A Mississippi Tribe Is Growing Its Own Organic Movement

• This article tells the story of an organic farming initiative started by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to make healthy produce more accessible and affordable.
• It discusses how one community uses traditional knowledge and an environmentally and socially conscious agricultural approach to improve the well-being and health of individuals.

Positives

• This article provides evidence of a grassroots initiative started by individuals to benefit their community and the environment.
• This article is a great way to learn about the important role of Indigenous peoples in leading environmental solutions.

Additional Prerequisites

• To provide context, students should have a general understanding of the experiences and hardships endured by Indigenous people in the United States and the significance of preserving traditional knowledge.

Differentiation

• This article introduces numerous concepts like soil regeneration, Native American reservations, local farming, and public health, which the teacher can choose to build upon for different lessons.
• This article can be used in health classes during lessons about nutrition and access to fresh food and in science classes during lessons about the impact of agriculture on the climate and local environment.
• To extend the lesson, have students go through this interactive slide show about nutrition and the environment to connect this topic to climate change.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.