Curriculum Areas: Science, Health
Recommended Levels: 9-12
Time Frame: 5- 45 minute periods
Tribal Affiliation: Oneida
Geographic Location: Wisconsin
Developed by: Becky S. Nutt
Email addresses of developers: bnutt@oneidanation.org
Date lesson was developed: 7-23-01
American
Indian Standards:
High School Science Standards B2, E2, F1, G1, G2, G3
Goal: To examine the nutritional aspects
of corn utilizing a problem-based case study of the disease Pellagra.
Behavioral Objectives: Students will:
· analyze and evaluate information to determine causation.
· research nutritional deficiencies and the role of epidemiologists in understanding disease.
· compare and contrast cultures in terms of food harvest and preparation.
· discuss the chemical reactions that take place during alkali processing of corn.
· produce a newspaper article discussing an aspect of the case.
Prior
Knowledge Needed:
Traditional wood ash preparation of corn.
Materials and Resources
Needed:
http://www.nih.gov/od/museum/exhibits/goldberger/full-text.html
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/food/r_corn.html#cornsoup2
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/food/recipes.html#corn
http://www.powhatan.org/corn.html
http://ewebtribe.com/NACulture/articles/thanksgiving.html#corn
http://oneida-nation.net/food-index-page.html
http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/cornhusk.html
http://www.daviesand.com/Papers/Tree_Crops/Indian_Agroforestry/
http://www.cyberdiet.com/vitmin/vitb3x.html
http://www.indians.org/welker/origcorn.htm
>Culture Content and Strategies: Corn has multiple responsibilities in the Oneida culture. It is both a food and a medicine. The traditional alkali processing of corn using wood ash goes back to the original creation story. Native peoples throughout the America’s had similar strategies for processing corn which resulted in the release of niacin in a usable form and increased calcium content as an additional benefit.
Lesson
Summary and Performance Tasks:
Students will be given a case study documenting the experience of three teens of the 1920’s era with a disease which was prevalent throughout the United States most particularly in person with a corn based diet. (Handout 1) Students will use a graphic organizer (Handout 2) to identify what they know about the topic, facts stated in the case study, learning issues that they will need to research and to develop an action plan to facilitate research. Using their action plan students will attempt to identify the cause of the disease symptoms from the case study. Students will expand their research to include the importance of niacin in the diet and its sources and the role of epidemiologist Joseph Goldberger in identifying the cause of Pellagra.
Students will read selected passages from Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden and contrast the Hidatsa traditional methods of alkali processing of corn with the Oneida traditional method. Students will contrast those methods of corn preparation with the method the case study suggests Eliaja White’s family used. Students will further research the traditional alkali processing methods of the Southwest Indian peoples and the people of Central and South America. (Handout 3)
Students will read and discuss a scientific article pertaining to the chemical reactions which take place as alkali processing occurs which result in the freeing of niacin for the bodies use.
The lesson will culminate with students selecting a subtopic and creating a brochure. Subtopics will include: traditional alkali processing, the pellagra epidemic of the 1920’s, careers in epidemiology, the work of Joseph Goldberger, or another related topic. Brochures will include a graphic element.
Assessment:
Technology Integration:
Enrichment/Remediation:
Preparation of corn soup using traditional wood ash preparation.
Teacher Reflections
To be added by user