Manoomin and its Preferred Growing Conditions

Students learn about the cultural significance of Manoomin for the Anishinaabe and about its preferred growing conditions. Next, students hypothesize and conduct tests to determine whether Manoomin could grow at their location.

Program Details

Learning Environment: Classroom, outdoor
Season: Summer, Spring, Fall
Duration: Approximately 2-3 class periods
Grade: 10
Subject Area: Biology
Content Type: Activity
Curriculum Link: Grade 9 Destreamed: A1.1, A2.3, A2.4, B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2.1, B2.5 Grade 10 Academic: A1.1, A1.5, A1.6, A1.10, D1.1, D1.2, D2.9 Grade 10 Applied: A1.1, A1.5, A1.6, A1.10, D1.1, D1.2, D2.7

Bundle: Food
Global Climate Change

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Manoomin and its Preferred Growing Conditions

Materials:

•Projector •Black Duck Wild Rice: The Resurgence of Indigenous Food Sovereignty within the Kawartha Lakes Region: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKv2ikzxOU •Case-study of Black Duck Wild Rice written by Paula Anderson:

Black Duck Wild Rice: A Case Study

•Cottagers and Indians (2019) by Drew Hayden Taylor •Growing Manoomin.ppt •Growing Manoomin.pdf •pH paper •Device to measure lake depth •Device to measure the chemical properties of substances that comprise lake sediment (testing equipment made available at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre ELEEC)

Instructions:

Students watch the following video that explains the cultural significance/importance of Manoomin to the Anishinaabe locally:
- Black Duck Wild Rice: The Resurgence of Indigenous Food Sovereignty within the Kawartha Lakes Region: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKv2ikzxOU
Teachers and/or students read through the following case-study of Black Duck Wild Rice written by Paula Anderson to learn more: http://nourishingontario.ca/black-duck-wild-rice-a-case-study/
Teachers may also wish to collaborate with the Language teacher by suggesting that the students read the book Cottagers and Indians (2019) by Drew Hayden Taylor in English class.
Students review PPT made available in the Manoomin Presentation.ppt detailing the importance of Manoomin to the Anishinaabe locally.
Students then read worksheet made available in the Growing Manoomin.pdf focused on growing Manoomin. Students learn about how it relies on very specific ecological factors in order to thrive.
After learning about what these factors are, students are broken into groups. In groups, students hypothesize whether wild rice could be grown at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (or another site they are located near). Use the Growing Manoomin.pdf to guide this process. Students test several different sites at Elbow Lake (or other location if applicable) including the water depth, pH, conductivity, and the presence of other indicator species. After conducting these tests on the water and climatic features of Elbow Lake, groups will determine if they think wild rice could grow in Elbow Lake and where on the lake would be optimal.