Elakha. Phtot courtesy of the Elakha Alliance.
Overview
Lesson 1: Introduction to Relationships between Humans and the Environment
Lesson 2: Keystone Species and the Food Web
Lesson 3: Native Americans, Science, and Salmon
Lesson 4: Native Americans and Science
Lesson 5: Dangers to Sea Otter and Responsibility of People
Extending the lessons/References
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
EL.06.RE.05—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
EL.06.RE.06—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
EL.06.RE.09—Understand, learn, and use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly through informational text, literary text, and instruction across the subject areas.
EL.06.RE.20—Clarify understanding of informational texts by creating simple outlines, graphic organizers, diagrams, logical notes, or summaries.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Suggested Strategies
In preparation for this lesson, go to this site (if you don’t have computer access in the classroom) and tape record the various sounds the sea otters make: HYPERLINK “http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?DocID=63″http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?DocID=63
Go to HYPERLINK “http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?FuseAction=Photos”http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?FuseAction=Photos and print out color photos of sea otters.
Go to HYPERLINK “http://www.seaotters.org/Kids/index.cfm?DocID=38″http://www.seaotters.org/Kids/index.cfm?DocID=38 and print out and copy this word search.
Activities
1. Listen
Listen to Sacred Landscape segment, Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series 3, Program 7, Grand Ronde.
2. Discuss
Following this short segment, ask the students questions to determine their exposure to sea otters and/or to Native Americans:
Do you know what sea otters are?
Do you know what a kelp forest is?
Have you ever heard of a keystone species?
Have you heard of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR)?
If so, do you know where their Reservation is?
Talk to the class about the way that Native American people view the world. Many tribes consider all things are related to each other. All things include fish, animals, plants and trees. The sea otter, though it no longer is found within the Oregon coastal areas is still very important to the CTGR. Historically, as was heard in the Wisdom of the Elders segment, the sea otter was very important to the Tribes in Oregon.
3. Read
ASK CTGR FOR APPROPRIATE STORY ON SEA OTTERS
4. Analyze
Show the class the photos of the sea otters and if you have access to computer in the classroom, go to this site: HYPERLINK “http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?DocID=63″http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?DocID=63. Otherwise, play the tape recording that you made of the sea otters and have the students listen to the various sounds and have them guess what the sea otters are communicating.
5. Puzzle
Pass out the word search and have the students complete it.
MISSING PUZZLE
6. Writing exercise
Have the students write a one-word sentence about each of the words in the word search (Otter, Ears, Paws, Fur, Clam, Crab, Turban Snail, Mussel, Sea Urchin, Abalone) and how they think the word is associated with the sea otter. Use the word search and their description of the words (they are either parts of the sea otter or foods that the sea otter eats) and have them start a Sea Otter Portfolio.
