To combat systemic health issues and food insecurity directly linked to a lack of clean water on the Navajo Nation, we have developed a plan to create an educational resource that details how to design a custom garden. The intended use of the garden is to produce fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs in a sustainable way that connects students to their heritage and educates them about important agricultural concepts necessary for sustaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem. For example, the use of traditional agricultural techniques, such as Three Sisters planting, and cultivation of native crops is important to preserving history and was incorporated into design considerations. The issue of clean water on the Navajo Nation is complex with a dark history colored by poor mining practices and climate change. However, with our proposal we aim to provide an outline of a solution that will support Diné health from an agricultural standpoint that optimizes the limited water available and provides information necessary to agricultural sustainability for future generations of people living on Navajo Nation.
The decision to create a proposal for an educational resource and not a physical product stems from a place of respect to Diné culture. An endeavor to create such a resource would require more time and community connection than we, as an outside party, have in a single semester. Keeping this in mind, we have done research into the efficacy of activity-based learning and possible topics that may be beneficial to include within an educational curriculum.
Our Approach:
This project aims at piquing the interest of Diné students in Modern and Traditional Agricultural techniques as they relate to the Navajo climate and environment. However, depending on the age and previous knowledge of the students, the content they could be taught that would provide them with the maximum benefit will vary. This article explores examples of appropriate curriculum and teaching styles for students separated by education level: Elementary School (1st -5th grade), Middle School (6th -8th grade), and High School (9th -12th grade).
Elementary School Students:
Some key elements of teaching Elementary school students lie in acknowledging the different widely accepted styles of learning. Ferrell categorizes them as such: “The learning styles include kinesthetic of using the body, visual of seeing, auditory of hearing, and reading/writing on paper” [1].
For Elementary school students in particular, they have not had the experience to fully develop their individual learning preferences. It is imperative to allow them to explore multiple facets of learning to ensure that the most suitable vehicle for the curriculum reaches them. For example, allow the students to explore learning visually (videos, demonstrations, experiments), but also include auditory and written (lectures, essays) portions so a variety of students can learn in their various learning styles.
Also, It is recommended for Elementary Students to be placed in cooperative and collaborative environments. We want to encourage the natural social and communication skills that children should form, and “at this age, children are more likely to build friendships and learn how to work in groups” [2]. This is why we recommend implementing our curriculum in small groups of 4-5 students. Allowing them to work together and enjoy the content they’re consuming results in a higher overall interest in the subject matter.
As for the content appropriate for this age group, we recommend basics and fundamentals of the sciences involved in the farming process. As well as an interactive section allowing them to experiment with seeds and soil of their own.
An example of a possible weekly lesson plan would include the following: 15-25 minute long lessons on basic small-scale gardening, followed by some group activities. And on alternating days, the students get to work on the community garden. For the short lessons in the week, some topics would include: which crops are best in this environment? Which crops are best grown in small gardens? How to tell if your plants are growing? Specifics on each crops watering and planting habits, etc. Some examples of group activities could include: scavenger hunts, group projects or presentations, etc.
Middle School Students:
For a slightly more mature audience, but not entirely developed yet, “you need to keep students busy, change up activities multiple times a period, make sure they’re doing something” [3]. Therefore, a lecture style course will not work with this age group well, however, they can learn a more complex curriculum than the younger audience.
It is important not to underestimate this demographic, as “you need to see the infinite potential of middle schoolers and treat them as the fledgling young adults they are” [3]. Giving them content that is too childish and easy will result in bored and disinterested students, while content that is too difficult will not plant the interest that we hope to with this project.
The content appropriate for this age group can go more in depth into Diné culture and history as it relates to agriculture, and some basics of conservative watering techniques. The classes can be partly lectures, but mostly interactive. The middle school students can help with the greenhouses and apply their learned knowledge.
An example of one week’s lesson plan would include 2 days of the week of helping the upperclassmen with greenhouse responsibilities. Since this age group is not yet knowledgeable enough to run the entire greenhouse on their own, they would help with simpler tasks that do not require advanced understanding, and would be outlined to them by the high school students. On 3 days of the week, they would be in classroom settings, learning the material that would later help them run greenhouses themselves.
High School Students:
Finally, the high school students, who will be the oldest students we can teach, can absorb the most amount of information and apply it in hands-on environments. However, they are also notoriously a difficult group to teach.
One reason why this age group can be particularly challenging is that high school concepts build heavily on fundamental concepts that should have been established during prior years. If some students did not receive the same amount of information we expect them to, they will struggle or lose interest. “When students fall behind early, the lack of understanding only builds to create an even more frustrating high school experience” [4]. This means it is important to review the basics that should have been covered in either average science classes or the curriculum we plan to teach younger students.
Also, at this point, many students already have invested interests in certain subjects. It would be helpful to split the entire curriculum by topics (irrigation, water purification, traditional farming methods, modern farming methods, etc.) and allow the students to choose their preferred topics. The class would then go in-depth about said topic, and equip the students with the knowledge and tools to go ahead and apply their knowledge in greenhouses. The appropriate content for this age group would be partly in depth lectures, partly applications on greenhouses, and partly independent research. They will also be delegated almost full control of the greenhouses, and the responsibility to supervise the middle school group.
A weekly schedule for the high school students would function a little differently, as this project aims to equip them with the tools required for them to run greenhouses on their own. An emphasis on autonomy will be placed. The greenhouses could be accessed throughout the day at operational hours for them. However, they will have to be present and prepared for the middle school groups. During teaching hours, they will have lectures on their preferred subjects, supplemented by projects, independent research, or greenhouse work.
Summary:
It is imperative to understand the audience interacting with our content to craft an engaging and effective curriculum. Learning styles change drastically between age groups, and utilizing these differences will maximize the effectiveness of our project. Our most important goal should be to educate and raise interest in Diné agriculture among a younger audience, and as long as we manage to incur interest, then we have succeeded in our mission.
Works Cited:
[1] Ferrell, Cassidy. What is the Most Used Learning Style in the Elementary School Classroom; The Impacts of Teaching Different Learning Styles in the Classroom? 2019, California State University. https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/McNair%20Scholars%20Program/20192020Journals/ferrell_cassidy_f.pdf
[2] Cartwright, Dustin. “Strategies for Elementary School Educators: Queens University Online.” Qnstux, 12 May 2022, online.queens.edu/resources/article/strategies-for-teaching-elementary-students/.
[3] Ferlazzo, Larry. “Advice for New Middle School Teachers from Four Veterans (Opinion).” Education Week, Education Week, 24 Jan. 2022, www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-middle-school-teachers-do-you-need-advice-check-out-this-wisdom/2022/01.
[4] National Society of High School Scholars. “How to Engage High School Students in Active Learning.” National Society of High School Scholars, www.nshss.org/blog/how-to-engage-high-school-students-in-active-learning/.