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Water
Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children
Elementary, Middle
Description
The activities in this resource are designed to teach students about the properties of water, as well as the importance of protecting our water supply.
Students will:
- read and listen to Aboriginal legends depicting the importance of water to human survival.
- create the sounds of an imaginary rain fall.
- use art supplies to turn a person into an aquatic animal.
- visit a pond or stream and observe and examine aquatic creatures.
- participate in a relay that simulates the water cycle.
- pantomime and guess the identity of some ocean animals.
- compare the actual sizes of ocean animals, using lines marked on the ground.
- create water as salty as the ocean, and compare freezing temperatures.
- play a scavenger hunt/matching game while collecting plants and animals in the tide zone.
- create the sound of a wave.
This chapter is part of a larger compilation, "Keepers of the Earth", and is intended to be taught in conjunction with the other lessons in the book.
General Assessment
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?
This resource explicitly teaches:
- how to create the sound of rain.
- the concentration of salt in the ocean.
- the definitions of waves and currents, and how they are measured
- how the different creatures and organizes in the oceans manage to survive.
- about tide and tidal waves and how and why they are formed.
Strengths
- Chapter is well organized with clear goals and outcomes.
- Students have the opportunity to participate in authentic learning experiences which take place out of doors, and which encourage a personal affinity with the Earth.
- Activities are designed to engage a variety of students with varying learning needs, and developmental levels.
- The background information which is required is good quality, and informative to the educator.
- The use of an Aboriginal legend acts as a good way to grab the attention of students.
Weaknesses
- Students are not given the opportunity to take part in authentic action projects.
- Chapter does not adequately address numerous issues/concerns relating to water.
- Chapter does not take on a multidisciplinary, systems thinking approach.
- Chapter does not adequately respect the complexity of issues relating to water.
- Students are not given the opportunity to act as mentors or teachers to share their knowledge of what they have learned.
- Students are not empowered to choose certain elements of the content independently.
- Resource is slightly dated, with no reference to pertinent web resources.
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Themes Addressed
Ecosystems (1)
- Appreciating the Natural World
Water (1)
- Water Cycle
Sustainability Education Principles
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Satisfactory |
|
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
| ||
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Satisfactory |
|
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
| ||
| Respects Complexity | Satisfactory |
|
| Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
| Acting on Learning | Poor/Not considered |
|
| Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
| ||
| Values Education | Satisfactory |
|
| Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
| Empathy & Respect for Humans | Good | |
| Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
| Personal Affinity with Earth | Good |
|
| Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
| ||
| Locally-Focused Learning | Satisfactory |
|
| Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
| ||
| Past, Present & Future | Satisfactory |
|
| Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. | ||
Pedagogical Approaches
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Ended Instruction | Satisfactory |
|
| Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
| Integrated Learning | Good | |
| Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
| ||
| Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory |
|
| Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
| ||
| Differentiated Instruction | Good | |
| Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
| ||
| Experiential Learning | Satisfactory |
|
| Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
| ||
| Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory |
|
| Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
| ||
| Assessment & Evaluation | Satisfactory |
|
| Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
| Peer Teaching | Satisfactory |
|
| Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
| ||
| Case Studies | Poor/Not considered |
|
| Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
| Locus of Control | Satisfactory |
|
| Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. | ||
