Montana - Laura Hunt

Over the past school year, two new social studies units were added to the third grade curriculum – Native American Cultures, and National Parks. Whenever I worked to develop lessons and activities that would engage my students’ learning, I became even more fascinated by the subjects myself. I am traveling to Montana this summer to gain firsthand experiences to draw upon as I deepen the lessons I teach. For the first week in August, I will join a group of volunteers on the Blackfeet Reservation, followed by a week of backcountry hiking and camping in Glacier National Park. I am hoping to:

• Deepen my understanding of the history and culture of the Blackfeet Nation, and look for ways to add a modern day focus to our Native American Cultural Studies Unit

• Seek out contact people who are interested in developing cross-cultural connections between elementary school students, or reservation elders, and third graders at Moses Brown

• Document the process of planning for and engaging in a backcountry hiking experience so that I can design lessons for my students that will stimulate wilderness problem-solving exercises

• Collect resource materials, including photos and video, from Glacier National Park to add to a research file I am creating for my students

• Immerse myself in the wilderness with people I love in order to better be able to communicate to my students the simple pleasures that can be gained by experiencing national parks