Gloria Anderstrom, Math & Science Unit Gathering and Preparing Black Seaweed (Porphyra) or Red Ribbon Seaweed (Palmaria) Seaweed Science 6 th - 12 th grade Relevant Cultural Values: To give respect to the land and creator while gathering food from the land. The health benefits of native such as seaweed. The importance of the gathering only what you can take care of (process). Taking care of your food until it is fully prepared and st ored away. Giving respect to your food while processing it. The value in giving food away to family while still sparing for winter. The students will gain cultural and scientific knowledge of seaweed. The students will know what black seaweed and ribbon seaweed looks like. The students will know how to gather the seaweed. The students will know how to prepare seaweed until it is fully processed and ready to eat. The students will know what to bring on a trip to the beach to gather seaweed. Unit Elder(s), Washed, white cloth bags, OR large Ziploc bags, one for each student, Large sheet(s) for drying the seaweed, Raingear for each student, Ziploc bags, sandwich size or smaller, Large brown paper bags, Tide book, Garbage can, Large rotating fan (optional), Scissors (optional), Books: not limited to: o Garza, Dolly. Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 2005, The University of California. o Garza, Dolly. Surviving on the Foods and Water from Alaska s Southern Shores. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 1998. o Garza, Dolly. Tlingit moon & tide teaching resource: elementary level. Alaska Sea Grand College Program, 1999. o O Clair, Rita M and Lindstrom, Sandra C. North Pacific seaweeds. 2005, Plant Press. Purple Laver Seaweed (Porphyra) with Tidepool Tim of Gulf of Maine, Inc. o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6khvy-vq-g 1
Activities & length of time: I: Let s Learn About Seaweed An Introduction, 60 minutes II: Let s Learn About Seaweed An Introduction, 60 minutes III: Let s Gather Seaweed - Caring For the Land, 60 minutes IV: Let s Dry the Seaweed Caring For Our Food, 60 minutes V: Let s Dry the Seaweed Caring For Our Food, 60 minutes VI: Let s Share Our Food Caring For Our Families, 30-60 minutes NOTE: This unit must be use in the spring: May/June. Teacher may have to collect signed permission slips by parents/guardians. Teacher will need several supervisors while students are on the beach. 2
Activity I: Let s Learn About Seaweed An Introduction Length of time: 60 minutes Identify black seaweed and red ribbon seaweed. Know the scientific name of black seaweed and red ribbon seaweed. Know how black seaweed and red ribbon seaweed grow and reproduce. Begin to understand the cultural importance of seaweed. Overhead projector or unit to play media on a large screen Elder(s) Books: not limited to: o Garza, Dolly. Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 2005, The University of California. o Garza, Dolly. Surviving on the Foods and Water from Alaska s Southern Shores. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 1998. o Garza, Dolly. Tlingit moon & tide teaching resource: elementary level. Alaska Sea Grand College Program, 1999. o O Clair, Rita M and Lindstrom, Sandra C. North Pacific seaweeds. 2005, Plant Press. Purple Laver Seaweed (Porphyra) with Tidepool Tim of Gulf of Maine, Inc. o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6khvy-vq-g 10 minutes Teacher will introduce the books (or copied materials) of this unit and show the students what black seaweed and red ribbon seaweed looks like through pictures, seaweed samples, and/or the short youtube video (or other video). Teacher will introduce the scientific names for the seaweed. 20 minutes Teacher will tell the scientific name for the seaweeds and how these seaweeds grow and reproduce. Refer to Garza and O Clair books for this information. 30 minutes If possible, an elder would be asked to join the classroom at this point to tell stories of food sharing, preparation techniques, legends/histories. If they cannot join the classroom then images, facts and stories will be shared from the Garza books regarding the cultural background of red ribbon and black seaweed. 3
