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Marine Animals as Cultural & Dietary
Resources
Duration: 1 - 1 ½ hours, one
week to maintain diet log and research the topic.
Grade: 4th - 8th
Goal: Students will gain an understanding
of the remoteness of coastal Native communities. They will
be introduced to the varied diets of these people and compare
them to their own. Students will learn more about the Alaska
Native culture, subsistence and how the use of marine animals
is an important part of their culture.
Objective: Students will be able to…
- Identify the various coastal Native
peoples in Alaska.
- Using charts and maps be able to
locate where these Native communities are located.
- Describe hunting styles of various
coastal Natives.
- Compare and contrast the diets
of these Native communities with their own.
- Determine the distance between
Native communities and larger population hubs.
- Discuss how rural village
life varies from life in more populous locations.
Standards:
Geography: A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-7, D-4, E-2,
E-4
Mathematics: A-3, A-4, C-1, C-2, D-1, D-2, E-2, E-3
Materials:
· Charts and maps of Alaskan coastline
· "What's in Alaskan Foods" info sheets
· For a compete guide on Alaska Native foods:
"Nutrient Value of Alaska Native Foods"guide,
available at low cost from:
Health Sciences Information Service
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
907-786-1870
Activities:
Have students maintain a diet log for one week. They should
write down everything that they eat (all meals and snacks).
Have students bring labels from different food types that
they have eaten over the course of a week. Students should
graph their diets based on food types, etc. Using graphs
and information from "What's in Alaskan Foods"
and "Nutrient Value of Alaska Native Foods", compare
and contrast your diets. Also compare and contrast life
styles.
1. List differences in lifestyles between
coastal Native communities in Alaska and more urbanized
areas (e.g. ease of obtaining food, modern conveniences,
etc.)
2. What is a major difference you noticed in the diets?
3. What percentage of fat and protein should be consumed
daily, according to the USDA? What is the major contributor
of fat and protein in the average students' diet? Where
does the fat and protein come from in the diet of an Alaskan
Native child who lives in a coastal Native community?
Divide students into groups of 3 to 4 students.
Using maps of Alaska, students should determine the distance
between a coastal community and larger population areas.
Have students answer the questions below and present this
information as a group to the rest of the class.
1. Once you have identified the distance between these areas
note whether or not they are accessible by road. If so,
are the roads usable all year long?
2. If the coastal community is not accessible by road (or
roads are closed for a part of the year), what other means
of transportation may be used to get into and out of the
village? What is the cost of the alternative transportation?
3. Identify marine animals that may be found near some of
the coastal villages. How do these animals fit into the
cultural lifestyles of these people? Describe hunting techniques
used.
