Tribal College and University Research Journal — Volume 1, Issue 1 Teresa Lynn Newberry, Adrian Quijada, Jorge Guarin, and Camillus Lopez
explanation of Tohono O ’odham Himdag and the concept of the Man in the Maze through a guest lecture by the elder. The Man in the Maze presentation focuses on the connection and implications between Himdag and the biological basis for human well-being. Table 1: BIO 100N: Overview of goals, outcomes, and assessments for the PBL units chosen in this study to illustrate Bloom ’s taxonomy journeys in accordance with the Man in the Maze model. Bloom ’s Taxonomy Journey
Goals and Outcomes
First Journey: Knowledge
Describe the medical and biological basis of cancer and diabetes; describe the current situation of cancer in diabetes affecting Native Americans; describe the causes and habits that trigger cancer and diabetes. Explain how diet and habits disrupts the balance in our cells and body to trigger cancer and diabetes; explain the factors and causes that are raising concerns on the Tohono O ’odham Nation; interpret how Himdag values can support a preventive attitude towards cancer and diabetes. Identify the specific factors affecting vulnerability to cancer and diabetes at the Tohono O ’odham Nation.
Second Journey: Understanding
Third Journey: Application Fourth Journey: Analyzing/Evaluating/Creating
Analyze current policies and actions in place at Tohono O ’odham Nation to reduce cancer and diabetes risks; develop a prevention plan to be implemented among students and staff at Tohono O ’odham Community College that incorporates medical evidence and Himdag values towards cancer and diabetes prevention.
Assessment Discussions, reflections and short homework assignments.
Discussions, reflections and short homework assignments.
Written research and assessment on medical papers, statistics and essays regarding cancer and diabetes at the Tohono O ’odham Nation. Essay for final grade on guidelines for the Tohono O ’odham Community College to prevent diabetes and cancer.
BIO 105N: Environmental Biology Topic: Ecology —Relationships and Ways of Knowing in the Sonoran Desert This teaching/learning experience combines both traditional knowledge and 21st century content areas. It integrates cultural content through oral storytelling and O ’odham language and bridges traditional and modern knowledge. The traditional content area shared through the storytelling is rich, multi-contextual and multi-dimensional. It includes: cultural history, language, identity, kinship, values, traditions, conflict resolution, social ecology, interaction with the lands and philosophy. In this PBL unit, students learn about Sonoran desert ecology, and Western and traditional ways of knowing, with a special emphasis on t-imigi or inter-relationships. Students are introduced to the Western Scientific Method, the characteristics of Western Scientific Knowledge and Ecology via PowerPoint, lecture, readings, and informal discussion. After hearing the traditional O ’odham story about the Wind and the Rain, the students compare the differences and similarities between the O ’odham Way of Knowing and the Western Way of knowing
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