ERIC ED383547: The Universal House: Energy, Shelter & The California Indian. Activity Guide, 4th/5th Grade.

38 Pages·1992·1.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
SE 056 251
ED 383 547
The Universal House: Energy, Shelter & The California
TITLE
Indian. Activity Guide, 4th/5th Grade.
California Energy Extension Service, Sacramento.
INSTITUTION
PUB DATE
92
38p.; Photographs may not reproduce well.
NOTE
Teaching Guides (For
Classroom Use
PUB TYPE
Guides
Teacher) (052)
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*American Indian Culture; Cooperative Learning;
DESCRIPTORS
Energy Conservation; *Energy Education; Environmental
Education; Grade 5; Grade 6; *Housing;
Interdisciplinary Approach; Intermediate Grades;
Lesson Plans; *Natural Resources; Sustainable
Development; Units of Study
*California; Hands On Experience
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This activity guide links energy awareness with
resource management and traditional California Indian cultures for
the 3rd-6th grade span. The materials combine cooperative, hands-on
activities with background information and learning extensions. The
interdisciplinary lessons are built upon themes, concepts, and
learning processes outlined in California science frameworks. The use
of a student journal, folder, or folio is recommended as a method for
authentic assessment. The guide contains six major sections: (1) an
(3) an
(2) an examination of student's preconceptions;
introduction;
(3) explorations of shelter
overview of energy and energy use;
(focusing on earthen, plank, sapling and thatch, and conical bark
(4) energy activities (focusing on insulation,
slab structures);
thermal mass, shade, and orientation); and (5) resources. The
resources section contains a list of 15 lessons and activity guides
from which this unit was adapted; a selection of 14 reference
materials that could be utilized in the classroom for research and
implementation; and a list of 18 sites at which traditional
California Indian architecture can be viewed. The guide is
accompanied by four oversize posters (not included here) that discuss
California Indian use of thermal mass, shade, insulation, and
orientation in the construction of housing. (LZ)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
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from the original document.
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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
U.S DEPARTMENT OR EDUCATION
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191111.100CW
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moot do not nocldlittly FOldedOnt
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CALIFORNIA ENERGY EXTENSION SERVICE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF PLANNING & RESEARCH
PETE WILSON, GOVERNOR
FALL 1992
3
UNIVERSAL HOUSE
ACKNOVVLEDGMENTS
Concept. researd,
and dowelapment
writing
raFtic *sir
Phowfraf*
CAITLIN RIVERS
The following individuals made vaktable contributions to the
Ass:nonce in
development of this document
curriculum development
and editing:
BILL ANDREWS, Conndtant
BONNIE CORNWALL
Science and Environmental Education Unit,
California Department of Education
Production essistoncx
BILL McGUIRE
KAY ANTUNEZ, Coordinator
Project Learning
Tree
MELISSA M. READING, Ph.D.
Pacific Gas at Electric, R lot D
In addition, the following individuals reviewed and /or assisted
in the preparation of material for this guide :
State of California
The preparation of this
Pete Wilson, Governor
ANNETTE DIETZ,
Connskant
Education
document was financed
California Energy
San Diego
through an Energy Extension
Extension Sorvke
Program Manager
RICHARD FARNSWORTH,
Service grant from the U.S.
LeU071
Governor's Office of
I awrence Livermore National Laboratory
Deportment of Energy The
Planning and Research
1400 Tenth Street
views & opinions of the
Chief
INGRID N. KELLEY,
Sacramento,
author expressed herein do
Energy Information Services
California 95814
not necessarily state or reflect
Energy Conservation & Management Division,
916.323.4388
those of the State of
State of New Mexico
Colifornia or the United States
Director
SANDRA LOWRY, Executive
government These parties &
Lassen Indian Education Center
their employees make no
warranty, expressed or
RITA NUNES, Historical Guide I
impied, or assume any legal
Chaw'se Regional Indian Museum
Nobility or responsibik for the
SARAH SUPAHAN, Title V Coordinator
accuracy, completeness, or
C
Klamath - Trinity Joint Unified School District
usefulness of any information,
apparatus, product or process
disclosed.
In hope of sharing lessons
se
learned by our programs,
material contained in this
guide may be reproduced
freely, so king as proper credit
is given.
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TABLE OF
5
INTRODUCTION
UNIVERSAL HOUSE
6
Students' Preconception
8
WHAT IS ENERGY?
Overview
11
Activity
SHELTER
14
Overview
EARTHEN
16
PLANK
Overview
18
Overview
SAPLING & THATCH
20
Overview
CONICAL BARK SLAB
22
Student Exploration
ENERGY
24
INSULATION
Overview
25
Activity
26
Overview
THERMAL MASS
27
Activity
28
Overview
SHADE
29
Activity
30
ORIENTATION
Overview
31
Activity 1
32
Activity 2
RESOURCES
N
34
Do For Yourself
34
Read For Yourself
See For Yourself 35
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Their villages will be good.
They will plan many things.
They will be full of knowledge
and their Weldon, w.11 be good.
. . .
