More Visitors!
1/25/2020
This week we had a few more visitors! Kimber Olson, Max’s mother, came to share her experiences and knowledge of the beautiful Aleutian Islands. Students enjoyed her stories about the extreme weather and the uniqueness of some of the islands. Because Kimber works for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, she connected our class with Darling and Bobby. Darling and Bobby also shared their experiences growing up in the Aleutians and demonstrated a new language app for others to learn their language. Because only about 90 people speak this language fluently, this app is vital in keeping this language alive. Elizabeth Hensley, William Hensley, and Maligiaq Padilla (Aqattaq’s mother, grandfather, and father) were also kind enough to visit. They shared the rich indigenous knowledge that has allowed the Inupiaq to thrive for thousands of years in the North. Students looked at clothing made of moose hair, marten, fox, wolf, and seal skin. They liked seeing the harpoon with scrimshaw and the kayak Maligiaq made. We even passed around Aqattaq’s mukluks that she wore as a baby and tried muktuk (bowhead whale)! William Hensley is a former member of the Alaska House of Representatives and Alaska Senate. His book 50 Miles from Tomorrow is a great read about his story of his incredible journey that led him to his role of being a major advocate for Native Alaskans. As a connection to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students learned that there was a time in Alaska when businesses could post signs like “No Dogs or Natives Allowed” or “Whites Only.” William attended a school that physically punished him when he spoke his first language and looked down upon Natives. Alaska has its own heroes like Elizabeth Peratrovich who helped pass anti-discrimination laws and William Hensley who lobbied for the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Thank you so much for your time, Max’s and Aqattaq’s family! Mr. Baines
1/18/2020
We love visitors! This week, we had the opportunity to listen to David Baines, Elizabeth’s father. He was kind enough to teach our class some of the traditional beliefs and customs of the Tsimshian. The Tsimshian is a native tribe of the Pacific Northwest Coast. We loved hearing stories and looking at pictures of his family’s adventures in Kodiak Island, including the time a fin whale lifted up his fishing boat! Students also enjoyed seeing whale bone art, a traditional drum, an otter pelt, and a bentwood box. Our favorite part was when Elizabeth and her dad ended our time together with a goodbye song. My goal for our classroom learning environment is to expand the scope of our learning beyond the walls of our classroom and the pages of a textbook. One way that we do this is by inviting people from the community who have expert knowledge and real world connections to the content standards which we are exploring. By doing so, learning becomes meaningful because it is coming from an authentic source. These experiences are the moments that students will remember when they look back on their educational journey. Thank you David and Elizabeth! Your time means so much to us!
We look forward to many other parents and organizations visiting in the near future! Alaska Pipeline
1/11/2020
We have been learning about different regions of Alaska. Along the way, we learned about the Alaskan Pipeline and what engineers needed to consider when building it. When making the Alaskan Pipeline, engineers decided they couldn’t bury much of the pipeline because of the permafrost. The hot oil in the pipes would melt the permafrost in the ground and damage the landscape. Engineers also needed to take into consideration migrating animals and earthquakes. It was necessary for the pipeline to be high enough above the ground to not interfere with migration patterns. Alaska's physical landscape is very unique, having a variety of terrains. For instance, the Brooks Range is a massive mountain range above the Arctic Circle that made the installation of the pipeline a difficult challenge for engineers. Molly Liston, our PE teacher, has led backpacking trips in the Brooks Range. We loved learning about this area of Alaska and her adventures! Thank you, Molly, for stopping in to tells us about your experiences! Students were challenged to design their own “pipeline.” Can you build a pipeline that can transport a cup of water from one end to the other? As with any hands-on activity, we spent time reflecting. How well did we work with our group? Did we use our materials efficiently? What surprised you? What would you change about your design? It has been wonderful seeing students progressively improve collaborating together and tackling challenges while making connections to state standards. |
Jessica GrahamMs. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, and is currently working on her master's in reading. She enjoys hiking, traveling, arts & crafts, and playing the ukulele. Archives
April 2021
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