Author: ssheryr (Page 3 of 9)

Week 5 Reflection: Tending Sweetgrass                                               Name: Sonia Sheryr 

1.         What is your favorite quote from this section of Tending Sweetgrass (include pg. number for quote) and why is this so memorable to you (100 word minimum).

My favorite quote from this section of Tending Sweetgrass is “The Pledge of Allegiance is a statement of loyalty to a flag, a symbol of nationhood. The Thanksgiving Address is a statement of loyalty to the land, to life.” pg.117. This quote describes how the Thanksgiving Address can make one reflect on our resources, the environment, and just to be grateful for what we have and those around us. While the Pledge of Allegiance is a loyalty to a flag and our nation, I feel that we could use something that would make us truly reflect on the positive aspect on life and to hold our resources to higher values.

2.         Kimmerer discusses maple sap and how much is required to make just a little syrup and how much labor is involved not only for the people collecting and making it, but for the trees themselves to produce the sap.  Think of an activity in your life that represents an amount of time that is unusually abbreviated. What shortcuts/conveniences do you rely on to live your daily life as you do? What would happen to your schedule if you could not count on these conveniences? (200-word minimum) 

An activity in my life that represents an amount of time that is unusually abbreviated is getting ready in the morning. Some shortcuts and conveniences I rely on to live my daily life as I do is planning my outfits the night before or even at the start of the week. My outfits mean a lot to me as I love fashion. I take a lot of thought and time on my outfits. Therefore, I always plan my outfits a day in advance so that in the morning, I am not standing in my closet trying on 10 different tops to figure out which one matches best with the pants, or if it is the pants that need to be changed. I also set an alarm, so I have enough time to do my hair and makeup. I often set two alarms just in case, because especially in the wintertime, my bed is exceptionally cozy and comfortable, and I hate to leave my bed, especially if it is cold outside. Then if I wake up late, then I am rushing, stressed, and often tend to forget either my jewelry or have to pay for a close parking spot for my first class.

3.         Kimmerer describes how Haudenosaunee children attending a school near her home recite a Thanksgiving Address every day.  Imagine a public-school day in a typical public school in your area. (200 word minimum for combined response below)

a.         What might it be like if the children followed a practice similar to the one Kimmerer describes in the school that the Haudenosaunee children attend? Is this a realistic suggestion? Why or why not? 

b.         Compare this to other standard schoolroom practices, like reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance.” In what ways is might this be similar? In what ways different? 

c.         What does this bring up for you about the changes you are willing to work for in order to live in the type of culture in which you hope to live?

If children followed a practice similar to the one Kimmerer describes in the school that the Haudenosaunee children attended, then they would have a different outlook on the way they reflect on their day-to-day life. Children would then have a different approach on their days, and be more thankful for what they have everyday. They would have a healthier mindset and have a deeper understanding on the resources that they have and be further grateful for them. Reciting the pledge of allegiance is very similar to this, it is something we recited every morning and became normalized in schools across the country. Although I feel like that after some years it became repetitive and we just did not see the purpose or the reason for why we do it. Us students were not annoyed by it, but reciting the pledge of allegiance did not really make a big change for us in our daily lives. Reciting the pledge of allegiance every day did not change our outlook on our daily lives, all we knew is that it was something we all had to recite everyday. For me this made me think about what would benefit children to reflecting on the environment, diversity, and respecting others.

Finally after all of the hard work and research, we got to conduct our lesson at the water fair! I was extremely excited because it’s something I spent the entire semester working towards. I’m glad I prepared my cups with holes and soil in them beforehand, because that would be stressful and difficult to do in such a short amount of time. Having a table cloth or multiple paper towels prepared in advance would have also been useful since especially with the wet soil, leaves, and pouring water into cups. Scooping out the dry soil also created a small mess on the table, but it was easily cleaned up at the end. 

The students I was teaching the lesson got to scoop soil, pour water, hold cups, add rocks and leaves, and make observations throughout the lesson. The students were very eager to participate, and were ready to get hands on with the materials. It may be difficult to do this with a group of over six students at a time due to distractions.

An active learning method that I used while conducting this lesson was active recall. I began by quizzing the students on the vocabulary we had discussed. For example, when I pointed to Cup C, which contained the excess water that drained from Cup A, the students correctly identified this collected water as runoff. This demonstrated the importance of annotating and using key vocabulary throughout the experiment, followed by active recall, to ensure students truly understood the lesson. Overall, I really enjoyed teaching this lesson at JJK. It was an engaging and meaningful experience that gave me valuable insight into working with students.

1. Science Buddies – “Rain Garden Science Experiment”

A super approachable, hands-on activity where kids build a miniature rain garden, simulate runoff, and observe how well it soaks up water. It’s STEM-aligned and perfect for fairs or casual demonstrations.
YouTube

2. MnSTEP via Teach the Earth – “Exploring Run-Off and Infiltration in the Classroom”

For younger learners (K-2), students use three simple cups (with soil and different materials like sponges or tin foil) to see how much water filters through. It’s group-based, inquiry-driven, and ideal for sparking curiosity.
SERC

3. Clermont SWCD – Rain Garden School Activity Guide

This guide includes six adjustable lessons, with versions tailored for elementary students. Activities like “Nowhere to Run” and “Capture, Store and Release” are student-friendly, interactive, and easy to set up.
clermontswcd.org

4. KidsGardening – Rain Gardens Lesson Plans

Perfect for elementary classrooms—students measure, draw, and build rain garden models with watering cans, learning how these gardens slow runoff and filter water naturally.
KidsGardening

5. Great Lakes / Alliance for the Great Lakes – Mapping Infiltration Activity

A simple at-home or classroom activity where students explore local surfaces and predict how water moves—solid for getting kids thinking about real-world terrain and how water soaks in.
Alliance for the Great Lakes

6. PBS LearningMedia – Land Cover, Runoff & Infiltration Investigation

Students investigate how different surfaces influence water runoff versus absorption—great for comparison experiments like your tray idea.
PBS LearningMedia

7. UNL Water / Project WET – Stormwater Education for Kids

Project WET offers tons of hands-on games and lesson ideas to teach youth about water cycles, pollution, and green infrastructure like rain gardens.
water.unl.edu

8. Arizona Project WET – Stormwater Runoff Demo Video

A quick visual guide (teacher demonstration style) showing how capturing rainwater helps reduce runoff—great for visual learners or as a quick fair demo.
YouTube