Introduction: These tasks encourage students to explore where local driftwood comes from, traditional uses and how it gets here. Students are also encouraged to investigate the connections between climate change and local flooding.
Age: 7-11
Challenge Level: ⚓⚓
Sandy Adam, Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.
Driftwood, Tuktoyaktuk, NWT
Introduce these provocations to your students or take them to the location in the above photo.
Invite students to share any prior knowledge about driftwood (where it comes from, how it gets here, how it is used...)
As you begin collecting this information for your class learning wall, you could use a thinking routine such as "Question Starts" to support students in coming up with a range of thick questions.
As you collaboratively sort through these questions, encourage students to consider who in their community can help them in answering these questions.
Co-create an essential question with your students about the driftwood and its significance in the community.
Invite an elder into your classroom to share their knowledge on driftwood.
Students will then add their new knowledge to the learning wall
Where do you think drift wood comes from?
What is drift wood used for?
How does the driftwood get here?
Why don't we have trees here in Tuk?
How does exploring local knowledge make us more capable?
Who in our community can help us answer these questions?
Use this photo for students to come up with an estimate of how much driftwood there is.
Have students create a map and identify the distances between Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik and Fort McPherson.
Students can use trees to create a representation of fractions. This activity can be extended by relating this to fractals.
Estimation
Re-introduce the photo of driftwood to your students.
Prompt them to estimate how much driftwood there is.
Re-visit your class estimation strategies and vocabulary such as referent, round, nearest and approximately.
You can use the thinking routine "E3: Estimate, Explore and Explain"
Give your students a print out of the photo and encourage them to estimate, using any strategy or manipulatives they wish to use.
Under student supports, you will find some example manipulatives.
Circle the classroom, prompt and support students as required.
To consolidate this lesson, you can use a thinking routine such as "Give One Get One" for students to share their estimation strategies and answers with a partner.
Mapping and Measurement
Use Google Maps or Google Earth to project the Beaufort Delta region on your Smart Board.
Ask students to select some tools and strategies to help them measure the distances between Tuk, Aklavik and Fort McPherson.
There are two PDF maps that some students may want to use.
Students can represent their measurements using images, manipulatives or technology such as Scratch.
Encourage students to explain their reasoning.
You can then do a math gallery walk and invite students to share their answers and reasoning
Lift up and highlight measurement vocabulary.
Fractions
Review and revisit fraction vocabulary such as numerator, denominator and equivalent.
In this activity, students will be exploring fractions of a whole and how it relates to trees.
Students will also be exploring the patterns and relationships between tree trunks and branches.
This activity can be extended by incorporating adding and subtracting fractions, comparing fractions and equivalent fractions
Encourage your students to create their own piece representing fractions. Some students may wish to create a tree while others may think of a different object
Offer students a variety of options to represent their fractions: construction paper, drawing, manipulatives and/or digitally.
Students can display and present their fraction piece.
In the extension, you can challenge students with the fractals activity. More details and instructions are provided above.
Estimation
What are some examples of personal referents? Can you demonstrate one to me?
How can you represent your estimation?
I am curious about why you selected this strategy, can you explain to me why?
Have you noticed any of your friends use a similar strategy? A different strategy?
How is estimating a skill that will make us more capable?
How can our estimation skills help us in our every day lives and on the land?
Mapping and Measurement
How can we find the locations of Aklavik and Fort McPherson?
What are some tools we can use to help us measure the distances?
Can you explain your choice of measurement unit?
How is it possible that some of your peers have different answers?
Did you measure by water, air or land? How would these gives us different answers?
How can estimation help you measure?
Fractions
What patterns do you notice?
How do fractions appear in nature?
Can you explain why you selected these materials to represent your fractions?
Why did you select this image?
Create a classroom anchor chart of estimation strategies for your students' to reference
Virtual estimation games
Manipulatives such as rulers, multi-links and tiles, as well as classroom items that can be used as referents such as: paperclips.
Interactive unit converters
Anchor chart of measurement vocabulary (distance, kilometre, metre).
Anchor chart of fractions vocabulary (numerator, denominator and equivalent).
Fraction supports such as fraction strips and fraction walls
In this resource, students use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house.
Students will experiment with absorbent materials and then choose one to use in building a flood barrier.
With adult supervision and all safety precautions in place, you can take your students out on the land to practice their fire making skills.
The first two STEM challenges can be implemented as a whole class activity. More information on the challenges can be accessed by clicking the button below the activity.
Encourage students to make connections between these activities and their location.
For the third activity, you are can take students outside to learn and practice how to build a fire.
You are encouraged to invite an elder and/or community member to share their knowledge and skills about making a fire in the bush.
"Making a Fire in the Bush" was created by Erica Thompson and can be accessed in her "Fire for Survival Unit" in her Indigenizing Education Classroom.
How is climate change affecting floods?
How does permafrost impact flooding?
What are some mitigations for flooding?
What kind of local resources to we have access to?
How does learning skills such as fire-making make us more capable?
What are some of the challenges you faced? How did you overcome them?
What traditional knowledge was passed on to you?
