Tlingit Moon & Tide Teaching Resource: Elementary Level

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 1:14 am

The goal of the Moon and Tide curriculum available online at http://pec.jun.alaska.edu:16080/salmon/graphics/moonandtides.pdf is to bring Alaska Native science and ecological understanding into elementary classrooms.

This outstanding resource begins with a discussion of Alaska Native Cultural Standards, State of Alaska Science Standards, National Science Standards, and Teaching to Place: Tlingit Learning Styles.

Each activity in Moon and Tide articulates the standards addressed, the goals, objectives, Tlingit words and word flash card templates, lesson plans, handout templates, and discussion templates.

National Science Education Standards for grades K-4 addressed in Moon and Tide include:

* For content standard A - scientific inquiry (asking and answering questions) - observation is combined with what students already know to help explain what they see.

* For content standard B (the position and motion of objects relative to other objects) - the tide's motion is tracked and measured over time.

* For content standard D (objects in the sky and changes in earth and sky), students will learn to identify sequences of change in both moon and tide and will identify patterns in these changes.

* Under content standard G, students will understand, by looking at Alaska Natives' views of the moon and tides, that science and technology have been practiced by the Tlingit for at least 8,000 years.

Ecosystem calendars and tools, plus an outstanding bibliography round out this incredible resource!