Water
Indigenous peoples have deep relationships with water. Many nations have creation and migrations stories stemming from floods, and practice water ceremonies with varied teachings. Water holds important roles of cleansing and purification for humans and more-than-human relatives. The water activities will help you to use scientific inquiry based in observations of the world around you, particularly your focus on water in its varied forms. You will be prompted to look closely, reflect using all of your senses, and wonder about big ideas as a family.
Download an overview of the water arc here.
Water Arc Activities
Download water activities for you and your family below. All activities are interconnected and do not need to be done in any particular order. These water activities will emphasize the ways in which we can learn from and with water as a relative and teacher. Using Indigenous observation, you will consider the roles water holds in the world and how those roles impact humans and more-than-human relatives. You will consider the life of water and how water travels continuously throughout ecosystems. Observing water will help you determine water’s wellbeing or risk factors and deepen your relationship with water and come to understand the responsibilities you hold.
Water Arc: Introduction
This short document gives an introduction to the Water Arc and related activities.
Walking
During this walking activity you will consider where water lives, where it comes from, where it travels to, and what other relatives it comes in contact with.
Storydrawing
During this activity, you will reflect on your favorite memories visiting waters and share those
memories through a story picture.
Mapping
During this activity, you will make a map of all the places water lives around you and consider where it comes from, where it travels to, and what other relatives it comes in contact with.
Listening
In this activity you will visit water in a place near your home and take time to listen deeply and represent what you hear.
Macroinvertebrate Sampling
For this activity we will spend some time exploring macroinvertebrates that live in fresh water and reflect on the relationships between water, human, and more-than-human relatives
Watershed Walk
In this activity, you explore water’s life by following how our relative travels. This is a great rainy day activity!
