Alberta's grasslands provide gifts of vast biodiversity, rich cultural heritage and essential ecosystem services. Yet, less than 2% of this amazing natural region is protected. What gives??? And why should we care? How do relationships lie at the heart of ‘why grasslands’ matter now and forever?
Project Summary:
In this project, students created an original sketch journal page that reflects the spirit of reciprocity and kinship with the living world. The students:
Grade 4 students connected and interacted with the land through physical exploration, observation and story to develop greater understanding of different Physical Regions of Alberta and the people who live there. Braiding different perspectives and ways of knowing the land from people both past and present.
Our School is located within walking distance to many natural landforms such as Nose Hill Park, our Wetlands and the ravine. From our school grounds we also have an amazing view of the Foothills and Rocky Mountain regions. The land and natural spaces in our community are gifts to the students, teachers and families that live here. Our school is surrounded by many land based teaching opportunities. As well, part of the natural space that our school and the Community Association are connected to is The Native Species Parkland Project, or as students refer to it, “the slope.”
This year long exploration of the land will be experienced through interdisciplinary studies with our school wide guiding focus of Ways of Knowing at the forefront. The learning intentions are aligned with the Alberta Program of Studies, the Teaching Quality Standards, and the Calls to Action.
Project Summary:
In this project, students created an original sketch journal page that reflects the spirit of reciprocity and kinship with the living world. The students:
- studied Indigenous connections to the grasslands
- discovered the interrelationships of grassland organisms
- learned about grassland ecological processes
- applied new knowledge to protect the environment
- embrace the teachings of flora by learning from the resilience and adaptability of plants, drawing inspiration from their lessons in sustainability and survival.
Grade 4 students connected and interacted with the land through physical exploration, observation and story to develop greater understanding of different Physical Regions of Alberta and the people who live there. Braiding different perspectives and ways of knowing the land from people both past and present.
Our School is located within walking distance to many natural landforms such as Nose Hill Park, our Wetlands and the ravine. From our school grounds we also have an amazing view of the Foothills and Rocky Mountain regions. The land and natural spaces in our community are gifts to the students, teachers and families that live here. Our school is surrounded by many land based teaching opportunities. As well, part of the natural space that our school and the Community Association are connected to is The Native Species Parkland Project, or as students refer to it, “the slope.”
This year long exploration of the land will be experienced through interdisciplinary studies with our school wide guiding focus of Ways of Knowing at the forefront. The learning intentions are aligned with the Alberta Program of Studies, the Teaching Quality Standards, and the Calls to Action.
Through Reciprocity:
"How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again,
to make our relations with the world sacred again?" [1] Robin Wall Kimmerer
What is the spirit of reciprocity? Reciprocity is an act or process of exchange where both parties mutually benefit. The actions of giving and receiving are both included.
A sense of place refers to an emotional connection to some aspect of the wilderness in the world that surrounds us. It invites a sense of community. The message shared is that acknowledgement that our communities (natural and cultural) are teachers and have deep lessons for us to learn from. There is something transformational about teaching and learning outside, and not just when the sun is shining and the breeze is warm but in all weather. Standing in a circle, as members of the group welcome one other, acknowledging the land and all the potential for your time there together, these are opportunities to recognize land as a friend to connect with, a partner in a reciprocal relationship. Nature-rich spaces need not involve a bus ride; authentic outdoor learning can happen right in our backyards, our schoolyards and our local parks!
Many of these students have known Kainai Elder Saa'kokoto (also known as Randy Bottle) since kindergarten. He is from the blood tribe -Kainai Nation, Treaty 7 who visits and shares stories. Having learned stories of the land (around the medicine wheel, in the teepee, and under the sky). He always shares the connection people have to the natural world and each other through story. “The land does speak to you,” says Elder Saa'kokoto “You just have to listen and to be very observant.”
1. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author of Braiding Sweetgrass "Returning the Gift." Center for Humans and Nature, October 1, 2013.
"How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again,
to make our relations with the world sacred again?" [1] Robin Wall Kimmerer
What is the spirit of reciprocity? Reciprocity is an act or process of exchange where both parties mutually benefit. The actions of giving and receiving are both included.
