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The Harvest
Educator guide
(Adventure: North Pacific)
How can we take a little and leave a lot for nature?
What’s it all about?
Youth host Jordan invites you and Boris Worm to his Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) homelands to take part in the harvest. Learn how herring, salmon, and Haíɫzaqv people are interconnected in the rich ecosystem of what is now known as British Columbia's Central Coast. This module celebrates the reciprocal relationship between the Haíɫzaqv and these keystone species—a relationship that’s over 14 000 years old! Join the Haíɫzaqv and other researchers to study the cycles that connect land and sea, and learn how traditional ecological language can guide us into a more sustainable future.
The Harvest module was filmed and developed on unceded Haíɫzaqv homelands and waterways. We are sincerely grateful to the Haíɫzaqv Nation for allowing Ocean School to be guests in their territory, for sharing their stories and knowledge, and for collaborating with us for this module.
Estimated media time - 50m
All of the media and activities in “The Harvest” were developed and validated with Haíɫzaqv educators and community leaders, and Haíɫzaqvḷa fluent speakers.
Watch the trailer
Potential topics / Big ideas
Ecosystems
Keystone species
Cultural keystone species
Nutrient cycle
Land and sea interconnections
Indigenous knowledge
Traditional ecological knowledge
Sexual reproduction
Data collection
Management
Sustainability of systems
Stewardship
Cooperation and conflict
Competencies
Lines of inquiry
The Harvest contains three lines of inquiry, each with a focus question. This guide describes all of the media in each line of inquiry by title, type, content and accompanying activity. We have provided estimated times for each activity.
Note. As an inquiry-based learning platform, Ocean School is designed to allow students to choose their own path according to their crew’s (group) decisions. If you would like the students to follow a prescribed path, you will need to tell them where to go.
For more information, read about our approach to Inquiry based learning.
Haíɫzaqv language
Ocean School has tried to incorporate Haíɫzaqv language whenever appropriate into the Harvest module. This effort was made possible by the help and guidance of Haíɫzaqv educators, community leaders, Elder Elizabeth Brown and the community Language committee.
Review the slideshow to hear an Elder speak the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) words used in The Harvest module.
Take Action
The Take Action is the culminating activity in every module. Learners are asked to reflect about what they’ve learned and how they can put their learning into action. This activity is designed to support sustained inquiry, leadership and collaboration.
The Take Action is framed with a “call to action” from the youth host who poses the overarching module question and asks students to take action to answer it. In this case: What actions can we take to protect our ecosystems?
Below we have described the call to action and a handful ideas of actions or products.
Call to Action
How can we take a little and give a lot for nature?
2m
“We’ve been exploring Haíɫzaqv territory. We’ve been learning about different life cycles, and how ecosystems interact with each other, and how we as humans, interact with the land and the sea. And now it’s your turn! What can you do to help foster c̓isḷá? What can you do to help?”
C̓isḷá means to safeguard and to look after. In the context of the natural world, it is our responsibility to safeguard the balance that creates abundance.
Activity
Take action planner: A template is provided with the call to action and questions to scaffold the planning of an action.
Ideas for actions and products
Get outside! Identify habitats that are threatened in the local area. Investigate and help to restore the habitat!
Create a product to share learning and build awareness among others -Infographics, podcasts, digital stories, social media campaign
Create a role play
Become a citizen scientist
K̓TSI H̓A̓GI̓UƛA (DON'T OVERHARVEST)
How can we ensure the harvest is sustainable?
In this line of inquiry: Herring census, Herring handbook, The trap and the gift, Spot the spawn, Roe, roe, roe your boat, Generational branch.
C̓ISḶÁ (TAKE CARE)
How are we part of the cycle?
In this line of inquiry: Something fishy about the forest, One fish, two fish, dead fish, new fish, Land and sea 360, Salmon survival, Picking flowers for science
T̓ÁQAn̓iÍALAS Q̓Áy̓ÁIXDI (ALL THE WAYS OF KNOWING)
How can we ensure multiple perspectives in our inquiry?
In this line of inquiry: A change of scale, Watching the watchman, Wán̓ái (herring) chronicles, Current news: salmon, Balancing act
Additional information and resources
Inquiry tools
How can we boost our inquiry skills?
An inquiry tool is a piece of media that explicitly targets inquiry skills building. Ocean School is designed to facilitate and build inquiry skills, such as asking great questions. Each of the inquiry tools has an accompanying educator guide with a lesson plan.