Burning Wisdom (continued from page 17)
through this project. They were deeply inspired to see their children accomplish such huge tasks such as safely using woodworking tools, hand-carving their own paddles specially fit to their own body measurements, and working together as a crew family to build a canoe that they could paddle in together. For some children and families, this was their first canoe trip. Students and families were incredibly inspired by the opportunities to authentically and genuinely interact with Indigenous peoples through this project and the paddle/camping trip.
Local and regional Indigenous peoples were very willing and
honored to work with us on this project, on both the social studies content and canoe-building pieces. These connections made the project authentic and meaningful. The genuine support of local tribal members was apparent in receiving invitations for future paddling opportunities and with funding for a future project to work closely with the 4th grade class in Lapwai, Idaho. A key element for success of a project like this is that the teacher has a very close working relationship with a local non- profit or other group or individual to do this type of project (i.e.,
Make the CLEARING website a part of your online resources!
Voyages of Rediscovery, and local Indigenous partners). Our EL model of education at PPCS embraces this type of outreach and collaboration very well, and I would encourage other teachers in any other school system or teaching model to think about how to do this within their own contexts.
Conclusion
The canoe building component proved to be an invaluable addition to the learning expedition for the PPCS 4th graders. Students were able to associate the content of the curriculum to a meaningful and tangible context represented by the David Thompson-style canoe. The canoe brought people together that otherwise wouldn’t have had a reason to work together, which led to powerful learning opportunities. By opening the school doors to the possibilities of building a canoe, we found that the risk was rewarded in outcomes much greater than we had antici- pated. The effort was completely worth it.
❏ References
Cousins, E. (Ed.). (2000). Roots: From outward bound to expedition- ary learning. Dubuque, IA: Union-Hoermann Press. Expeditionary Learning (2011). Expeditionary learning core practices: A vision for improving schools. New York, NY: Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound.
Adam Wicks-Arshack is a PhD student in the Water Resources Department at the University of Idaho. He is a recent law school graduate and focused on water law and policy. In addition, for the past 10 years, Adam has facilitated educational expeditions and canoe building projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has built over 15 canoes with students and community members and hopes that every student in the Northwest has an opportunity to paddle in a traditional canoe on their backyard river.
The site contains articles from past issues, additional resources and links to information found in the printed
articles, and opportunities for you to participate in discussions of environmental education teaching topics and issues.
Check it out at
http://www.clearingmagazine.org Page 54
Renée Hill is the fourth-grade teacher at Palouse Prairie Charter School (PPCS) in Moscow, Idaho. Using the Expeditionary Learning (EL) model, she has engaged her students in inquiry-based projects including publishing a scientific and poetic book about the geologic formation of the Palouse region, presenting potential solutions to address the impacts of climate change on regional wheat agriculture to scientists throughout the Pacific Northwest, and building a David Thompson-style canoe as a symbol of the confluence of cultures throughout Idaho’s history. She has a doctorate in Environmental Science from the Joint Doctoral Program between the University of Idaho and the Tropical Center for Agricultural Research and Higher Education (CATIE) in Costa Rica, a master’s degree in International Nutrition from Cornell University, and a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science from the University of California, Davis. When she’s not teaching, she spends her time mountaineering, climbing, running, mountain biking, teaching middle schoolers the art of rock climbing, supporting local non-profit organizations, making repurposed art, cooking, and appreciating the beautiful world we all share.
www.clearingmagazine.org CLEARING Fall 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