POMO CREATION MYTH
C
z
_
Humans are part of the biosphere
and are dependent on it
m
They need to exercise judgement,
IA
care, and planning, in their use
of natural resources.
SCIENCE FRAMEWORK FOR
CAUFORNIA PUBUC SCHOOLS
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6
-..77,7177.7MS
VVVVVVVVV
CALIFORNIA ENERGY EXTENSION SERVICE
Introduction
We urge students keep a journal, folder, or folio
It is not incidental that this activity guide The
(a Home Work Book) over the course of this
Universal House: Energy, Shelter, and the
unit. Doing so will help them focus, track,
Gdynia Indian is being issued this fall.
interpret, and evaluate both the subject and their
October has been designated "Energy Awareness
own comprehension. In addition, it will provide
Month" while November is "Native American
teachers a means for "authentic assessment" of
Heritage Month." More than simply being
progress and performance. Another option is to
apropos to each occasion, this guide links energy
introduce additional variables into the activities.
awareness with resource management and
For example, extending the "shoe box house"
traditional California Indian cultures for the
from the Orientation activity to test other factors
3rd--6th grade span. The synthesis of these
in shelter design that affect energy efficiency:
topics offers students and teachers a unique
color of walls, and roof, window overhangs,
opportunity to examine cultural and scientific
vegetation, thermal mass, window size, insula-
information as well as contemporary issues with
tion, scale of house, etc., either as hands-on
respect to shelter, community, and energy
experiments or in their journals, provides
efficiency. The Universal House combines
another means of assessment. Student perfor-
cooperative, hands-on activities with back-
mance may also be assessed on individual tasks
ground information and learning extensions.
assigned throughout the activities.
We've brought a spectrum of skills to bear on
Above all, be creativestay the course but take
the subject, incorporating science, social studies,
the initiative, and encourage your students to do
art, math, and language arts. We encourage you
the same. In the process, we hope that The
to be flexible and creative with this activity
Universal House will engender an awareness,
guide. In designing and constructing it, we built
understanding, and appreciation of not only the
upon themes, concepts, and learning processes
subjects at hand, but of the role that traditional
outlined in Science Framework for California
wisdom and the students themselves play in
Public Schools (1990) and the 'iistory-Social
shaping their communities, the environment,
Science Framework. From the Science Framework,
and the future.
lessons have been built around the themes of
Energy and Systems and Interactions with
organizing questions from Physical, Earth, and
Life Sciences keyed to each activity. While not
This publication is Intended to supplement
the quartet of color posters (each 17" x 22")
specifying History-Social Science Framework
on energy efficiency and traditional Califor-
concepts, 4th/5th grade students study Califor-
nia Indian architecture, available from the
nia from pre-Columbian times to the present
California Energy Extension Service In the
with particular emphasis on how early people of
Governor's Office of Planning and Research,
California used natural settings without signifi-
1400 Tenth Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814,
cantly modifying the environment.
[phone].
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
7
STUDENTS' PRECONCEPTION
UNIVERSAL 110USE
Guide students in a comparison of the
meaning of houeelhome, neighborhood/
community, and environment/habitat.
Have students describe in writing and
in pictures their idea of a UNIVERSAL
HOUSE as though it were an actual
building. Ask them to consider
What "neighborhood" is it in?
What is the view from the Universal House?
What is its "roof" made of? Its "floor"?
Name the materials it is made from. Are they
renewable or non-renewable resources? Why?
How is it insukted from the outer
environment?
How is the Universal House lit?
How is it warmed? Cooled?
Who lives there?
Share some example*of
Indian creation mythi. Good souring for
these are Whispers froniibi RW
Californians and The Way We Lived (see
Resources, pages 34 and 35).
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OVERVIEW
Energy?
California Indians accepted that many different forces, spiritual to physical,
were at wok in the world. But rather than deny or attempt to resist these
forces, they acknowledged them, learned from actual experience, and then
applied the lessons to their lives in practical and graceful ways.
Today, we often fail to notice whether or how something is working, until it's
not. So too, we tend to take energy for granted. We use all we want whenever
we wantuntil we can't. When it ceases or runs out, when we can't afford it,
when something breaks or isn't working, only then do we recognize its
importance.
In essence, energy is the capacity to do workthe passage of energy from one
body to another enables all things to move, grow, or otherwise interact.
All life requires energy. And yet, it is a difficult concept to explain, for while it
has practical, predictable, daily applications in our lives, it is also an inconstant
and abstract quantityconstantly flanging form.
Whether as uncontrollably extraordinary as hurricanes and earthquakes, or as
habitually commonplace as light and locomotion, it is a critically important
part of our worldcausing, affecting, and enabling every aspect of our lives.
Energy makes the universe go and grow. It's sunlightthe difference between
day and night. It's the electric light. It's factories, and fruit trees. It's thunder
and lightning, and it's MTV. It's planes, trains, and freeways, and it's the whole
world, spinning in space. You know energy exists because you can see it, hear
it, and feel itfor light, heat, sound, and motion are all forms of energy.
Some sources of energy are naturally renewable and virtually inexhaustible
(such as solar and wind power) while other sources are non-renewable (such as
fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas) and cannot be replaced.
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