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Press Release
July 3, 2007 (Radio Actualities) (To download photos, click to enlarge, then right-click & choose "save picture as")
UNIQUE TLINGIT CURRICULUM SERIES DISTRIBUTED, POSTED
ONLINE
Series Includes Tlingit Audio CDs and Vocabulary Games
Sealaska
Heritage Institute (SHI) has produced a unique collection of Tlingit
curriculum and distributed it to every school district in Southeast
Alaska, in hopes of weaving more Native lessons into the public school
system.
The curriculum, co-produced by the Juneau School District, is unique
because it’s the first Tlingit language and culture curriculum done on a
broad scale that meets state academic and cultural standards.
The curriculum was distributed in hardcopy binders, some of which
include CDs with computer games and audio of Tlingit words and songs.
The 18-unit series of culture and language lessons also is
posted online
at
www.sealaskaheritage.org. The audio CDs are meant to encourage
correct pronunciation of Tlingit language components. The interactive
vocabulary games are an effort to make language learning fun, and to
reach students through technology, said SHI President Rosita Worl.
“In the
past children just had text,” Worl said. “But today we know children are
watching TV, they’re listening to CDs, so we’ve tried to build on all of
the approaches that children are utilizing to learn today.”
The curriculum was developed and field tested by primary teachers from
the Juneau School District and SHI language specialists. Although the
series was intended for the primary grades, it can be easily adapted for
teachers of higher grade levels,” Worl said.
“The
most important thing is this curriculum, I think, is going to lead to
better academic achievement for our students, both Native students and
non-Native students, because it really builds on the environment of
Southeast Alaska,” Worl said.
The curriculum includes units and resources on the following topics::
- Elizabeth Peratrovich
- Hooligan
- Spruce Trees
- Totem Poles
- Canoes
- Herring
- Hemlock
- Yellow and Red Cedar
- Alder and Cottonwood
- Plants
- Salmon
- Who Am I?
- Berries
- Sea Mammals
- How Raven Stole the Sun
- Tale of an Alaska Whale
- The Girl Who Lived with the Bears
- The Beach
The audio of Tlingit was recorded by fluent Tlingit Elders John Marks
and June Pegues. The songs were performed by Nancy Douglas and George
Holly. The lessons were written by a team of teachers and specialists
led by Nancy Douglas, Elementary
Cultural Curriculum Coordinator, Juneau School District. The team
included Juneau teachers Kitty Eddy, Shgen George, Kathy Nielson, Hans
Chester and Rocky Eddy, and SHI language team members Linda Belarde,
Yarrow Vaara, David Katzeek, John Marks, Mary Foletti, Rose Natkong and
Jessica Chester. Curriculum consultants Julie Folta and Toni Mallott
assisted and Annie Calkins edited and evaluated the lessons and units.
Lessons were field tested in Juneau classrooms in 2005 and 2006.
Teachers who want to use the hardcopy materials are
encouraged to contact their superintendents or district curriculum
libraries.
The three-year project was funded by two
grants from the U.S. Department of Education. SHI plans to release a
similar set of curriculum for the Haida language and culture.
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a Native nonprofit established in 1981 to
administer educational and cultural programs for Sealaska, a regional
Native corporation formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
The institute’s mission is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and
Tsimshian cultures. Language revitalization is a priority of SHI.
CONTACT: Dr. Rosita Worl, SHI President, 463-4844
- Rosita Worl, SHI
President, TRT: :18 “In the past maybe children just had text. But
today we know children are watching TV, they’re listening to CDs,
they’re watching DVDs, so we’ve tried to build on all of the
approaches that children are utilizing to learn today.” (mpeg)
(wav)
- Rosita Worl, SHI President, TRT: :15 “This most important thing is this curriculum, I think, is going to lead to better academic achievement for our students, both Native students and non-Native students, because it really builds on the environment of Alaska." (mpeg) (wav)