Ways to incorporate FNMI knowledge:
- Building and teaching about Indigenous structures such as tepees for building units. Build mini-structures and investigate their capacities around strength, temperature retention, etc.
- Discussing Indigenous methods used to predict weather during weather units.
- Bringing in Indigenous legends with themes such as weather, animals, etc. that line up with the curriculum where and when appropriate.
- Connections to Indigenous plants, uses as foods and medicines.
- Invite an elder into the classroom to share their knowledge of local plants and animals and their use; honouring the gifts of the plants and animals.
- Discuss taking care of mother earth/our environment. Relate how all things influence each other and the relationship between living things. Have students reflect on their own experiences of taking care of living things.
- Building a garden: having students work with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and the the community to plan, build and maintain a local Indigenous plant garden.
- The rhythm of the seasons can be taught using the idea of a Circle or Medicine Wheel.
- Introduce the idea of interconnectedness with relaxation techniques connected to elements of the environment such as the rocks, Mother Earth, the plants, and the animals.
- Using a rock during Talking Circles and practicing this as a whole class or small group discussions to reflect about science topics. This also helps promote listening techniques as well.
- Bringing in local Aboriginal words for plants and animals whenever appropriate.
- Have students measure and record temperatures in connection to cycles—day/night, yearly, etc. (e.g. The Thirteen Moons).
- Discuss the cycles of the moon and the cycle of a day, explore how the local environment changes throughout the moons and how animals and people adapt to these changes.
- Read and discuss stories that reflect the sun and other sources of energy.
- Students plant seeds (corn, beans & squash) and observe and record the growth and changes.