First Foods of the PNW
Synopsis
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.
Teaching Materials
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:
Construction paper
Photos of animals
Art 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:
Use this resource to expand on huckleberries specifically.
Have students make connections to special ancestral foods in their family.
Related Resources:
Check out this First Foods Social Studies Lesson.
Scientist Reviewed
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