Students will understand what a (Hmong) refugee is and why refugee camps were formed. Students will learn about the locations and historical formation of the refugee camps in Thailand. Students will be able to create a portrait of a refugee camp using an art medium of their choice.
Learning objectives: (1) Students will identify and articulate ways to create meaningful impact in collaboration with Indigenous communities; (2) Students will work in groups to design and implement a project that supports Indigenous-led initiatives, such as cultural revitalization or environmental stewardship; (3) Students will present their projects to peers or the broader community, showcasing their understanding of actionable respect and support for Indigenous communities; and more . . .
Students will design and complete a project that reflects their learning about land, Indigenous presence, and community responsibility. Students will present their work to an audience, demonstrating respectful engagement, informed research, and a commitment to ongoing learning and allyship.
Students will design and complete a project that reflects their learning about land, Indigenous presence, and community responsibility. Students will present their work to an audience, demonstrating respectful engagement, informed research, and a commitment to ongoing learning and allyship.
This lesson analyzes coming-of-age and cultural influences on beliefs about puberty, adolescence and menstruation. By exploring Native American cultural beliefs about coming-of-age including women’s coming-of-age ceremonies students analyze diverse perspectives on health, puberty, and the changing roles and responsibilities of adolescents in their communities.
This 3 part unit was written by Pomo educator, weaver and artist, Elaine Quitquit Palmer. A story recollecting a cherished childhood memory, with her father, is the focal point. The story of Qa’-Soy illustrates the passing on of traditional knowledge. Students will read this story and interview an elder in their community. Some students will have a grandparent they can ask about traditions in their family. If a family member is not available, the teacher can help the student identify an appropriate community member the student may interview. “Elders are highly respected in California Native American culture. They remember our history and teach culture, share stories, and pass down traditional knowledge. It is important for the youth today to learn how to respect and communicate with their elders so that they maintain their family histories.” Elaine Quitquit Palmer
Texts are powerful tools to transmit our histories, our hopes, and our imaginings for our collective futures. However, texts are also powerful tools used to erase and distort. Students must develop ideological awareness and come to understand how their personal understanding of history, ideology, and systems of power influences their ability to read critically--texts and our world. Survivance is not simply a counter-narrative or different interpretation of U.S. history. It articulates narratives of Indigenous resistance, resurgence, and renewal as acts of defiance against dominant-group interpretations of U.S. history” (Hopkins, pg. 81). In this project, students engage in reading “against the grain” or critical reading of dominant interpretations. Such reading is an important skill as students encounter a world where dominant interpretations are present and ubiquitous. However, students also engage in another type of reading- reading to unearth or uncover voices and erase histories.
Students will learn about the diversity of housing among California tribes and the traditional and ecological knowledge tribes have and are using in designing these structures. Students will use geometric and ecological lessons to create a model of a redwood bark house. This activity supports learning geometry and environmentalism concerning California tribal structures.
Students will learn about the diversity of housing among California tribes and the traditional and ecological knowledge tribes have and are using in designing these structures. Students will use geometric and ecological lessons to create a model of a redwood bark house. This activity supports learning geometry and environmentalism concerning California tribal structures.
Students will be able to define and reflect on what identity means to them by drawing from various Vietnamese refugee experiences and creating their own poem. (The lesson objective can be broadened to students from other cultures as well).
Students will explore the concept of resiliency through the Cambodian experience, engaging in group discussions to define and relate the concept to their own lived experiences. This exploration will empower students to identify personal steps for overcoming obstacles and fostering resilience in their lives.
Students will learn about Hmong refugee experiences and the ongoing impacts on community formation, family relations, and individual identity formation in connection to mental health.
The lesson is guided by the following questions: How have human relationships with the environment changed over time? How have humans changed their energy sources and use of energy over time? What relationships would be beneficial to humans and the environment in the future? The lesson is designed to help students consider the types of relationships that have existed throughout history between the peoples of the San Francisco Bay Area and their environment, understand the impacts of these relationships on the Earth, and envision a sustainable future that draws from the experiences and knowledge of the area’s first peoples. The lesson is divided into multiple parts. The first part focuses on the traditions and practices of the Ohlone that sustained themselves and their environment for many thousands of years before the invasion of Europeans. The lesson then segues into the history of the Ohlone and California Indians after contact with the Spanish and American settlers to set the stage for examining how these traditions and practices were disrupted and how new forms of energy use by settlers impacted the homelands of the Ohlone. Specifically, the lesson focuses on the development of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city of San Francisco's economic ties with the surrounding region. The next part of the lesson provides students with an opportunity to use materials from the Understanding Global Change project at UC Berkeley to construct a model explaining the environmental impact of the relationships to energy sources that propelled the construction and use of the Golden Gate Bridge. Finally, students examine information from Project Drawdown, a science-based non-profit focused on drawing down greenhouse gas emissions. In small groups, students examine a drawdown solution of their choosing to present to the class. The lesson concludes with a focus on one particular drawdown solution - recycling - and the efforts of the Muwekma Ohlone people to champion this and other practices that promote right relationships with the Earth.
Students will analyze the role of religion in shaping Vietnamese American communities, specifically focusing on its impact on community activism, cultural preservation, and intergenerational relationships, by interacting with various text and video sources and creating a poster.
Students will learn about the different kinds of sponsorship and approaches to integrating Hmong refugees into various communities in the United States. Students will generate an inquiry to discuss the issues around religious sponsorships and its impact on Hmong religious beliefs.
In this lesson, students will explore the rich tradition of basket weaving among California Tribes, gaining an appreciation for it as both a longstanding cultural practice and a living, contemporary art form. By examining the evolution of basketry across different historical periods, students will learn how California Tribes have preserved and adapted their traditions in the face of colonization and systemic oppression. The accompanying assignment will encourage students to critically analyze the impact of broader U.S. policies and historical events on Indigenous cultures—highlighting both the harm caused and the ways Indigenous communities have resisted and adapted.
Through learning from California Native American perspectives, including voices from the Gabrieleno/Tongva tribe, students will explore how these values guide environmental stewardship and cultural practices. This lesson introduces students to core values within Indigenous knowledge systems, respect, reciprocity, and reverence, and their role in fostering sustainable relationships with the environment. The lesson encourages reflection on personal and collective responsibilities to the land and invites students to identify meaningful ways to honor and care for their local environment through everyday actions.