Activity II: Let s Learn About Seaweed An Introduction Length of time: 60 minutes Identify a low tide where seaweed is accessible. Identify some places where seaweed grows. Know some health benefits of seaweed. Overhead projector or unit to play media on a large screen Elder(s) Tide book(s) Books: not limited to: o Garza, Dolly. Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 2005, The University of California. o Garza, Dolly. Surviving on the Foods and Water from Alaska s Southern Shores. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 1998. o Garza, Dolly. Tlingit moon & tide teaching resource: elementary level. Alaska Sea Grand College Program, 1999. o O Clair, Rita M and Lindstrom, Sandra C. North Pacific seaweeds. 2005, Plant Press. Purple Laver Seaweed (Porphyra) with Tidepool Tim of Gulf of Maine, Inc. o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6khvy-vq-g 15 minutes Teacher will explain the tides necessary for this activity including a showing a tide book. (Optional tide book activity.) 30 minutes If possible, an elder would be asked to join the classroom at this point to tell stories of food sharing, preparation techniques, legends/histories. If they cannot join the classroom then images, facts and stories will be shared from the resource books regarding the cultural background of red ribbon and black seaweed. 5 minutes An explanation of the following days activities and a list for the parents of what the students will need to bring to school to participate. Students will need: Boots, raingear, warm clothing i.e. hats, warm jackets, wind breakers, gloves (if 4
desired), permission slip to leave campus. Activity III: Let s Gather Seaweed - Caring For the Land Length of time: 60 minutes Accurately identify and harvest black seaweed or red ribbons seaweed from ocean rocks. Teachers will need: Elder(s) Transportation to get the students to the beach, Washed, white cloth bags, OR large Ziploc bags, one for each student, o Garbage bags should NOT be used as they are made of toxins that are harmful to ingest. Enough chaperones to safely observe the students while on the beach. Students will need: Boots, Raingear, Warm clothing i.e. hats, warm jackets, wind breakers, Rubber gloves (if desired), Permission slips to leave campus. 20 minutes Teacher will review (on the beach before going onto the rocks) what has been learned: The look of Ribbon or Black Seaweed, Seaweed scientific names (Palmaria, Porphyra), Culturally significance points to remember (i.e. all thing have spirits), How seaweed reproduce and the names of their parts (i.e. holdfast, blade etc). 5
40 minutes Students will be given a small sack to fill up with seaweed. Teachers and chaperones need to make sure that the students take care in selecting the seaweed and that they have well respectable manners for the earth while gathering the food. NOTE: Activity III should be (at least) started when students return to the classroom. The seaweed will spoil if left overnight in a heated area over night. It needs to be spread out to dry as soon as possible. Activity IV: Let s Dry the Seaweed Caring For Our Food Length of time: 30-60 minutes Properly clean seaweed. Elder(s), Large sheet for drying the seaweed, Scissors (optional), Large rotating fan, on medium (optional - too much air will cause the top layer to dry and the bottom to ferment.), Garbage can. 5 minutes Teacher will demonstrate to the students how to clean the seaweed: (with or without scissors) Holdfast s are removed and any critters within the seaweed will be removed and thrown in the garbage. Any other seaweed accidently picked will also be thrown away. Seaweed is pulled and spread apart so that seaweed clumps are opened and all of the seaweed can dry. (Clumps of seaweed will ferment on the inside of the clumps). 25-55 minutes Students will take the time to clean the seaweed with their hands or with scissors to cut off the barnacles and any crawling critters on the seaweed. All the while being told stories by an 6
