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DOG SALMON
6-8 Grade Unit
Lesson eight

Materials: chalk board, Salmon or fish tails, knives, cutting boards, yarn, computers, journals, and pencils.

Objectives: the students will record the spiritual values of the Dog Salmon on the computer. The students will practice the Athabascan terms for the salmon parts.

Alaska Standards: Science A15, B2, D1, and D2. Language Arts B3, C1, and C3.

Cultural Standards: C1, C3, C5, C6, and C7.

Procedures: The Elder in residence will explain the spiritual use of the fish tail in the Athabascan tradition. For example,

In the Koyukon tradition, one use of the fish tail was to ward off bad spirits.

The students may ask questions or discuss their own experiences of having or not having the fish tail in their homes. The students will then make a fish tail to hang in their homes or to make as gifts for others.

Evaluation: each student will complete a fish tail for spiritual purposes. The students will record the spiritual uses of the fish tail in their journals. The teacher will evaluate the journals every two to three days for correct procedures.

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