The Bear Who Stole the Chinook

Making connections . . .
As a freshman Earth Science teacher, a big part of my job is finding ways to make topics interesting and relevant to my students so they will become lifetime learners, as opposed to "pass-the-test-and-forget-it-learners". I am constantly searching for connections between topics I teach and the real world, especially ones that are fun, weird, impactful, or humorous. One of my favorite strategies is to show ways that cultures have been affected by the topics I teach . . . and history is full of ways that Earth systems have influenced the development of lifestyles, diets, weapons, building materials, wars, and traditions. Climate and water resources are two that have impacted every culture that has ever existed.

Successful hunt . . .
In Montana, where teachers in all subject areas have been challenged to help students learn about Native Americans, past and present, this approach provides a way for me to work toward this goal. Like many teachers, I know little about specific connections between aspects of various tribes and their homelands . . . and it takes time to do the research to gain this background. But occasionally I find a connection, come up with an idea, try it out, and find that it works! That was the case recently as I was searching for ways to make Chinook winds more interesting to my students.

A *Siksika story . . .
I found a great music video on YouTube called, "The Bear Who Stole the Chinook", by Jack Gladstone. Gladstone's song is based on a *Siksika story about the Chinook winds, which frequent the east slopes of the Rockies from central Montana into Alberta, Canada. A search to learn more led me to maps that revealed a remarkable correlation between the part of Montana-Alberta where Chinook winds are most common, and the homeland of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The plan . . .

1. First, make sure that you understand what causes Chinook winds. Go to www.formontana.net/chinook.html and carefully read everything. TV meteorologists usually blame the warmth on the fact that the winds are "down-sloping" . . .There's more to it. Perhaps they think that their viewers would not understand the complete explanation.

2. Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation from GoogleDocs. Under "File", select ""download original". Explain Chinook winds, using the PowerPoint presentation.

3. Show students the music video, "The Bear Who Stole the Chinook". A link is provided in the PowerPoint presentation. Consider providing a copy of the lyrics. (download Word document)

4. Discuss the connection between the Chinook zone and the tribes' homeland, using images included in the presentation. Click here to print a copy of questions to guide your discussion.

*NOTE: The Siksika are a tribe in Alberta, related to the Blackfeet of north-central Montana. Both are part of the Blackfoot Confederacy, which includes two other tribes in Alberta. These tribes shared a common language and culture, had treaties of mutual defense, and intermarried. "Blackfeet" refers to the tribe (a.k.a. South Peigan) in Montana, whereas "Blackfoot" is usually associated with their relatives north of the border. Source: Wikipedia: The Blackfoot Confederacy