Grade Level: 3-6
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Visual Arts
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Understand that Indigenous peoples have deep, place-based knowledge of local ecosystems.
- Recognize that stories can teach lessons about living in balance with nature.
- Identify examples of biodiversity in their local environment.
- Reflect on how storytelling helps us connect to and care for the land.
Materials
- A local Indigenous story (shared with permission or found through publicly available educational sources) that connects to the land or animals
- Example stories:
- Raven Brings the Light (Haida)
- The Salmon People (Coast Salish)
- How the Bear Lost His Tail (Cree)
- How Turtle Got Its Shell (Ojibwe)
- The Boy and the Whale (Inuit)
- How the Seasons Came to Be (Mi’kmaq)
- Chart paper or whiteboard
- Drawing supplies (paper, markers, crayons)
- Optional: nature walk space, local map, or images of local species
Curriculum Connections
- Science: Biodiversity, ecosystems, interdependence, stewardship, traditional ecological knowledge, two-eyed seeing.
- Social Studies: Local Indigenous communities, cultural connections to land.
- Language Arts: Oral storytelling, listening, summarizing, creative writing.
- Visual Arts: Visual storytelling, symbols, and representation.
Terms
- Knowledge Keeper/Elder: A respected person in an Indigenous community who holds and shares important knowledge, stories, and teachings about the land and culture.
- Indigenous Knowledge: Understanding of the land, animals, plants, and seasons that comes from living in one place for many generations and learning through experience, observation, and stories.
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK): The deep knowledge Indigenous peoples have about how living things interact with each other and their environment, passed down through storytelling, practice, and ceremony.
- Two-Eyed Seeing: A way of learning that uses both Indigenous knowledge and western science together. Seeing the world with ‘two eyes’ to gain a fuller understanding of nature.
Instructions
Introduction – Stories of the Land
Begin by asking students: How do you think people learned about plants, animals, and seasons before books or science classes existed?
Guide discussion toward the idea that Indigenous peoples learned from observation, experience, and storytelling, passing this knowledge from one generation to another.
Explain that Indigenous knowledge, sometimes called traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), is based on respect, relationships, and responsibility toward the land.
Discuss two-eyed seeing: It is a way of learning that combines Indigenous ways of knowing and western science. It teaches us to see the world through both eyes – one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledge (like stories, relationships, and respect for nature) and the other eye with the strengths of scientific methods (like observation and evidence).
Storytime: Listening and Reflecting
Read or listen to an Indigenous story that connects to nature such as a story about animals, plants, or seasonal cycles (see examples above).
After the story, discuss:
- Who were the main animals or beings in the story?
- What did the story teach us about nature or how to live respectfully?
- What kinds of biodiversity were shown in the story (different species, roles, or habitats)?
Connecting Story to Place
Show a map of your local area and talk about Indigenous nations who live there.
Discuss what local ecosystems exist nearby (forest, river, ocean, prairie, tundra).
Ask students to think if this story happened here, what local animals or plants might be part of it?
Our Local Story
Students create their own short story or visual retelling inspired by what they learned.
Options:
Art: Create a ‘story of our land’ mural or collage showing local species living in balance.
Language Arts: Write a short story, news article, or poem about an animal or plant and what it teaches us.
Drama: Act out part of the original story or their own version.
Encourage students to think about what lesson their story teaches about caring for nature.
5. Reflection:
Invite students to share their art or stories.
As a class, discuss:
- What did we learn from Indigenous ways of knowing?
- How does storytelling help us understand biodiversity?
- How can we show respect for the land in our own community?
Extensions
- Invite a local Indigenous elder, knowledge keeper, or storyteller to share a story.
- Create a ‘voices of the land’ classroom display with quotes, artwork, and student reflections.
- Have students compare scientific and Indigenous ways of understanding biodiversity, emphasizing how both deepen our knowledge of the natural world.
