First Foods of the PNW

GradesK-8Biology, Geography

Provided by Trust for Public Land

What it is

This lesson introduces the traditional foods of Indigenous people in the Columbia River Basin, exploring the sacred serving order of these foods, the habitats they need to thrive, and how a changing climate threatens them.
Students will view photos of the First Foods, draw a chosen First Food in its natural home, and act out the First Foods order through movement during this 30-minute lesson.
The lesson includes vocabulary words in the Umatilla language with pronunciations.

Classroom Implementation:

Use this lesson in science units on habitats, life cycles, and what living things need to survive, or social studies units on Indigenous cultures and human-environment interaction.

Preparation:

Use the story map to learn about the full curriculum and build necessary background knowledge for implementing this lesson.

Materials:

Differentiation:

Have older or more advanced students research how rising water temperatures or shrinking snowpack affect one First Food and present their findings.

Extensions:

Related Resources:

Hosted on site.tplgis.org

Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.

Standards alignment · K-ESS3-1. + 4 more

Science

K-ESS3-1.Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.
5-ESS3-1.Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
K-ESS3-3.Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, or other living things in the local environment.

Social Studies

SS.Geog4.a.2Categorize characteristics of the local community (e.g., weather and climate, population, landforms, vegetation, culture, industry). Describe how certain places have meanings that distinguish them from other places. (e.g., shopping mall, park, places of worship).
SS.Geog4.a.mExplain how place-based identities can change places over time. Investigate how place-based identity results from the characteristics of a place and can sometimes result in stereotypes of people from a specific place. Describe students’ perceptions of a place that are based on indirect sources (e.g., television, movies), versus on direct sources (e.g., residing in a place, visiting a place).