Connected California: Preservation and TEK (Yurok) Unit
Grades 3-5 Curriculum Unit
Lessons
Unit Core Themes: History, Relationship to Place, Cross-Curricular Integration
Unit Summary
The Connected California: Preservation and TEK (Yurok) Unit is an interdisciplinary environmental education unit designed for grades 3–5 that centers Yurok Tribal knowledge and stewardship practices within the study of science, social studies, and environmental conservation. Developed by the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, California Indian Education for All, and the San Diego County Office of Education featuring video content from the California Academy of Sciences, this unit highlights the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and modern science in sustaining ecosystems, cultural lifeways, and biodiversity.
Through four engaging, video-driven lessons, students explore the cultural and ecological importance of the California condor, sea stars, salmon, and Cache Creek. They investigate life cycles, environmental threats, and the ways the Yurok Tribe actively works to protect and restore these natural systems. Core themes include environmental relationships, cultural strengths, sovereignty, and Indigenous knowledge systems, all supported by the 5E instructional model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate.
Students engage in hands-on learning, reflection, collaborative projects, and advocacy-based activities, all grounded in the values of respect, reciprocity, and reverence. By the end of the unit, students will have deepened their understanding of the reciprocal relationships between people and place, the importance of cultural knowledge in conservation, and their own roles as stewards of the environment. Each lesson integrates video storytelling, scientific inquiry, Indigenous perspectives, and student-led advocacy, helping learners build deep connections between culture, place, and ecological responsibility.
Unit Objectives
Students will understand the unique characteristics and adaptations of the California condor.
Students will explore the ecological role and conservation status of the California condor.
Students will analyze the impact of human activities on the survival of the California condor and propose conservation strategies.will explain how human activities impact coastal environments.
Students will identify ways communities can sustainably interact with coastal ecosystems.
Students will analyze the impact of restoration efforts on preserving history and supporting ecosystems.
Students will understand the life cycle of sea stars, including the process of spawning.
Students will learn about the Yurok Tribe's involvement in sea star conservation efforts.
Students will develop models to represent the sea star life cycle.
Students will understand the importance of salmon to the Yurok Tribe and the ecosystem.
Students will learn how environmental changes and human activities have impacted salmon populations.
Students will investigate the life cycle of salmon and the challenges they face.will understand the cultural and ecological importance of the Mojave Desert to Indigenous communities.
Students will learn about the ecological restoration of Cache Creek and the role of the Yurok Tribe in this effort.
Students will understand how restoring ecosystems benefits both the environment and Indigenous communities.
Students will explore the concepts of respect, reciprocity, and reverence within Indigenous knowledge systems.
Students will reflect on the importance of maintaining balanced relationships with the land and nature.
Students will apply these concepts by discussing ways they can show respect, reciprocity, and reverence for their local environment.
Students will learn from California Native American perspectives.