Classroom activities
The activity of evolutionary medicine is to create a slide show or a graphic novel to show the roles of pathogens, bacteria, and viruses in Evolutionary Medicine since writing is the lowest score in our Arizona Academic Standards Assessment. The strategy is to put all the scientific terms and their meanings in a written format. The students will improve their understanding of evolutionary medicine through a writing lesson by approaching the vocabulary with student-centered ideas and expression. A graphic novel explains that bacteria are often friends to living organisms like humans and plants. The story's main topic would be how bacteria and antibiotic resistance can be resolved. A case such as a cut on a human boy infected by antibiotic resistant bacteria is instead cured using phage. The novel's exposition would be in a hogan setting with a dirt floor, and a family from nearby cities will attend a traditional blessing way ceremony. Developing a graphic in a conventional setting will meet the Navajo Nation's cultural and language standards.
The graphic organizer is downloaded from Alima McKnight, Yale National Initiative participant. This graphic organizer of the comic-style strip allows students to express how they view the teaching of the content. In this case, the cartoon of pathogens, viruses, bacteria, and the science term of evolutionary medicine will be expressed with their unique thinking of show and tell presentation. As McKnight explains in our discussion, students feel less anxiety about complicated ideas and vocabulary. The plan is to pre-upload vocabulary at the beginning of the unit and present two to three terms as the unit is being taught. By the end of the unit, the students will have two graphic novels to show others in the middle school hallways of evolutionary medicine is about. The title on the bulletin board would be the unit’s title: Navajo Kids Learn about Evo Medicine.
The third activity is to learn about the Navajo Nation’s botanist, Arnold Clifford. Read his blog about understanding through traditional stories of grandparents’ teaching about plants. As Arnold has done in the article, the writing will be separated into five categories. The study will be on the native yucca plant. Yucca plants can be used for food, because the fruit of the yucca can be served as a treat or a vegetable. Next, yucca can be used as a medicinal plant. The root of the yucca is used to slow down hair loss and strengthen hair. In a “beautyway” ceremony, the root of the yucca is used to cleanse the physical and spiritual body of the patient who is having the ceremony. The yucca stem holds the fruits and can be used as a fire starter, like how campers and hikers use rocks to start a fire. Yucca can be woven into shoes or baskets. The last use is categorized as warfare. The sharpness of the yucca's sharp leaves can cut and harm.
The research about Arnold Clifford can be accumulated into mini posters for others to learn. The posters can be displayed at local cultural centers and school board members' offices. The yucca activity will be tied to how traditional food and plants keep people healthy. If we can begin to reintroduce nature and its natural food, maybe obesity can be lowered.
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