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Database Provider

Author

Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee

Grades

8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects

Science, Biology

Resource Types

  • Videos, 7 minutes, 14 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Lesson Plans

Regional Focus

North America, United States, USA - West

Format

PDF

Yukon Kings

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Synopsis
  • In this short film, Yup'ik fisherman Ray Waska explains how life has changed for his family as he teaches his grandchildren how to fish for salmon in the Alaskan Yukon Delta.
  • An accompanying lesson plan provides background information, instructions for a classroom debate activity, and a number of writing prompts related to the film.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • The lesson plan is available in English and Spanish.
  • Students will learn how the Yup'ik way of life persists even though the people have had to make adjustments in recent decades.
  • Beautiful cinematography will draw students in.

Additional Prerequisites

  • The lesson plan contains valuable background information that the teacher should share with the students prior to viewing the film.
  • The film was produced in 2013, so some of the information may not be up to date.

Differentiation

  • Social studies, geography and history classes could research the history of the Yup'ik people and learn how European colonialism and the United States' purchase of Alaska have impacted their traditional ways of life.
  • Social studies and economics classes could discuss how the dependence on fossil fuels for transportation has had a negative impact on the Yup'ik people's traditional subsistence economy.
  • English or art classes could study this watercolor painting by artist Jill Pelto that depicts the decline of the salmon population in the Pacific Northwest and compare the artist's statement to Ray Waska's assessment of the changes in the salmon population.
  • Other resources on this topic include this video and activity about how the Athabaskan people of Alaska are impacted by climate change, this video on climate change in Barrow, Alaska, and this podcast about the negative effects of the industrial fishing industry on ecosystems.
Scientist Notes
While there is no science in this resource to verify, it contains an important message about the cost of climate change. This short film looks at what the dwindling Alaskan King Salmon population means to a local family. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards

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

  • Science
    • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
      • MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
    • LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
      • HS-LS2-6. Evaluate claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
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