Wild Rice |
Gloria Belcourt
Minahik Waskahigan School
Pinehouse, SK, Canada
Rekindling Traditions
Cross-Cultural Science and Technology Units (CCSTU)
Series Editor
Glen Aikenhead
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
CURRICULUM CONNECTION
Grades 8-11
habitat, ecosystems, plants, water quality, sustainable development, structure & design, nutrition
OVERVIEW
The local wild rice industry is used to promote respect for Aboriginal knowledge and to teach ideas from ecology and biology, so students will become informed about an important northern industry. Students apply their knowledge first hand during site visits to a wild rice stand and to a processing plant. The nutritional value of wild rice is learned when eating dishes students prepare. Duration: 2 weeks of classes, plus 3 field trips (trial planting nearby, visit to wild rice stand and processing plant).
PURPOSE
This unit is designed to enrich students' understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal science and technology, and to encourage students to continue their studies in school science in the future. Knowledge (past and present) of growing, harvesting, and processing of wild rice forms a bridge between Aboriginal and Western views of nature. The unit makes a connection between everyday life in a northern Saskatchewan community and ecology and biology content in the school curriculum. At the same time, technological literacy is given special emphasis. The unit should demonstrate to students that they can achieve at Western science without setting aside their Aboriginal values and knowledge.
GOALS
To bring in a local ricer to focus students' attention on wild rice.
To systematically present the wild rice industry in a way that makes students feel it is part of their community, and in a way that makes them feel confident about knowing some of its science and technology.
To develop an interest in wild rice as a healthy food.
To involve Elders and the community people as a valid resource of knowledge.
To involve students in the planting of wild rice.
To introduce ecology or biology content expected for the class.
To get students to interact with their environment and their community.
To introduce students to career possibilities related to science and engineering.
To analyse water samples.
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to properly sequence the 9 stages in the life cycle of wild rice.
Students will remember some of the details related to: a productive habitat, harvesting, processing, and food value.
Students will become aware of the fact that the Saskatchewan wild rice industry is "organic farming" and follows the principle of "sustainable development."
Students will develop greater respect for Elders or other knowledgeable community members who have handed down information to students.
Students will accurately use both common-sense terms and appropriate scientific terms, depending on the context they are in.
Student will respect the environment by not causing any damage.
Students will estimate how many seeds are in a kilogram of seeds, and calculate how many bags of seed to buy for a particular stand of wild rice.
Students will be able to write accurate and fairly detailed stories about what happens to the harvested wild rice grains between leaving the stand, and being sent to the packagers for distribution around the world.
Students will be able to repeat the dietary advantages of wild rice.
LESSONS
A Wild Rice Harvester
An Overview of Mânomin
Choosing Where to Plant: Stories from the Past
The Habitat: Western Science Stories about Zizania Palustris
Where the Mânomin Grows: A Field Trip
Follow Up to the Field Trip
The Technology of Harvesting
Processing Mânomin
Nutritional Value of Mânomin
Appendix A: Wildrice in Saskatchewan
Appendix B: A Tour of the La Ronge Wild Rice Corporation Processing Plant
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Teacher Resource Department
Bag Service 6500
La Ronge, SK S0J 1L0
(306)425-3302
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