Module III: Landscapes of Life

Landscape Forming Features in and around Valdez

Waterfall: Valdez Narrow

Mt. Sanford

Explain: What new learning have you taken away from this module? 
As will happen each week that I practice, I'm continuing to gain new skills in creating this blog and in using Google Earth.  I was also reintroduced to plate tectonics and learned some amazing new facts.  I didn't realize that we're still experiencing measurable aftershocks from the 1964 Earthquake here in Valdez.  I also didn't realize that the Pacific plate was moving 5 cm a year.

The second section of this module, Cultural Connections, illustrated well how culture is influenced by landscape and how interrelated various aspects of a life can be when you live close to and from the land around you.  For example, the TD Video On the Yukon River demonstrated how central salmon is to a people's language.  From the fact that the word for food in Central Yupik is fish, and more specifically salmon in this case, to a word that is connected to catkins bursting from cottonwoods that means king salmon will be running soon.   The TD video Living from the Land and Sea showed good examples of how the landscape can shape morality and ethics.  Lucille Davis speaks of Sugpiaq people cutting the first salmon of the season in small pieces to give to elders.  This kind of respect would ensure a greater salmon harvest. 

Extend: How will you use these resources in your community in your lessons?
One of the teaching standards I had to address when I taught in Tatitlek was learning about local culture and making a comparison to other AK Native cultures in the state.  I was fortunate to have help from local people in the community with the task of teaching about Alutiiq culture.  My role was to help students articulate a definition of culture that they could apply when comparing life where the live to life elsewhere in the state.  I wish I would have known more about Teacher's Domain then, especially the ones on the Cultural Connections page.  We did a lot our statewide research using texts, online and otherwise, only.  It would have been much more meaningful to have the visual images, and audio input, from the TD videos.

I'm excited to have some resources that kinesthetic learners can interact with like Google Earth.  The same can be said of the Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker and Rock Cycle Animator interactives.  

Evaluate: How useful, insightful or relevant are this module's resources for me?

The interactives mentioned above and the video Tectonic Plate Movement in Alaska are very relevant to students in Prince William Sound as we can see first-hand examples from these resources.  It could be fun to watch these and then go on a scavenger hunt for geologic features in the making.  The Valdez Glacier is a good example.



 

3 Colleagues' Blogs

I like what Tyler said on his Alaskanwisdom blog about having to connect what you're learning with how you live if you're going to really know it.  That's a great reminder to keep in mind for our students no matter what we're teaching.  

I like the reminder on Doug's Explore Alaska Blog to bring in diverse viewpoints when teaching and his book links.

Carolyn's Explore 907 blog held a connection.  I also grew up in a flat area of Wisconsin and spent one of my first backpacking trips in upstate New York.  That was a great place to catch the backpacking bug.