WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication

“Light Up the Darkness, Yurok Territory” © Louisa McCovey

Yurok Land and the California State Parks

RI.6.7, WHST.6-8.7, HSS 8.8.2, WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication

This middle school unit offers teachers a meaningful and engaging opportunity to bring California’s Indigenous history and contemporary partnerships into the classroom through the lens of the Yurok Tribe’s work with California State Parks. Through four thoughtfully designed lessons, students will explore the ancestral and present-day relationship between the Yurok people and the lands now known as Sue-Meg State Park and the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh Visitor Center in Humboldt County. The unit highlights themes of land stewardship, cultural preservation, Yurok language integration, and historical reexamination, and introduces students to the significance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in caring for the land.

The Beauty of Fall, Martin's Ferry Bridge, Yurok Indian Reservation. © Louisa McCovey (Yurok, Hupa, Karuk)

Live in Balance with the Natural World - Take Only What You Need

HSS 4.1, HSS 4.2, HSS 4.2.1, HSS 4.5, HSS 4.5.5, 4-ESS3-1, 4-ESS3-2, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.7, SL.4.2, SL.4.6, WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication, WL.CL2.N: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives, WL.CL4.A: Intercultural Influences, WL.CN2.N: Diverse Perspectives and Distinctive Viewpoints

This lesson immerses students in the Yurok Tribe's rich cultural heritage and their deep-rooted connection to sustainable environmental practices. It explores the tribe’s traditional beliefs and practices related to natural resource management, focusing on the values of sustainability, community well-being, and ecological balance. Students will learn how the Yurok people prioritize responsible resource use, such as with salmon, Pacific lamprey, elk, and seaweed, ensuring these resources are available for future generations.

Why Animals Have Black on Their Fur: A Paiute Creation Story

WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication, WL.CL2.N: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives, WL.CL4.A: Intercultural Influences

In this lesson, students in TK-2 will explore the Paiute origin story “Why Animals Have Black on Their Fur” to build understanding of Native storytelling, language, and culture.

'Ne-mohl, 'Ne-kwoy-te-mehl, 'Ner’-err-kerhl, 'Ne-skey-we-tew (Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes)

WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication, WL.CL2.N: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives, WL.CL4.A: Intercultural Influences

In this interactive TK–2 lesson, students are introduced to the Yurok language through a playful and familiar song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Acorn to Oaks

K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-2-ETS1-1, 1-LS1-1, 2-LS4-1, WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication, WL.CL2.N: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives, WL.CL4.A: Intercultural Influences, HSS K.4, HSS K.6.3, HSS 1.2.4, HSS 1.4.3, HSS 1.5.3, HSS 1.5, HSS 2.1, HSS 2.4.3

This lesson aims to connect young students to the rich cultural history and natural world through the exploration of acorns, a vital food source for Indigenous communities, particularly the Yurok, in Northwest California. Students will be exposed to children engaging in a series of sensory activities which teachers are encouraged to replicate in their classrooms. Through this lesson, students will learn about the life cycle of acorns and how they are harvested and processed for consumption. The lesson begins with an introduction to the cultural importance of acorns through a Yurok language integrated children’s book and their significance as a staple food for Indigenous peoples and their role in sustaining life in California.

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