looked forward to) her connection to local Alaska Native history and appreciated her sincerety when discussing the connection to her culture. I looked forward to reading her blogs because I knew the wealth of knowledge that she has to share about traditional methods and her dedication to the Tlingit culture. It was also wonderful to hear another perspective from the Southeast region of our extremely diverse state! Her blog was another great example of the wealth of resources that are available if you take the time to look. One of my favorite postings was her last posting that shared the link to the migration story of the Tlingit people and her personal connection to the Tlingit from the Hoonah area. Thank you for sharing your history with us in order to allow us to expand our knowledge!

Module III

How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?

Exterme tsunami damage occurred in Seward

Explain:

What defines a cataclysmic event? Is it the number of lives lost? Is it the amount of money needed to reinstate the community to its original state? Or is it a natural event that causes damage on a massive scale? Webster’s Dictionary simply defines it as “a momentous and violent event marked by overwhelming upheaval and demolition; broadly: an event that brings great changes”. Although this definition seems simple, the magnitude of “great changes” really had no context for me until I watched the TD videos and researched some of the different cataclysmic events in Alaska. Here in Alaska we have many examples of cataclysmic events such as the 1964 Earthquake, the 1958 Lituya Bay Tsunami, and the (Katmai National Park) eruption.

Although I spent most of my adolescent life in Southeast Alaska I had never heard much about cataclysmic events in our region - with the exception of the 1964 Anchorage earthquake. As I worked through this module I was oddly enlightened and saddened by the impacts that some of the cataclysmic events that have occurred in Alaska have had on the people, land and cultures surrounding these areas. In particular, the 1964 Earthquake was an event that I did not know much about but was awed by the devastating and on-going effects on not only Anchorage, but the destruction that the resulting tsunamis had on the surrounding coastal communities. I was amazed to learn that the effects of the earthquake were felt in communities such as Kodiak, Seward and Whittier. These communities were overwhelmed by a fast-moving surge of water – or, a tsunami. The implication of such a large-scale earthquake near coastal communities was not understood until this event took place.





An even more impressive find was the cataclysmic event in Lituya Bay. This can only be described as something from an end-of-the-world blockbuster film: A tsunami with a wave 500 meters high. This event is best described by survivors in the BBC Nature Video, Mega Tsunami - Alaskan Super Wave - Amazing Survival.



Through this simulation we can get an idea of how this event took place.

One of the last events I want to discuss is that of the Novarupta eruption that occurred on the Alaska Peninsula. The power of the eruption was heard all the way in Juneau and the negative implications of the ash fall impacted communities such as Kodiak and its surrounding villages. The weight of the ash destroyed many structures as it fell a foot thick. Any living things caught in its path was likely blinded and died from starvation, dehydration, or suffocation. The people of Kodiak were forced to take shelter inside because of the high concentration of ash in the air.

Diagram of Amount of Ash from Novarupta

Extend:

As a new teacher I am always looking for ways to introduce Earth Science topics and the use of cataclysmic events as “lead-ins” to geosciences lessons. These events will grab the students’ attention and provide some context to some geosciences topics. By understanding geosciences at a regional or local level (accessing individual schema and prior knowledge) students will have an appreciation for cataclysmic events that occur in other regions of the world by using comparison. I was astounded at how students could not grasp the magnitude of what happened in regard to the most recent cataclysmic event with the earthquakes in Haiti. With a better understanding of how these geosciences affect the people, landscape and cultures at a local level we can understand the extent of the effects in other parts of the world.