This podcast interviews an Indigenous botanist and discusses the love of plants and nature, botany, traditional knowledge about nature, regenerative agriculture, and the importance of complementing science with holistic and Indigenous knowledge.
Students will learn about the role of plants in ecosystems, new research about plant cognition, and the evolution of scientific understanding and Indigenous knowledge.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This podcast highlights the importance of storytelling in conveying important information.
The conversation between Jane and Robin is easy to follow and is engaging to listen to.
Additional Prerequisites
The actual podcast ends at 23:34, with credits at the end.
The link to the transcript is not active but there are links to access the podcast from other sites as well.
Differentiation
This podcast could lead to a discussion on plant cognition, which could be discussed in a civics or ethics class when discussing the rights of nature or other species.
The section starting at 12:12 would be useful in a biology class when discussing mutually beneficial relationships between plants, regenerative agriculture, nutrient cycles, limiting nutrients, and organic farming.
The podcast could be used to evoke a deeper appreciation for plants and teach students to be more attentive to plant systems and natural ecosystems.
It could be used to encourage students to take action, doing something they are passionate about.
Scientist Notes
The resource discusses the relationship between humans and nature. Humans have altered and degraded the natural world to a large extent. Using scientific methods to evaluate this relationship is important but also using storytelling techiques allows diverse people to learn, share their indigenous knowledge, and be a part of the solution to the living world. Hence, this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-3 Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.7.9-12 Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
