As I was looking into building STEM lesson plans for my project, I started looking into stories, knowledge, and traditions related to water. Water is sacred in Aboriginal culture and as we should respect all elements of our surroundings and everything on Mother Earth, water should also be respected. In the Aboriginal worldview, there is a connection between people and water as it is the foundation for all living and non-living things (Native Counselling Servies of Alberta, n.d.). The website I’ve found includes excellent educational videos related to the sacred relationship with water, the relationship between Aboriginal people and the land, the creation story, and more. There are also lesson plans and worksheets that can be used for grades 5 and 6 based on the AB curriculum. Even if you don’t teach in Alberta, I think this could be a valuable resource for infusing Indigenous knowledge and STEM education.
Here is one of the videos I will be using for my project:
References
Native Counselling Servies of Alberta. (n.d.). Why water. The Sacred Relationship. http://www.sacredrelationship.ca/why-water/