Living Local Culture Unit
This class unit has students
reflect & celebrate the local, living Alaska culture.
Illustration courtesy of Alaska Native Knowledge Network
Illustration courtesy of Alaska Native Knowledge Network
Planning & Context of Unit
(some things to consider)
- Could be cross-curricular
- Flexible scheduling—just follow the outline, can choose
assignments as you go
- Requires daily creativity and responsiveness
- Requires student input, choice on how to meet standards
- For academic rigor, can require that one project addresses a weak skill
- Oct./Jan./Feb. project—less school activity, skill levels already assessed; build team relationship in class.
- Consult with school, tribe, students, community, harvesting calendars when scheduling.
- Contact the tribe, TV, radio, children’s library, & relevant agencies early for guest speakers, interviewees, performance opportunities, etc.
- Possible unit topics:
- an aspect of local culture
- food gathering & preparation
- environmental preservation
- waste disposal & recycling
- a current political issue (city, state)
- arts & crafts in our community
- Native language
- Ceremonies, such as invite parties
- authors, literature, storytelling, rhetoric/public speaking
- alcohol, drugs, emotional problems (What is the problem? Causes, history,
- options for addressing it)
- employment (what it takes to get a “good” job, options/prospects—see Keek’ video)
- things for teenagers to do (“This town is boring.” What is the problem? Causes, options for addressing it)
- social/cultural/racial/gender conflicts
- history study
- prepare for holiday presentation—Peratrovich Day, Alaska Day, Columbus Day
- Other ideas?
- Addresses all five English standards & many cultural
standards, including:
- Cultural Standards for Educators, Standard A. Culturally-responsive educators incorporate local ways of knowing and teaching in their work. Educators whomeet this cultural standard:
1. recognize
the validity and integrity of the traditional knowledge system;
2. utilize Elders' expertise in multiple ways in their teaching;
3. provide opportunities and time for students to learn in settings where local cultural knowledge and skills are naturally relevant;
4. provide opportunities for students to learn through observation and hands-on demonstration of cultural knowledge and skills;
5. adhere to the cultural and intellectual property rights that pertain to all aspects of the local knowledge they are addressing;
6. continually involve themselves in learning about the local culture.
2. utilize Elders' expertise in multiple ways in their teaching;
3. provide opportunities and time for students to learn in settings where local cultural knowledge and skills are naturally relevant;
4. provide opportunities for students to learn through observation and hands-on demonstration of cultural knowledge and skills;
5. adhere to the cultural and intellectual property rights that pertain to all aspects of the local knowledge they are addressing;
6. continually involve themselves in learning about the local culture.
- Alaska
Standards for Teachers: Standard 3: A teacher teaches
students with respect for [students'] individual and cultural
characteristics. Performances that reflect attainment of this
standard include:
a. incorporating characteristics
of the student’s and local community’s culture into instructional
strategies that support student learning;
b. Identifying and using
instructional strategies and resources that are appropriate to the
individual and special needs of students; and
c. Applying knowledge of Alaska
history, geography, economics, governance, languages, traditional life
cycles and current issues to the selection of instructional strategies,
materials and resources.
Activities & Assessment
1. Warm-up options for start of unit: show pictures, play music, wear related
clothing, role play, play a guessing game, change the lighting or décor,
scavenger hunt, enjoy food related to the topic.
2. Preview this unit outline & answer questions (10-? min.)
3. Class decides on topic (by consensus?) Elders could help facilitate. Discuss
ANCSA difficuly w/ democracy vs. consensus (AFN, boards of directors, dissidence).
(60-? min.)
4. Think on paper—teacher reads/shows a model; students choose one assignment.
(15 min.)
4.1. Freewrite Journal: write what you want about this topic.
4.2. Questionairre: What experiences, book learning, settings, conversation,
media, family, friends, feelings, images, curiosity do you have related to the
topic?
5. Discuss “4” with a partner or small group. Read parts of it if you’re not
sure what to talk about. (10-? min.)
6. Look at model projects from past units. (We don’t have “past units” yet!) (20
min.)
7. Brainstorm for project ideas; write down three. (10-? min.)
8. New Information: guest elder/expert, lecture, notes, reading, video, field
trip, observe/participate in an event. Follow up with a quiz, summary, discussion
9. Conference individually: teacher approves academic parts of student’s project
(15 + min. per student to identify personal interests, strengths & challenges.
Start this during steps 4, 5, & 6 to make the most of time. If students have
gaps w/ nothing to work on, can do book report reading, PLATO skill drills)
10. Research: search and do a brief (1-5 sentence) review of websites about the
topic. Do a (casual or official) works cited page or annotated bibliography,
and post on website. Can also use other sources. (3 hrs.)
11. Interview expert/elder (develop questions/topics, do interview, two
paragraph reflection)
12. Writing: students choose one five paragraph (+) essay: (3 hrs.)
12.1. write paragraph or more description from observation or memory
12.2. write expository/persuasive/research essay.
12.3. other kind?
13. Write/edit encyclopedia articles: publish an informative article on
Wikipedia.com, the open source encyclopedia website. Edit an existing article.
(up to 6 hrs.)
14. Project, Publicity, and Being a People Person: students choose one project;
aim for a 20 minute “performance.” (~15 hrs. in-class)
14.1. Children’s book Children’s book: write it, perform it at local library or classroom, host
an activity for children, & have them assess your work. (Use writing process:
identify age/people for target audience; brainstorm a problem they’d relate to,
OR an interesting topic; Outline a plot diagram w/ three cycles of
intrigue/solutions, OR outline your information; do rough draft w/ sketched
pictures; read to peers & 1-2 children, get feedback; do final draft; edit.
14.2. Web site: build one w/ photos, writing, links, etc. (see online portfolio
website or alaskool.com for models). Fully engage a surfer for twenty +
minutes. For assessment, include opinion poll, or comments section asking
readers to assess the site.
14.3. Radio show: do a news story, public interview, or radio documentary
(similar to This American Life). Turn in any written notes, interview
questions, scripts, etc. Include credits & other qualities of a professional
feature. Ask listeners to call in w/ assessment.
14.4. Video: make one for local TV station, Internet, or gifts to libraries &
individuals. Turn in any written notes, interview questions, scripts, etc.
Include credits & other qualities of a professional video. (see Keek’ video on
employment & life in Keek’. If the stars line up right, at a boarding school,
students could use winter break for filming.) Ask viewers to assess.
14.5. Technical Writing: learn a skill & compose instructions/diagrams on how to
do it, from gathering resources to the proper use & care of the product.
Publish it (web, booklet, poster—see “How to Make a Deerhide Drum” poster by
Pauline Duncan). Teach a class (~90 min?), & have students assess your work.
15. Assess with audience feedback from 10+ people: one positive & one suggestion
for improvement. Students randomly assigned to assess five others in class.
16. Revise & tie up loose ends, thank people who helped (1/2 hr.)
17. Standards based assessment—incorporate audience assessment w/ teacher’s (~15
min./student)
17.1. Successful project criteria:
17.1.1. Content accurately represents part of the local, living culture. It has
“texture” and interest.
17.1.2. Presentation is appropriately slick or down home. It is organized,
edited (doesn’t ramble or have extra pauses), and seamlessly engages the
audience.
17.1.3. Quantity of time, thought and work is sufficient for a major project
grade.
17.2. Grading Scale
4 = Project meets all parts of the standard
3 = Project meets most of the standard, but needs some improvement
2 = Project meets half of the standard, and needs major improvement
1 = Project is in early stage of development, meets less than half of standard.
0 = No project
18. Celebrate with a party, game day, music & dancing, or other activity.