Culture, Climate Science & Education

About the Principles

Nine Principles and an Introduction

Nine essential principles, each of which includes multiple sub-principles or concepts, make up the foundation of this learning unit. Each principle builds upon the previous one, so that upon working through all of them, a student will have a robust knowledge of our climate system and the changes it is undergoing.

All of the principles integrate Traditional or Tribal Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with western scientific knowledge about climate (learn more about TEK and western science). The TEK content includes videos from elders introducing each of the principles and a narrative series (in video form) that follows a tribal girl as she learns about climate and how the changes that are occurring are affecting her tribe's culture. We also include interviews with tribal fish and wildlife managers, hydrologists, and fire managers. The western science part of the learning unit is based on essential principles developed by the US Global Change Research Program* under the leadership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Please review the Primer on the Organization of this Learning Unit before teaching the unit.


* USGCRP includes the following federal agencies: National Science Foundation; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Environmental Protection Agency; Department of Energy; Department of State; Department of Defense; Department of the Interior; Department of Agriculture; Department of Transportation; Office of Management and Budget; Office of Science and Technology Policy; Council on Environmental Quality; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

© 2018 Salish Kootenai College | Contact Us

© 2018 SKC | Contact Us