Fall+Camping+Stories

During the first week of school, students, elders, teachers and community volunteers participated in two fall subsistence activities; camping and drift netting for salmon. Students are separated by middle school and high school. While one group is camping the other group works with local experts to catch salmon, which is put away to supplement the school lunch program. The students that camp work with elders and community volunteers to gather subsistence foods such as berries, pike, medicinal plants and geese. These foods are prepared and enjoyed by everyone. toc These cultural activities, as well as other standards based activities like learning how to splint a broken arm or identify plants using Latin binomial nomenclature, are developed as Performance Tasks prior to the Fall Camp Activities. Each standard supports Alaska State standards, as well as LYSD standards. As a Reinventing Schools Coalition School (RISC), Marshall is using place-based activities to meet standards at higher Bloom's Taxonomic levels. Marshall students, teachers, and community volunteers work together, as shareholders, to provide meaningful and cultural learning experiences during these activities.

The following stories are from blog entries that students shared on YouthVoices, which is a student networking community. Students originally wrote the papers in their Language Arts class using the 6+1 rubrics. After completing the papers students were able to submit them as blog entries. By blogging, students have the opportunity to share their cultural identity and explore cultural diversity, without diminishing their own cultural heritage. The response by students from around the country has been incredible. We hope you enjoy.

Plucking Birds, by May
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Camping at Gwik, by Adrian
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Camping Island, by Mary
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Camping at Gwik, by Alexandra
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Fall Camping 2007, by Nadia
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Fall Camping, by Denise
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