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LEARNING FROM THE PAST WHILE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Our goal when applying for this grant was to help students (and ourselves) learn more about the interconnection between western science and traditional indigenous medicines by exploring how plants have been grown traditionally and how they have been used. Throughout our entire project we ensured that we were consulting with members of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people who have been the stewards of these lands for centuries.
Connecting to the Land
In order to set the stage for the year's learning, we felt it was essential that our students connected to the land we currently inhabit to fully understand where many of the teachings we would use originated from. Students walked through the Edmonton River Valley, guided by members of the Indigenous community, learning how people used this land. We visited the Indigenous Art Park, walked along the river and we learned about the Rossdale Burial Site and Memorial. Students were incredibly respectful of the site and many stated how powerful it was to know this sacred place was right in the center of our city. After this, different classes were treated to even more immersive cultural learning from Cree and Metis Elders at Victoria Park.
Companion Planting and the Three Sisters
“The Three Sisters offer us a new metaphor for an emerging relationship between indigenous knowledge and Western science, both of which are rooted in the earth. I think of the corn as traditional ecological knowledge, the physical and spiritual framework that can guide the curious bean of science, which twines like a double helix. The squash creates the ethical habitat for coexistence and mutual flourishing. I envision a time when the intellectual monoculture of science will be replaced with a polyculture of complementary knowledges. And so all may be fed” - from Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Appreciating that the original keepers of this land had knowledge and wisdom for how to allow plants to grow in a plentiful way is key to our project. Our classrooms host a Three Sisters garden, which is planted as part of our National Day for Truth and Reconciliation activities at the end of September. We watch plants grow and enjoy many teachable moments throughout the school year. The gardens serve as a powerful reminder that companion planting can increase yields of all crops in a way monocultural agriculture cannot.
The Sacred Plants
Part of our teachings have also included the Medicine Wheel and the Four Sacred Plants, Sage, Cedar, Sweetgrass and Tobacco. We have been honoured to see Tobacco thrive in our classroom, in addition to Sage. Unfortunately Cedar and Sweetgrass have been a challenge thus far, but we continue to try to help it grow as we get guidance from Elders and Knowledge Keepers in the community.
Several of our Tobacco plants were able to be harvested and dried after an offering to the Fire Spirit, as instructed by Elder Phillip Campiou. Elder Campiou also assisted in smudging the dried Tobacco so that we could use it as protocol offerings when welcoming other members of the Indigenous Community to our classrooms.
Learning from Elder Phillip Campiou
An essential component to learning from the past are the teaching of Elders and Knowledge Keepers from the Indigenous Communities. We were so thankful to welcome Elder Phillip Campiou to our classrooms to teach us all about the sacred interconnectedness between land and people, as well as the mind-body-spirit connection. Elder Campiou also shared teachings around specific plant medicines, how to harvest them and how to use them to heal various ailments.
Space Farming - Can Plants Grow on the Moon or Mars?
Space, the final frontier... or is it? Giving students the chance to grow plants in the classroom is one thing. Giving them the chance to grow plants using simulated Mars and Moon dirt? NEXT LEVEL! Thanks to the support from our TD Friends of the Environment Foundation grant, we were able to purchase regolith (the correct term for a dirt-like substrate that contains no organic matter) intended to simulate the texture and composition of that from Mars and our Moon. Students used The Martian as inspiration to plant potatoes, but we also transplanted seedlings from out Tomatosphere experiment to test how plausible it would be to start a farm on Mars.
It soon became evident that the simulants were not going to be sufficient to allow much growth on their own. Students experimented with different fertilizers throughout the year to see what would result in the best crop yield. Adding some Earth soil provided the most promising option, however knowing that increased mass means increased costs for space exploration, we started to look at a more viable option. In the end, it was determined that hydroponic growing would be more successful and more effective, at least to start any agricultural expedition on the Red Planet.
Students planted crops in a Tower Garden as well as deep water, flood and drain and nutrient film technique gardens and watched their plants thrive! One of our favorite things was enjoying the crops we were able to harvest - I have never seen teens so excited to eat vegetables!
Plants as Medicines
As we settled into our hydroponic growing journey, we also approached our plant teachings from a different angle. Instead of only viewing them as food, we also researched more about which plants have been used as medicines for centuries by Indigenous People of Turtle Island. We grew dozens of plants around the classroom (these were kept under more direct supervision because of their more medicinal nature) and students were amazed as they compared the seeds to the plants that soon adorned every corner of our room!
Because much of this was being explored in Science 8, we used our gardens as vehicles for our learning from several of our units of study. We were able to compare different structures between different plants to see how they were able to carry out similar life processes. Understanding how the human body functions as well as what happens when systems are under stress due to illness or injury, was crucial to researching which plants would be helpful.
The Honourable Harvest
An important part of the teachings we received throughout this project was that of the Honourable Harvest. This ancient doctrine specifies that we take only what we need, and never more than half. This allows the plants to continue to thrive, while also providing the medicines we needed for our projects. As plants began to flourish, we started to harvest. Leaves, flowers, roots... all dependent on what we would need to ask the plant to help us with, were harvested and dried with care. It was lovely to see the reverence with which students treated the plants as we carefully plucked or cut pieces from them, never taking more than half of what was available.
Making Medicines
Using the guidance provided by Mother Earth:Plants for Health and Beauty, a book written by a teacher of Cree and Metis heritage, students learned how to use simple household ingredients to make soaps, salves and balms.
Much of the teaching surrounding this part of the project was embedded in our Science 8 curriculum learning around properties of matter and mixtures, and the particle model of matter.
Students were given base ingredients and simple recipes to test out. Using these samples, they recorded properties such as colour, texture and melting point. Together with the ailment they were hoping to "cure" groups decided on a final product and developed their own recipes which would include medicinal plants and their oils.
Our Indigenous Medicines project showcase was incredible. This cross-curricular project required students to not only develop a product, but also design appropriately sized packaging in math, and develop a brand logo and documentary in english language arts. The end result was a product exhibition and film festival open to the entire school and wider community. Students displayed their products with pride, with hundreds of guests testing out what they had created and viewing the documentaries.
The above poster was displayed in our front foyer for all to see as they entered the school on the day of the Showcase.
Gardening in the Future
Having seen what their grade 8 counterparts had managed to develop with their gardening prowess, the grade 9s were eager to get in the mix! As we discussed humanity's goal of reaching Mars, much discussion was had regarding the energy that would be required to support such an endeavor. Students examined the gardens we had around the classroom, and in other areas of the school, and came up with ideas for automated sense and response systems that could reduce energy and other resource needs. Using micro::bits and special kits we were able to purchase with our grant, students designed, built and coded automated watering and lighting systems, fire detection systems, UV sensors, pH meters and many more!
Students used this authentic scenario to develop many skills as part of their Electrical Principles and Technologies unit. From trouble-shooting their circuits, to drawing schematics and outlining their energy transformations taking place throughout their devices, grade 9 students learned so much. As an added bonus, it was an easy "jump" from worrying about energy and other limited resources in space to also discussing how their devices could conserve energy here on Earth.
Once again we culminated this part of the project with a school-wide showcase where students were able to share their learning with children and adults alike. These public displays of learning are a crucial piece to project based learning and for students to share what they are doing with their parents and other family members.
Automated model greenhouse which alerts when soil is too dry.
THANK YOU TD FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOUNDATION
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