Experiential Science 30: Disturbance and Development (Indigenous Knowledge Lesson Plan)

• Main Authors: Karsgaard, Carrie, Mackay, Mackenzie, Catholique, Alexandria
• Other Authors: Parlee, Brenda
• Format: Course Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Northwest Territories; industrial development; economic development; impacts on wateways; mitigate negative effects of development; Indigenous knowledge; local traditional knowledge; environmental disturbances
• Online Access: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/65afc1f8-9143-4e02-959c-d8d24754ffdd; https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-jk1a-sk12

Industrial development can be important for economic development, but it also poses serious threats to the environment. For instance, chemicals used in mining can enter waterways. Understanding these impacts is important when making decisions about approving projects and identifying ways to mitigate the negative effects. This lesson exposes students to resource development projects in the Northwest Territories, introduces how Indigenous knowledge and local communities contribute to understanding of toxins, and allows students to investigate the environmental disturbances that can arise from development. Students will be challenged to apply their learning to investigate a local issue using primary and secondary research, and then convey what they learned in a creative way.