elder (if possible). As the seaweed dries the students will take turns turning it so that it dries evenly. Before the students are dismissed and can no longer care for it, they will carefully wrap the seaweed up and place it in a safe dry space until they are able to care for it until it is finished drying. If the seaweed is not stored properly it will go rancid. Activity V: Let s Dry the Seaweed Caring For Our Food Length of time: 30-60 minutes Students must continue to care for the seaweed. This will teach them the long process it takes in fully preparing seaweed instilling a respect for seaweed as a food. Elder(s), Large sheet for drying the seaweed, Scissors (optional), Large rotating fan, on medium (optional too much air will cause the top layer to dry and the bottom to ferment.), Garbage can. 30 60 minutes Teacher will demonstrate to the students how to clean the seaweed: (with or without scissors) Holdfast s are removed and any critters within the seaweed will be removed and thrown in the garbage. 7
Any other seaweed accidently picked will also be thrown away. Seaweed is pulled and spread apart so that seaweed clumps are opened and all of the seaweed can dry. (Clumps of seaweed will ferment on the inside of the clumps). Seaweed is pulled and spread apart so that seaweed clumps are opened and all of the seaweed can dry. (Clumps of seaweed will ferment on the inside of the clumps). Activity VI: Let s Share Our Food Caring For Our Families Length of time: 30-60 minutes Reflect on the value in sharing with family and friends. Ziploc bags, sandwich size or smaller 30-60 minutes When the seaweed is dried the students will evenly put it all into small Ziploc bags The student will divvy up the bagged seaweed into equal parts, giving each student their fair share. The students will take turns sharing with the class what they have learned about seaweed. The students will share who they will give their seaweed to, and tell why it is important to provide food to family members while also keeping some for the winter. For the students who decide not to verbally explain these topics, a paper is also an 8
option. Unit Assessment: Activity V is a verbal (or written) assessment of what the students have learned. Wrap-Up/Reflection: Activity V reflects on the journey the students have taken in learning about seaweed. Tide book Worksheet for Activity I: Let s Learn About Seaweed An Introduction Length of time: 15 minutes Identify a low tide, suitable for gathering seaweed. Tide book for your local community Pencils Copies of the Tide book Worksheet Lets Learn About Seaweed An Introduction 9
Answers to worksheet: Which tide is lower? (Circle your answer) Sunday May 16 th at 9:26am Wednesday May 5 th at :33am Monday May 24 th at 5:04am Seaweed grows deep in the water and is easiest to gather when the tides are very low. 2. According to this table, when is it best to gather seaweed in May and June? AM PM 3. According to this tide table, what are the 2 best tides and times to gather seaweed in May? Date: Friday May 28 th, & any of the three Saturday May 15 th, Saturday May 16 th, Tuesday May 27 th, Time: 8:08a, 8:45a, 9:26a, 7:26a Tide: -2.9, -2.8, -2.8, -2.8 4. According to this tide table, what are the 2 best tides and times to gather seaweed in June? Date: Sunday June 13 th, Monday June Time: 8:32a, 9:15a Tide: -3.5, -3.7 14 th 5. With this new understanding of how to read a tidebook, investigate to find out what will be the 3 best tides for you and your class to gather seaweed in your community this month: Date: Answer s vary. Time: Tide: Tide book Worksheet Let s Learn About Seaweed An Introduction Name Date Teacher Tide books are separated into AM and PM followed by FT. 10
In the columns beneath the abbreviations: AM & PM we are told the time that the tide is up on the beach. In the column beneath the abbreviations: FT we are told the amount of feet the tide is up the beach. A tide book is read from right to left. An example reading: the first row says: On Sunday May 1 st, 2010 at 3:12am the tide was 17.9 feet high on the beach. 1. Which tide is lower? (Circle your answer) Sunday May 16 th at 9:26am Wednesday May 5 th at :33am Monday May 24 th at 5:04am Seaweed grows deep in the water and is easiest to gather when the tides are very low. 2. According to this table, when is it best to gather seaweed in May and June? AM PM 3. According to this tide table, what are the 2 best tides and times to gather seaweed in May? Date: Time: Tide: 4. According to this tide table, what are the 2 best tides and times to gather seaweed in June? Date: Time: Tide: 5. With this new understanding of how to read a tidebook, investigate to find out what will be the 3 best tides for you and your class to gather seaweed in your community this month: Date: Time: Tide: 11