Grade 5 - Wetland Ecosystems through Two-Eyed Seeing

Overview: Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall coined the English phrase ‘two-eyed seeing’ to describe an approach in education. Through this approach, Marshall describes how you “learn to see from your one eye with the best or the strengths in the Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing ... and learn to see from your other eye with the best or the strengths in the mainstream (Western or Eurocentric) knowledges and ways of knowing ... but most importantly, learn to see with both these eyes together, for the benefit of all” (Bartlett, Marshall, & Marshall, 2012, p. 335). 

Together with Future Leaders and members from the neighbouring Îyarhe Nakoda nation, students will learn about the significance of spring to Stoney culture as well as local ecology. A subsequent field trip to study wetlands at the Quarry will be an afternoon walking tour and multilingual posters to celebrate the learning and posted in  completed in-class time. Join us in discovering how a two-eyed seeing approach to education encourages students to take an inclusive perspective and deepens their subject knowledge.

This lesson plan is based on the Alberta Curriculum as of 2023 (LearnAlberta.ca). 

The Future Leaders program is pleased to provide the relevant course materials and instruction. 

We encourage  teachers to recreate these sessions. 

Subject: Science, Wetland Ecosystems

Learning Outcomes: 

• Identify some plants and animals found at a wetland site, both in and around the water; and describe the life cycles of these plants and animals.

• Understand Stoney oral stories of Spring as accurate records of seasonal observations

• Understand and appreciate that all animals and plants, not just the large ones, have an important role in a wetland community.

Key terms: 

• Wetland (i.e. bog, fen, swamp, marsh)

• Ecosystem

• Îyarhe Nakoda 

• Invertebrates

• Insects 

• Plants

LESSON PLAN

Session 1 - Welcome, Spring! [1 hour]

Game [20mins]

Can you hear it? The rhythms of the natural world are constantly reminding us that change is around us. From the drip-drop of water melting to the crunch under our feet or even the honk of returning Canada Geese, there are sights and sounds distinct to each season. There is someone who lives near wetlands and has been in hibernation, or rather ‘brumation’ under our feet for the whole winter. Do you know who can freeze during winter and come back to life? There are a few examples here in the Canadian Rockies, from Columbia ground squirrels to the Hoary Marmot, but we’re talking about wetlands and toads! 

This is a tag form of rock-paper-scissors that teaches students about the toad lifecycle. All students begin as toad eggs and crunch up into a ball, circulating around the playing circle. When they meet a peer, they play a ‘rock-paper-scissors’ game and either stay as an egg (if the lose) or advance to a tadpole (if they win). The game proceeds up and down the lifecycle of a toad through the phases of egg, tadpole, toadlet, toad to frozen toad.

Story Circle 

Can you think of a time when you saw a toad, frog or maybe dragonfly or damselfly?

Share a story and celebrate the large and small organisms that help keep the wetland ecosystems thriving.

Îyarhe Nakoda Elder Learning Circle

It’s now time for us to sit in circle with neighbouring Indigenous Elders who have inherited stories over generations, and listen. 

Closing Circle

What story do you remember from the Elders? What are you curious to know more about?

Session 2 - Wetland Field Trip 

Meet at Quarry Lake Park Parking Lot 

Game [20mins] 

Can you hear it? The rhythms of the natural world are constantly reminding us that change is around us. From the drip-drop of water melting to the crunch under our feet or even the honk of returning Canada Geese, there are sights and sounds distinct to each season. There is someone who lives near wetlands and has been in hibernation, or rather ‘brumation’ under our feet for the whole winter. Do you know who can freeze during winter and come back to life? There are a few examples here in the Canadian Rockies, from Columbia ground squirrels to the Hoary Marmot, but we’re talking about wetlands and toads! 

This is a tag form of rock-paper-scissors that teaches students about the toad lifecycle. All students begin as toad eggs and crunch up into a ball, circulating around the playing circle. When they meet a peer, they play a ‘rock-paper-scissors’ game and either stay as an egg (if the lose) or advance to a tadpole (if they win). The game proceeds up and down the lifecycle of a toad through the phases of egg, tadpole, toadlet, toad to frozen toad.

Walk to Quarry Pond [15mins]

On site, we will use provided aquatic kick nets on designated groups along the shoreline. The small groups of 4 students will each rotate through the roles and take turns transferring invertebrates into ice cube trays with pond water, analyzing the organisms, recording observations and returning invertebrates into the water. Invertebrate identification sheets will be provided. Worksheet recordings will be provided. 

Closing Circle

Celebrating the small! What is one tiny creature that brought a smile to your face today? 

Session 3 - Poster Session 

Multilingual interpretive 8x11" laminated posters and information to display at Quarry Lake Park Parking Lot, in schools, on school announcements and classrooms. The object of the communication is to celebrate and educate their community about the small creatures of the wetlands and what they learned from the Indigenous Elders. 

References

Peltier, C. (2018). An Application of Two-Eyed Seeing: Indigenous Research Methods With Participatory Action Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406918812346

additional resources