A sense of place refers to an emotional connection to some aspect of the wilderness in the world that surrounds us. It invites a sense of community. The message shared is that acknowledgement that our communities (natural and cultural) are teachers and have deep lessons for us to learn from. There is something transformational about teaching and learning outside, and not just when the sun is shining and the breeze is warm but in all weather. Standing in a circle, as members of the group welcome one other, acknowledging the land and all the potential for your time there together, these are opportunities to recognize land as a friend to connect with, a partner in a reciprocal relationship. Nature-rich spaces need not involve a bus ride; authentic outdoor learning can happen right in our backyards, our schoolyards and our local parks!
Many of these students have known Kainai Elder Saa'kokoto (also known as Randy Bottle) since kindergarten. He is from the blood tribe -Kainai Nation, Treaty 7 who visits and shares stories. Having learned stories of the land (around the medicine wheel, in the teepee, and under the sky). He always shares the connection people have to the natural world and each other through story. “The land does speak to you,” says Elder Saa'kokoto “You just have to listen and to be very observant.”
1. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author of Braiding Sweetgrass "Returning the Gift." Center for Humans and Nature, October 1, 2013.
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During one of our days exploring and observing outside, we noticed this sign. We had many questions about what it meant....
- Why do you think it’s there?
- What is Fescue?
- Who was involved/initiated in this project?
- When did this project happen?
- Why was this project needed?
- What was the purpose of the project?
- What was the land like before the project?
- Where did the plants come from?
- Does the community know about this project?
- How do we value this land?
- What is our responsibility to this project?
We learned that the sign refers to a project. In a report it describes the project goals as:
“The roots of the rough fescue project lie in what is known as the Native Species Parkland Project (NSPP) initiated in 1989 by an Edgemont Community Association committee dealing with community green space (Revel, 1991). Its goals as described by the NSPP committee (Edgemont Community Association, 1989) were to enhance the environment by helping nature establish a unique suburban native ecosystem. This in turn would promote environmental awareness, offer educational opportunities, enrich residents' lives, and provide an opportunity for people to get involved in "implementing and caring for their own unique landscape."
What are the grasslands?
Building on prior knowledge, Grade 4 students began their exploration of the Regions of Alberta by zooming in on the Grasslands Region. Using maps and an interactive website called “Zooming In: Regions of Alberta” students explored the natural regions. Through site visits on the land and using various text sets (such as: oral stories, picture books, videos, maps, websites and news articles -see resource list below), students are weaving connections between the attributes of the grasslands land and what makes them a unique and important region.
“Learning from place becomes rooted in everything that is around us through experience, extending in every direction - and ultimately beyond what we know as “direction.” For example, Indigenous rootedness in place also considers, “Who has been here, and who will come? What is the essence, or spirit, of our place?” If we begin to see ourselves as not just rooted in the ground, but also deeply connected to everything around us, everything changes, including how we feel, think, and behave.”
From Nature Curiosities - pg 83
Researching Alberta’s Plantlife:
We discovered that the Grasslands do many helpful things. We looked into ways the grasslands helps and considered, "How are grasslands giving?"
Soil:
We explored soil and looked how grass helps soil...
Here is a link to information about soil in Alberta
Filtration:
We built filtration systems to see how water can be filtered and how grassland plants help.
Carbon Capture:
We learned some basic information about what Carbon is and how grasses help hold carbon in their soil.
Heritage:
We considered how there is a rich cultural heritage that is linked to the grassslands.
Giving space to find out journey ... Ways we spent outside learning from the land:
During our outside times we focused on building vocabulary and engaging in writing methods through land based learning. We began by establishing and practicing outdoor learning space routines such as acknowledging that we are entering our outdoor classroom, as many of the spaces that we engage with for learning are also connected to student’s recess spaces. We observed and shared what engaged learning looks like or sounds like by reflecting with the class.
I always start getting students outside in the beginning of the year with 4 main routines. I learned these from Lesley Tait, (a Cree Knowledge Keeper). We engage in a sit spot, we walk and talk, we do storytelling and circle, and we eat together.
Sit spot:
Students became familiar with orienting themselves in the cardinal directions. Some students made connections to prior knowledge from when Elder Saa'kokoto visited our school. He shared that the tipi is always set up with the door facing east to greet the morning sunrise.