Please be mindful and cognizant of the fact that some students and/or their families may have been impacted by these floods and evacuation orders. This may be a trigger for them. If you know that this will negatively impact your students, please do not share these articles. Alternatively, you can collaborate with your CYC and PST for strategies to support your students' social/emotional well-being.
Students can explore and research local news articles about flooding.
Is this an issue in other parts of Canada? Other parts of the world?
You are encouraged to connect to other communities in the Beaufort Delta.
You can arrange Zooms between your students and students of another community where students are given the opportunity to share and discuss the impacts of flooding and/or climate change.
Newsletter: students can create their own newsletter. Students can conduct interviews with their family members, sharing information about local flooding.
Research: Students can collect research from their community and from online resources and present their research projects in any mode they would like (Google Slides, speech, presentation, Canva, scientific demonstration)
AI tools such as Quillbot to summarize the articles and make them more accessible for students.
Multi-modal options for students to share, show and celebrate their learning.
"Your virtual canoe journey begins at Fort Smith and ends at Tuktoyaktuk. Along the way you will come across many special places. You will be asked to reflect on what you have learned, and can answer questions in My Big River Journal"
This resource has a range of activities, resources and interactive lessons aligned with the NWT Grade 4 curriculum.
Students can explore this art piece by local artist, Darcie Bernhardt. They can inquire into how nature inspires art.
Students can explore Inuvialuit artifacts, innovations and inventions such as these snow goggles.
Painting Driftwood
Cricut Driftwood Designs
Driftwood Wall Hangings
Driftfood Fishing Rods
Students can collect driftwood to create a variety of art pieces, as demonstrated above.
You are encouraged to invite in a local artist to work with your students
Siku: Ice
Auqiyuaq: Melt/thaw
Imaq: Water
Explore the traditional names, pronunciations, translations and origins of the NWT communities:
Adam, S. (2023). Driftwood in Tuktoyaktuk [Personal Video].
American Printing House. (n.d). Code & Go® Robot Mouse Activity Set Activity Guide. https://tech.aph.org/codeandgo/
Bernhardt, D. Drifting [painting]. https://www.darciebernhardt.com/
Driscoll, P. (2023). Cricut Driftwood Designs [Personal Image].
Driscoll, P. (2023). Driftwood Fishing Rods [Personal Image].
Driscoll, P. (2023). Driftwood in Tuktoyaktuk [Personal Image]
Dulewich, J. (2023, May 19). 'A really sad time in our community': Fort McPherson, N.W.T., faces devastation, loss. CBC North. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/fort-mcpherson-flood-latest-1.6849562
Dyer, L. (2021). Micro:bit Flood Warning System. TinkerCad. https://www.tinkercad.com/things/02ZT1nWPQAb
Fay, A. (2017). Inuit Snow Goggles [Image]. Canada's History. https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/first-nations,-inuit-metis/inuit-snow-goggles
Fractal Foundation (n.d). Fraction Tree. https://fractalfoundation.org/resources/fractivities/fraction-tree/
Gillis, A. (2023). Painting Driftwood [Personal Image].
Lamberink, L. (2021, May 30). State of emergency declared in Aklavik, N.W.T., as floodwaters rise. CBC North. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/emergency-aklavik-nwt-flood-1.6045872
Marsh, P. (1998). Lakes and Water in the Makenzie Delta. Aurora Research Institute. https://nwtresearch.com/sites/default/files/lakes-and-waters-in-the-mackenzie-delta.pdf
Microbit (n.d). Tree Protector. https://microbit.org/teach/lessons/helping-plants-grow-trees/
Microsoft MakeCode. (2022). Micro:bit Flame Sensor. https://makecode.microbit.org/52771-14265-20471-06823
NWT Centre for Geomatics (2023, May 5). Beaufort Delta Region Measured Highway Distances. https://www.geomatics.gov.nt.ca/sites/geomatics/files/resources/measured_highway_distances_-_beaufort_delta_region.pdf
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (2018). Northwest Territories Official Community Names and Pronunciation Guide. https://www.pwnhc.ca/cultural-places/geographic-names/community-names/
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre: NWT Exhibits (2020). Your Big River Journey. https://www.nwtexhibits.ca/bigriver/
STEM Learning (n.d). Beat the Flood STEM Challenge. https://www.stem.org.uk/elibrary/resource/34167
Teach Beside Me (n.d). Hands-On Math Fraction Trees. BM Designs. https://teachbesideme.com/fraction-math-trees/
Teachers are Terrific. (n.d). The Great Flood Barrier Experiment. https://teachersareterrific.com/2017/06/flood-barriers.html
Thinking Pathways. (n.d). Estimate Explore Explain. https://thinkingpathwayz.weebly.com/e3.html
Thinking Pathways. (n.d). Give One Get One. https://thinkingpathwayz.weebly.com/giveonegetone.html
Thinking Pathways. (n.d). Questions Starts. https://thinkingpathwayz.weebly.com/questionstarts.html
Thompson, E. (2021). Fire for Survival in the Beaufort Delta. Google Classroom. https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Qucwy6YOcWpH9ojMgJMn6cVW0-J1EUk/view