Cross Curriculum Cookbook by Katrin MacKinnon

Ecology Tracking Booklet

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-03 23:29:31 UTC

Plant & Animal Identification

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-05 14:10:10 UTC

How to Make Seedballs for Pollinators

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-05 14:12:14 UTC

Land-Based Education

susannekellymacphie — 2024-11-05 15:09:47 UTC

"Ultimately, land-based programming is a way to transform and restore humanity’s relationship to land, which, according to Indigenous thought, will lead to better health and social outcomes for all living beings. This philosophy has not been tested in any comprehensive Western scientific way. Nor does it have to be. Indigenous and community-based narratives and experiences attest to the positive social changes already occurring in localized contexts as a result of land-based programs." (McDonald, 2023, p.4)

References

susannekellymacphie — 2024-11-05 15:09:51 UTC

Donald, D. (2009). The pedagogy of the fort: Curriculum, Aboriginal-Canadian relations, and Indigenous Métissage. In Education, 15(2), 72–83.

Lange, E. A., O’Neil, J. K. P., & Ross, K. E. (2021). Educating During the Great Transformation: Relationality and Transformative Sustainability Education. Andragoška Spoznanja, 27(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.4312/as/9692

McDonald, M. (2023). Land-based education: A Yellowhead Institute special report. Yellowhead Institute. https://yellowheadinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/YI-Land-Based-Education-Special-Report-2.2023-1.pdf

Styres, S. (2017). Pathways for Remembering and Recognizing Indigenous Thought in Education: Philosophies of Iethi’nihsténha Ohwentsia’kékha (Land). University of Toronto Press.

Wildcat, M., McDonald, M., Irlbacher-Fox, S., & Coulthard, G. (2014). Learning from the land: Indigenous land-based pedagogy and decolonization. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 3(3), 1–15.

Relationality

susannekellymacphie — 2024-11-05 15:35:12 UTC

"The term relationality is not referring to social relationships. In Relationality, the focus is on the entanglement of relations as dynamic processes, not independent objects or subjects. It refers to, for example, a material-discursive intra-action.6 Relationality, as an emerging (and ancient) paradigm, is central to theorising and practicing transformative sustainability education. Relationality is transformative by definition, in both challenging the dominant Western paradigm and providing life-affirming processes and patterns for a regenerative future." (Lange et al., 2021, p.27)

Universality

susannekellymacphie — 2024-11-05 16:03:52 UTC

"When paired with relationality and land-based educational theory, universality refers to the shared values and responsibilities that emerge from relationships with land and community, serving as a foundation for mutual understanding and collective stewardship across cultures." (Styres, 2017).

Elder's Circle

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-10 00:40:00 UTC

Invite an Indigenous elder, community member, or environmental educator to share traditional knowledge about land stewardship and sustainable practices. Discuss concepts like reciprocal relationships with nature, and the importance of maintaining balance with the environment.

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-11 02:09:46 UTC

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-11 19:56:46 UTC

This activity illustrates how engaging in land-based experiences can enhance students' connections to their heritage and the environment, fostering a relational approach to education. In this video, students take part in land-based learning at Writing on Stone, immersing themselves in local cultural and environmental teachings. The experience links children to Indigenous traditions, instilling a sense of relationality and respect for the land as they learn through direct interaction with the natural world.

Werklund School of Education. (2017, December 6). Connecting land to teaching pedagogy: A land-based learning experience at Writing on Stone [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7IhDg85yVM

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-11 20:22:06 UTC

Medicine Walk activity. If possible, invite a Mi'kmaq elder or knowledge keeper to lead a medicine walk, either in person or through a virtual tour. This would allow students to learn about traditional plant knowledge and how the Mi'kmaq people have historically used local plants for food, medicine, and ceremonies, connecting them deeply to the land.

Before the activity, have students review Brenda Jones' book to research key plants they might find in Nova Scotia, like sweetgrass, cedar, and Labrador tea. The book's illustrations and descriptions help students recognise these plants and understand their traditional uses, enhancing their connection to the land.

Assessment: Have students use the book to write a short story or poem from a plant's perspective, highlighting its traditional uses and connection to the environment. This activity fosters empathy for nature and cultural connections, while enhancing their creativity and writing skills.

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-11 20:41:56 UTC

Community Clean Up Service Learning Activity

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-11 21:04:24 UTC

Learning to Give. (n.d.). Community clean-up. Learning to Give. https://www.learningtogive.org/units/community-clean/community-clean

This activity is great for incorporating discussions around relationality, community building, and the importance of stewardship. It also encourages upper elementary students to reflect on both local and global environmental challenges.

mackinnonkatrin — 2024-11-11 21:25:01 UTC