Manoomin students spent much of the day out at Dead Fish conducting a Fall Phenology study. Phenology refers to the recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, the aging process of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. Many of these events are sensitive to climatic variation and change, and are simple to observe and record. As an observer, everyone can help scientists identify and understand environmental trends so we can better adapt to climate change.
Students prepared powerpoint presentations to the entire group in an culminating forum.
gidakiimanaaniwigamin-manoomin students were invited to attend the Geo-Science Alliance Conference held at the BlackBear Casino, in Carlton, MN. The Geoscience Alliance is a national alliance of individuals committed to broadening participation of Native Americans in the geosciences. Its members are tribal colleges, universities, and research centers; native elders and community members; students (K12, undergraduate and graduate); formal and informal educators; and other interested individuals.
The conference goals are designed for participation in talking and learning circles on the issue of broadening participation of Native Americans in the geosciences, as well as meeting others who share your goals, developing new partnerships and collaborations. Students attending could learn about jobs, scholarships, research opportunities, college programs, internships; present a research poster; and tour the reservation.
Teacherscould learn about the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program; discover new methods for bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education into the classroom; see hands-on demonstrations of classroom activities developed by scientists and educators; meet college, tribal college, and university researchers who are interested in partnering with schools and educators to increase student STEM participation; learn how science fairs can generate student excitement about STEM; meet potential student mentors; connect with other teachers as well as learn about opportunities for students.
gidakiimanaaniwigamig students were involved in a number of activities: demonstrating the watershed table, presenting their manoomin study posters, and creating a painting after learning about the work of artist George Morrison. They also were included in the discussion surrounding “pooping out the core” by LacCore-UM/FDL Natural Resources Scientists. Core studies are the focus of a five year study of the wild rice lakes of the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. Read more in the September issue, page 13 of the Nahgahchiwagnog Dibahjimowinnan.
After looking through the poster exhibits gida-manoomin students were asked to answer the following questions in paragraph form. You can view their responses by click on the Comments link. Students are encouraged to update/re-write their essays.
1. What were they studying and why was it important to them?
During the week of Aug 2-6 manoomin students and teachers from the Cloquet area worked with scientists and grad stuents at the University of Minnesota’s LacCore Laboratory testing the cores collected from the Fond du Lac Reservation last winter. During the months of January, February and March teams work with the Natural Resources to collect cores in preparation for further this additional study.
Students looked for pollen (pine, birch,etc.), phytolyths, diatoms, and macrofossils (plants). Much of their time was spent looking carefully at the “mud” taken from the collected core with their eyes and through a microscope. Deductions were made by the students with the Scientists to determine what the land was like in the past.
Students also spent time an enjoyable time at the Frank Theatre doing improvisational theatre and original writing. One day was spent enjoying the the Walker Sculpture Garden and the Como Zoo.
A Scientific poster reflecting year one’s study of the wild rice lakes will be on display at the Geo-Science Alliance Conference at the Black Bear Casino, Sept 16-18, 2010, at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College – gidakiimanaaniwigamig office and Biology Dept, the Ojibwe School Special Education Dept., ISD2142 Indian Education Dept. and the AlBrook Science Department.
Does your work in the manoomin project encourage you to look towards a job in Natural Resources (Natural Resource folks watch over the earth, water and air for a healthy future. See FDL Natural Resources site by clicking here.
Picture the lake your team cored last winter in your mind’s eye.
Based in your lab work completed today, how does your current understanding of that lake relate to that information and data you collected so far at laccore?
Students have enjoyed meeting and working with a number of Scientists at the Main University LacCore lab. In particular they have spent a lot of time with Dr. Amy Myrbo, lab director of the limnological LacCore lab. Today students wanted to know why Amy was personally so interested in studying wild rice.
HS manoomin students are beginning a week long lab study of the cores taken from Perch Lake, Rice Portage and Deadfish Lake on the Fond du Lac Reservation. These area high school students will continue the research begun earlier this summer by college students who participated in two week long mini REU”s, (research experience for undergraduates), on phytoliths, diatoms, plant macrofossils, and pollen. Students were encouraged to ask questions of the mini REU students to better understand where we are in the process of understanding the past, present and future conditions of the wild rice lakes on the Fond du Lac Reservation.
Comments are from current manoomin students to the mini REU students and Scientists.
Boozhoo! What memories do you remember about wild ricing? What do you know about wild rice history on the Fond du lac Reservation? If you are willing to share your stories students involved with the manoomin project are interested to listen. There are lots of ways to let us know what you are thinking about – click on the “comment” link found on this site, contact one of the students or teachers (see link to teachers) via email, call Holly Pellerin at 218-879-0757 or send a letter to Holly Pellerin at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College at 1201 14th St. Cloquet, MN 55720. miigwech
Students participated and teachers were trained in GLOBE. AlBrook is planning to work with the GLOBE program starting this Fall.
GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. GLOBE’s vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the Earth system working in close partnership with NASA and NSF Earth System Science Projects (ESSPs) in study and research about the dynamics of Earth’s environment.
Who is involved in GLOBE?
Announced in 1994, GLOBE began operations on Earth Day 1995. Today, the international GLOBE network has grown to include representatives from 111 participating countries coordinating GLOBE activities that are integrated into their local and regional communities. Due to their efforts, there are more than 50,000 GLOBE-trained teachers representing over 23,000 schools around the world. GLOBE students have contributed more than 20 millionmeasurements to the GLOBE database for use in their inquiry-based science projects.
Driving through Glacier National Park was amazing! Most of us had never been in mountains like these. After driving “The Road to the Sun” we met up with LacCore Scientists to core at Many Glacier.
Eleven students from the Fond du Lac reservation, Cloquet and Duluth were invited to visit Montana as part of the manoomin grant. Here is a diary of their first impressions.
High School students are studying the wild rice lakes on the Fond du Lac Reservation. The work is part of a joint study between the Fond du Lac Natural Resources, the University of Minnesota-LacCore, the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and gidakiimaniwigamig-manoomin Math and Science Camp.
After collecting cores of soil found underneath the wild rice lakes students will then be studied in the laboratory at the University with microscopes and various instruments. The soil sample gathered dates back to the ice age. Students hope to better understand the history and future of wild rice on the Fond du Lac reservation.
Have you a story about ricing? Share your information with sutudents at the Fond du Lac Enrolle Day celebration or leave a comment to this post.
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Manoomin students spent much of the day out at Dead Fish conducting a Fall Phenology study. Phenology refers to the recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, the aging process of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. Many of these events are sensitive to climatic variation and change, and are simple to observe and record. As an observer, everyone can help scientists identify and understand environmental trends so we can better adapt to climate change.
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