TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE

Below is a series of lessons on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, or TEK. The term TEK is often used to refer to knowledge, beliefs, value systems, and practices in Indigenous communities that relate to the environment. For many Indigenous peoples, TEK is "active" (the way in which one relates to the environment) and is sometimes referred to as a "way of life." TEK is a branch of Indigenous science.

The lessons are a series of readings and discussions, and a hands-on activity. They are aimed and upper elementary and early middle school and fit the NGSS standard 5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

Lesson Descriptions

Lesson 1: A classroom discussion on the different ways people acquire knowledge.

Lesson 2: “What is TEK?” Students complete an informational reading describing TEK

Lesson 3: “Animals Important to Yurok TEK.” Students complete informational readings about Yurok culture and animals important to Yurok TEK. They then learn and share through a jigsaw activity.

Lesson 4: “Meet a Scientist: Dr. Seafha Ramos.” Students learn about the work of Yurok Tribe member and Wildlife Ecologist Dr. Seafha Ramos! This lesson contains a short presentation and informational reading.

Lesson 5: “Track and Scat Activity” Students go on a simulated mammal survey and identify animals that have visited different locations by their tracks and scat.

Further Resources

• Yurok language dictionary

• Find whose ancestral land you are on at https://native-land.ca/

• Indigenous Education Tools <- check this out! They have activities, interviews and more!

• Tips for teaching about Native People from Burke Museum

• “Lessons Learned in Teaching Native American History” from Edutopia This article talks about teaching Indigenous history as a non-Indigenous person. 

• Links to the Smithsonian with resources from the National Museum of the American Indian: Various resources

• TED Talk Two Eye Seeing by Rebecca Thomas
  This TED talk focuses on the idea of language, different perspectives, viewing the world through both Indigenous and Western perspectives, and the relationships between these communities.

• Learning in Places
  An extensive set of lessons centered around learning about and exploring your local environment.

• STEM Teaching Tools “Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Science Teaching” Pintrest Board

These lessons were co-created by Dr. Seafha Ramos (National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow in biology, wildlife ecologist, and Yurok Tribe member), Science Delivered, Cherie Paul (5th grade teacher at Pacific Union Elementary School), and Maximiliano Quezada (senior undergraduate at Humboldt State University; Wildlife major and Native American Studies minor). Original illustrations were provided by Melitta Jackson (Yurok/Hupa/Karuk/Modoc). Lessons underwent a community review for cultural sensitivity by Heather Rickard, Aja Conrad, Irma Amaro, Frankie Tripp, and others.