Module IV How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?

Module IV Part I
How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?

When a story of a cataclysmic event is connected to a story, it makes it more interesting to anyone and also harder to forget.
The 1964 earthquake is remembered in Quinhagak, Alaska as a time when the Army National Guard participants were in Anchorage, Alaska for training. When a plane arrived, it was usually met by practically the whole village, as it brought groceries and mail. This time no one went to meet the plane that was carrying the guards home from Anchorage. People were afraid to find out if their loved one did not make it home. At that time, there were no telephones in the villages, so there was no way for the guards to call home to let their loved ones know that they were okay. Everyone in the National Guard made it home. On a lighter note, my grandma was getting some akuutaq (eskimo ice-cream) from the porch for my grandpa. As she was going through the doorway the ground started undulating causing her to go back and forth. My grandpa saw her and said; “Make up your mind, are you coming in, or going out?”

The 1964 earthquake was caused by the Pacific plate subducting under the North American plate. Earthquakes are common along transform boundaries. A transform boundary is where two plates grind past each other creating stress build up. When the stress is released it causes earthquakes.
During an earthquake there are waves called primary and secondary waves. A primary wave arrives first. Primary waves have less energy though they travel faster and therefore cause less damage. A secondary wave, on the other hand, travels slower but with more energy. Since a secondary wave travels through solid material within the earth it causes more damage on buildings.

In Alaska, the Aleutian Islands are growing as the Pacific plate converges with the North American plate. Mountain ranges form as the two plates collide. I am looking forward to implementing the sources to my lesson on plate tectonics. The resources I had before had visuals, but I didn’t have information from our home state. I know that it will be easier to remember all the technical jargon because they will be connected to places that they know and can relate to.

Module III; Part I, II, and III

Module III, Part I, and II
I’m from Quinhagak, Alaska. The Central Yup’ik name is Kuinerrraq , meaning “new river channel.” Kuinerraq is located on the Qanirtuuq River about 45 miles southeast of Bethel, Alaska.
When I was younger, my dad took us out camping to pick salmonberries. We’d go along the Kuskokwim Bay to a place called Tunguuk. I never knew that there were three types of tundra until now. There’s Arctic, Alpine, and Antarctic. Ours is Arctic Tundra which means tundra covered with marshes, lakes, bogs, and streams that attract many migrating birds. The ground is partially frozen so trees can’t grow. I also never had a name for the miniature flowers I used to see growing profusely on the tundra, I now know that its name is a tufted saxifrage, pretty cute name for a flower!
When we were out walking out on the tundra I can still smell the arctic moss and labrador tea blended together with a tinge of the salty sea aroma coming from the ocean.
My dad also commercial fished. We had a fish camp on the Qanirtuuq River where we cut fish and hung them up to dry. On the way up to fish camp, we would pass sports fisherman floating down the river in their rafts.
I’ve always wanted to visit a friend of mine who moved to Yakutat, Alaska. Turns out Yakutat is located at the mouth of the Yakutat Bay. The native people here are Tlingit. Unlike Kuinerraq, the residents here are able to harvest timber. One thing we have in common is commercial fishing and tourism industries. I could see where the oceanic plate and the continental plate were converging creating mountains that keep getting higher. The shoreline is dotted with driftwood and looks very inviting as a place to beachcomb. The weather there is rainy though due to the mountains which keep the low pressure in one area.

Module III, Part III
Right now in science I am teaching my fifth graders about tectonic plates and the differences; divergent, convergent, transform. This lesson came at an opportune time for me as I can implement them to my lesson plan. This is great! I can’t wait to show them the Yakutat Block using TD, and also use GE to show them where in Alaska this is. I have saved the short films to my files in TD for future use.
Module III, Part IV- How important is a sense of place for an individual or culture?
Central Yup’ik language is one of the strongest languages in Alaska unlike the Eyak language. This is due to location. Unlike the Aleutian and Kodiak Island, Kuinerraq is not easily accessable. The maritime regions were the first to be invaded.
According to the research done by Lucian Young, the native people in the Aleutian Islands were originally known as the Unangan, the Russian fur traders who arrived in the region renamed them Aleuts. Young also states that during World War II Aleuts were relocated to internment camps in southern Alaska. The forced evacuation sped up the decline of their traditions, culture and way of life.
Everyone needs a place to call home; a place where you know your environment. I liked Richard Glenn’s view of two lights shining on the same path. The determining factor is not to outshine the other and take control without the other person’s consent.

Module II Part IV Western Scientific Ways

Module II, Part IV Western Scientific Ways

During Galileo’s time everyone believed that the Earth was an un-moving center for the universe. The first person to challenge this theory was Capernicus.

Nicholas Capernicus believed that the Earth revolved around the sun. This was 60 years before the telescope was invented. He was pretty much the laughing stock of that era since the majority of the people believed if that was then all living things on Earth would be effected; birds would be flying erratically and church steeples would be falling down.

One person who agreed with Capernicus was Galileo. Galileo was adamant that he needed a demonstration because he believed that demonstration was the mark of science. If his belief was not able to be demonstrated, then it could be seen as an opinion.

Benedetto Castelli came up with an example of a demonstration. He asked Galileo if he could use his telescope to view Venus over a period of time and record its changes; what month is it crescent shaped? At what month is it disk shaped? If Venus has the same aspects as the moon, that that would mean both planets are revolving around the Earth and that would explain the changes of the two planets. Galileo helped to demonstrate that everything is connected by visual proof.

On the other hand, indigenous people believed that the creation of the universe was by an act of a diety. This diety did not have to be demonstrated in order to be believed unlike the Western Scientific Ways.

Traditional knowledge can sometime’s become an obstacle to better understanding if we are not willing to open up to a new perspective. Galileo was willing to understand and listen to Capernicus’ belief and therefore discovered that we had a Heliocentric planetary system. Galileo was able to open up others to a new perspective by writing a book by comparing and contrasting the two views of either the Earth being the center of the universe, or the Earth being one of the planets revolving around the sun. When we are close minded, it makes it harder for us to advance emotionally, personally, or intellectually.

People of the Arctic Module II Part III

In People of the Arctic I agreed with Sheila Watt Courier's statement, "We see the changes in the environment quickly since we are on the land everyday hunting, fishing, and gathering." I also agreed with her view that adaptation has its limits too.

The changes the indigenous people are facing now are technology based and not nature based. The Inuit were able to build wind-proof igloos to ward off the cold and learned how to lure a bear in the far off distance by mimicking the movements of a seal. Now, in order to adapt and live successfully, one needs to be nature and technology savvy.

Explain: Compare the roles of the teachers visiting Chevak with those of the native Cup'ik teachers.Module II Part III

Cross cultural exchange programs promote understanding between urban and rural Alaskans giving them an opportunity to see what it's like to live in a culturally different setting.

The role of the native Cup'ik teacher was to share a snapshot of a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation.

The visiting teacher learned a new perspective and also gained understanding of a culture by stepping into their mukluks for a day.

Traditional role of Spirit, Sila, Inua, or Ellam Yua Module II Part III

Before missionaries people in rural Alaska were aware that there was a supreme deity. Robert Nick from Bethel, Alaska states:

Our ancestors tell us that when our people no longer follow the teachings of our elders, the "Sprit of the Universe" lets us experience a short period of famine. They tell us that hunger is the greatest pain that man experiences, so by hunger we are admonished. www.deltadiscovery.com/Nick?robertnick.html

BBC article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4181855.stm