Introduction
"Coal is the liver of our mother, leave it in the ground, keep her alive and healthy, protect and save Mother Earth!"(1) voiced the protester who stood outside of the Navajo tribal chamber in Window Rock, Arizona (the Navajo Nation's capital). Navajos residing on Black Mesa have been protesting since the establishments of the mines because of land desecration and the coal company's extensive use of the aqua filter. The Navajo Nation is the largest coal production Indian tribe in the United States; approximately 16 million tons are excavated from the land. The three mines that produce coal (the Black Mesa, Kayenta, and the Navajo) provide 32% of revenues (2). The Nation highly depends on the revenue from natural resources (coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium) to provide essential and basic government services and to improve the standard of living. Although the Navajo Nation receives revenues, the unemployment rate on the Nation is 47% and 37% are below poverty level, 38% lack electricity and running water, and 86% are without natural gas (3).
This six week curriculum unit is intended for students in the fifth grade. The fifty-five minute unit will guide the students to understanding the where and how fossil fuels are extracted and transported, and the impact of oil prices at the global level. Then at the national level they will create a living wall map of the United States' fossil fuel resources, and at that local level, students will create a poster display of each fossil fuel resource of the Navajo reservation and within the Colorado Plateau. The Dine' philosophy is an intricate part when teaching Navajo students about Mother Earth (Nihodzaan) and Father Sky (Yadilhil). The land (Keyah), mountains (dzil) and the Circle of Life integrate respect and the sacredness of the resources from Nihodzaan. Students will use the scientific inquiry process to demonstrate renewable resources like solar and wind energy to produce a solar lantern for home use and a windmill to measure wind speed during the course of the unit.
As a fifth grade English Language Learning (ELL) teacher in a self-contained classroom at Kayenta Middle School in Kayenta, Arizona, I find it challenging and rewarding because my students come to school each day from a variety of home situations (Dine traditional, Christian, and/or Contemporary) with varied academic levels. These students have various ranges of background knowledge and life experiences because some of them reside 15 to 60 miles from Kayenta. Some have strong family values and expectations to do well in school and others come from homes that lack parents. My classroom is predominately Dine' students and has varied socio-economic status, with different learning strengths and weaknesses. The school district is implementing the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subject and this unit targets the science standards and integrates the ELL language strand which is composed of grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills ELLs need to acquire a proficient level.
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