Walk and Talk Discussions:
Outside, students interacted with, observed and had conversations about what they saw. They discovered natural patterns, and recorded notice and wonders. Students slowed down to render and look closely at everything from burdock seed to aspen bark, the way the wind made the leaving sing to the loveliness of round ladybugs sunning themselves on wolfwillow. Through all of these experiences we were word collectors.
Circle Stories:
Our next step, in story circles, was to share a special memory or story of the place we feel most connected to in nature. Before sharing in small story circles, as a class we learned about the importance of the circle in Indigenous cultures. These reflects often leads to deep questions and discussions.
During our local explorations we shared both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous stories, teaching reading strategy skills such as visualization and vocabulary development in context. Oral stories, Napi and the Aspen and Why the Leaves Fall off the Trees, drew the students attention to the natural elements around them and helped them to develop land based literacy. We also read rich mentor texts such as From Tree to Sea by Shelley Moore Thomas, My Heart is a Compass by Deborah Marcero and Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark.
Nature Journaling:
Students explored a new technique of nature journaling, to gather their research. Students learned about the attributes of different Alberta plants, including information about their life cycle, needs of growth, scientific illustrations and traditional/medicinal uses. We discussed the lens of a Scientific Illustrator and how they observe and document the world around them to communicate visual information with others.
Using this criteria, students began developing a piece of writing describing the land and natural regions seen from all the cardinal directions of the grasslands. During this process students began communicating their understanding of the regions landforms and attributes.
During each directional paragraph, the students participated in multiple feedback loops through self, peer and teacher assessment. This assessment was grounded in the class created rubrics and student created criteria for success.
Possible sentence starters:
- When I looked toward the wide open prairie, I can see...
- When I surveyed the land,
- I glanced to the grassy rolling hills,
- In the distance looking towards the mountains in the west, I noticed...
- Squinting towards the east, I noticed..
- Gazing curiously towards the deep south, I noticed...
- In the distance looking to the far south,
By engaging in learning on the slope at the school multiple times a week, students developed stamina and positive routines when learning outdoors, and built on the relationship of students coming to know the land.
The common experience of going to the slope helped to connect students to each other and the place. As well, the experience give another context to the vocabulary that they had been exploring and building on the slope and in the classroom. Students also shared their individual experiences such as tasting fleshy rose hips or finding large sandstone rocks in the switchgrass.
Plants found in our grasslands space:
Yarrow
Strawberry
Sage
Prairie crocus
Yellow paintbrush
Rough fescue
Brown eye susans
Aster
Thistle
Fleabane
Sticky geranium
Three flower avens
Vetch
showy -loco weed
Goats bead
Clover
We learned more about these plants from the Kainai Plant Index: https://galileo.org/kainai/plant-index/
How do we give back to the grasslands?
- Recognizing and learning about Indigenous perspectives
- Plant local species
- Park conservation
- Burn for renewal
- Reintroduce bison and indigenous species
- Spend time there to learn from the land
Resources:
https://galileo.org/kainai/plant-index/
blackfoot language reference: https://blackfoot.atlas-ling.ca/
https://130ncw3ap53r1mtmx23gorrc-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/69/2021/02/Naapis-Garden_brochure_partner-project.pdf
https://galileo.org/kainai/quaking-aspen/
https://galileo.org/kainai/pasque-flower/
Grass Information for Teacher Information:
https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/KSMO_KnowYourRoots.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2sHP8SViP16Zn4Ge9M66S0RTyFVdOSAg2bdxYY9v-7HNU64ZdQ1OxMOro
https://prairieecologist.com/2019/09/17/a-deep-rooted-prairie-myth/
https://clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/what-carbon-sequestration
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/il/plantsanimals/nrcs141p2_030726/?fbclid=IwAR1ElKnqOK1ET_vr8H8AJ63uoqgVgalSH0BdRzs5E1PTfW2NjnxQQzjOweo
https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/Pages/FYGMain.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0qLtRhsmS4kbV4o9iBHyXD4CmN5qlZS07kXe09JM82WYPbPIt3Iz737W0
https://deeproots.org/native-plants/
http://www.albertapcf.org/rsu_docs/grasslands_teacher_guide_march2005.pdf