Reconnecting with Our Cultural Wealth in the Digital Age

Ruth FerrisScience Horizons Initiative

June 2013

Abstract

How can we use cultural knowledge with students in a digital age?

My dream is to have my students learn about the importance of Native Montana plants from tribal elders. Students will research an individual plant, create a document to share what they have learned. Students will make a sign identifying their plant. Each sign will have a QR code that can be accessed in the courtyard or online.

Washington Elem Courtyard

Project Parameters• Grade 5 – adaptable• Goals– Connecting ethnobotany, oral traditions, research skills,

and technology.

Mr Tall Bull sharing traditional knowledge about plants.

Time LineFall• Botany Lessons (Taxonomy)• Introduce Research Skills• Practice Note Taking Strategies • Nature Notebook• Linwood Tall Bull, Northern Cheyenne EthnobotanistWinter• Plant ResearchSpring • Photograph Plants• Audio Recording• Create Signs• Courtyard Open House

Science Components• Content Standard 1 – Benchmark 1.6

– By the end of grade 8, a proficient student will compare how observations of nature form an essential base of knowledge among Montana Indians.

• Content Standard 3 – Benchmark 3.4• By the end of grade 8, a proficient

student will investigate and explain interdependent nature of populations and communities.

• Content Standard 3 – Benchmark 3.5– Create and use a basic classification

scheme to identify plants and animals.

• Plant recognition skills• Hands on activities• Plant parts & function

Cultural Components

• Plants As Food• Harvesting• Types of Plants• Seasons• Importance• Storytelling • Connections to Treaties

• Plants As Medicine• Used For• Parts of Plant Used• Season It Is Harvested• Who Harvested• Storytelling• How Used

Library Components

• Research Skills• Selecting Information• Fast Facts (Note Taking)• Citing Sources• Integrating written

knowledge with oral traditions

• Technology Skills• Creating Audio Report• Designing a Sign• Creating a QR Code

Essential Understanding 1

There is great diversity among the 12 tribal Nations of Montana in their languages, cultures, histories and governments. Each Nation has a distinct and unique cultural heritage that contributes to modern Montana.

Essential Understanding 3

The ideologies of Native traditional beliefs and spirituality persist into modern day life as tribal cultures, traditions, and languages are still practiced by many American Indian people and are incorporated into how tribes govern and manage their affairs.

Additionally, each tribe has its own oral histories, which are as valid as written histories. These histories pre-date the “discovery” of North America.

Connecting Digitally

QR Codes & the CourtyardQR Codes are the cube looking barcodes. You can generate them to share specific information. For this project when you read QR Code you will see a picture of a specific plant and hear a recording of a student telling about the plant – tribal name, common name, description, and how it was used.

Materials

• Magnifying glasses• iPad• Nature Journal• Books

- Taste of Heritage – Alma Hogan Snell– Montana Native Plants & Early People – Jeff Hart– Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel– Shanleya’s Quest by Thomas Elpel– Patterns in Plants Card Game– Field Guide

Online Resources

• Montana Plant Life http://montana.plant-life.org/index.html

• Leafsnap: Electronic Field Guide http://leafsnap.com/

• Symbaloo http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/scienceinitiative

• US Botanical Gardens - http://www.usbg.gov/

Acknowledgements

• Dr. John Peters, Astrobiology Research Center and Thermobiology Institute

• Dr. Walter Fleming, Montana State University Department of Native American Studies

• MT State University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

• MSU – Office of Provost Chem Department

Generous Applause

• Dr. C. McLaughlin, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry and Program Director

• Tess Corbin, Administration Assistant• Team Members– Amy Williams– David Chalmers– Kevin Newman– Tera Flink– Charla Lake