Curriculum Resources:
- Science First Peoples 5-9 Teacher Resource Guide provides educators with resources to support the integration of the First Peoples knowledge and perspectives into their Science classroom
- The resource guide includes 8 multi-grade thematic units:
- Unit 1 – Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- Unit 2 – Plants and Connection to Place
- Unit 3 – Power from the Land
- Unit 4 – Bear and Body Systems
- Unit 5 – Climate Change
- Unit 6 – Shaking and Flooding
- Unit 7 – Interconnectedness of the Spheres
- Unit 8 – Ocean Connections
- The resource guide includes 8 multi-grade thematic units:
- The Great Bear Sea: Full lesson plans and resources exploring Traditional Knowledge (or Indigenous Knowledge) in connection to resource management in the Great Bear Sea region. Video clips allow students to go on intertidal walks, listen to traditional stories from the region, and learn about sustainability/stewardship practices.
- First Nations: Science and Ethnobotany Unit K-10
- Available in the Aboriginal Resource Library
- Going Wild: Teacher Guidebook Grade 4-7 -Teaching about Wild Products from BC’s Coastal Rainforests
- Coyote’s Crazy Smart Science – is an adventures-in-science series that encourages youth to explore the fascinating world of science – from an Indigenous perspective. Includes online activities and videos
- Surrey School District: Walking Curriculum
Marine life:
- Kit: Sturgeon
- Article: Saving Sturgeon – Indigenous groups have had a long relationship with this big prehistoric-looking fish. This article discusses strategies to help preserve this endangered species.
- Kit: Salmon
- Article:By the Light of the Candlefish -explores the ancient, and living, relationship between First Nations and fish runs in B.C
- Kit: Living Off the Water
- Website: Arctic Marine Atlas – Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas is a collection of maps and introductory descriptions that thoughtfully depict what we know about the animals that inhabit Canada’s northern waters as well as their habitats. It also includes information on the Inuit communities in each region and their food sources.
Seasons:
- Kit: Seasons
Ethnobotany: The study of regional plants and their connection to traditional practices
- Kit: Plant Walk
- Kit: Trees
- Film: Indigenous Plant Diva – Kamala Todd’s short film of Cease Wyss, of the Squamish Nation. Wyss is a woman who understands the remarkable healing powers of the plants growing all over downtown Vancouver.
- Film: Dr. Nancy Turner talks about the seasonal round; people’s connection to land, plants, and nature; sustainability; and respect for all life forms.
- The Healing Power of Plants Virtual Museum
- Saanich Ethnobotany: Culturally Important Plants of the WSANEC People Available in the Aboriginal Resource Library
- TEK Unit 2 by Dr. Judy Thompson. These activities help students apply understandings of Traditional Ecological Knowledge to plant identification, classification, traditional cultural practices and nutrition.
- Book: Lessons from Mother Earth
- Kit: Plants and Connection to Place
- Available in the Aboriginal Resource Library
Astronomy:
- Kit: Astronomy
- Website: A Brief Look at Indigenous Star Names – Stars and constellations identified in the early days of astronomy were typically given Greek and Roman names. But, Indigenous Peoples around the world have studied the skies since time immemorial and developed astronomical knowledge systems which were woven into their specific spiritual, cultural and social lives.
- Article: ‘We come from the stars‘: How Indigenous peoples are taking back astronomy
- Article: Aboriginal astronomy can teach us about the link between sky and land – discusses Indigenous stories from Australia that were used for navigation.
- Website: Relearning the Star Stories of Indigenous Peoples – Articles and videos sharing the stories behind constellations from Cree communities in Manitoba
- Video: Cosmos– Coyote Science (Episode 10) discusses star knowledge, the medicine wheel and shows us how to make a homemade star projector.
- Kit: Sun and Moon
- Video: Raven Steals the Light – (Storyhive) Raven is the craftiest of all creatures. In this animation, Raven steals the light of the world, pursued by his nemesis who wants to keep it himself
- Available in our Library:
- Helix: Raven tales: how Raven stole the sun
- Book: Raven Brings the Light by Roy Henry Vickers
- Book: How Raven Stole the Sun by Maria Williams
- Available in our Library:
Plate Tectonics/Geological Processes:
- Article: The Great Quake and the Great Drowning: Discusses the various Indigenous stories describing the mega-quakes and tsunamis that have impacted the Pacific Coast of North America. Audio available.
- Article: Dating the 1700 Cascadia Earthquake_
- Website: Pacific Northwest Seismic Network: Tales from Hoh and Quiluete This website has a number of oral stories from the various Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest and their experiences with the seismic activity in the area
- Website: Story of Xá:ytem / Hatzic Rock
- Website: SFU Time Immemorial is an interactive resource that shares the stories of transformer stones throughout Stó:l? traditional territory.
- Story: Man Turned to Stone, T’xwelátse is a story connecting Mount Cheam and Mount Baker
- Video: Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole explains the crests caved onto the pole commemorating the 2012 earthquake that hit Haida Gwaii
- Book: The Two Sisters by Pauline Johnson discussed the creation of the Two Sisters in Squamish
- Article: Set in Stone: Stó:lō ancestors’ spirits live in Fraser Valley landmarks : Naxaxalhts’i, also known as Sonny McHalsie, shares the story of Th’exelis’
- Book: People of the Land: Legends of the Four Host First Nations Traditional narratives that describe how local physical features came to be created
- Other areas of study include:
- Nisga’a lava beds (volcanic eruption)
- Gitxsan narrative of the Mountain Goats of Temlaham (landslide)
- Creation of the Rocky Mountains
Interconnectedness/Indigenous Worldview:
- Video: Secwepemc World View: Presents the idea of interconnectedness and respect for all things.
- Video: Mary Jack, First Nations Elder, speaker and story teller of the Tseycum First Nation.
- Video: The 6000-Year-Old Village Combining traditional knowledge and western science, this video explores the importance of the Hauyat inlet along the central coast of British Columbia
- Website: Sacred Relationship is a research, film and educational project that explores how reconciling the relationship between Indigenous people and the rest of Canada can protect our water.
- Website: Assembly of First Nations: Honouring Earth: This overview of Indigenous Worldview, explains the interconnectedness between all living and non-living beings on this earth
- Coursera: Indigenous Relationship to the Land Part 1 University of Alberta: The videos attached to this resource provide an overview of Indigenous Worldview and the impact of historical settlement patterns/contemporary resource extraction
- Coursera: Indigenous Relationship to the Land Part 2 University of Alberta This video highlights how the people within the Denés?liné territory continue to practice their traditional subsistence lifestyle and continue to accumulate knowledge and learn from the land
- Article: Two Sides of One Mask – This article explores the blurred line/relationship between the human and animal world, a reminder that the two are really one, and all beings, even the little ones, have a big presence at the table.
- Other stories that discuss this topic: