Weaving Culture into the Curriculum
A collaborative project between the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Sitka School District designed to
enhance the connection between the Alaska Native Arts and student understanding of content
Goals:
1. Teams of 2-4 teachers from a school will participate in the Alaska Arts Education Consortium’s
Basic Arts Institute, and will develop and implement work that applies Alaska Native Art to
student understanding of academic content, such as by developing a unit of instruction, a plan
for how to integrate culture in their classroom, or submit a grant proposal, etc.
2. Teachers involved in the Weaving Culture into the Curriculum project will collaborate to
develop K-12 Art Standards for the Sitka School District (SSD), as there are currently none.
Rationale:
SSD students have opportunities to gain awareness of and appreciation for the rich culture associated with the Alaska
Native heritage; however, only a few students are able to take advantage of programs designed to provide deep
exploration into the cultural traditions and heritage of the local Alaska Native community, which means that many
students may not have an opportunity to deepen in their understanding of the Alaska Native culture. Additionally, the
Sitka Native Education Program (SNEP), a collaboration supported by SSD and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, offers a variety of
Alaska Native Arts programs at the Tribal Youth Center. The Weaving Culture into the Curriculum program is designed to
incorporate the Alaska Native Arts into the learning process in classrooms throughout SSD in order to help students
better understand academic content and the richness and value of the Alaska Native heritage while also validating the
experiences offered through SNEP. The development of the K-12 Art Standards will help to ensure that every student in
SSD has an iterative and integrated opportunity to explore the Arts in support of learning academic content.
Process:
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Teams of 2-4 teachers at a school will complete the Weaving Culture into the Curriculum application – More than
one application per school is acceptable, and creative grouping between schools is also acceptable
Applications can be emailed or sent via school mail to Mary Wegner @ DO by April 10th
Applications will be reviewed by SSD’s Cultural Director, Assistant Superintendent and other committee members
Once selected for participation in the Weaving project:
o Participants register for the Alaska Arts Education Consortium’s (AAEC) Basic Arts Institute at www.akartsed.org
o Participants attend AAEC’s Basic Arts Institute held in Sitka, Alaska from June 2-14, 2013
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After successful completion of the Basic Arts Institute, Weaving teachers will be compensated as follows:
Weaving Teacher Compensation:
Item
Basic Arts Institute Registration & Lunch
Unit of Instruction or Plan Supply Budget
Value
$ 500
$ 100
Total: $ 600
Deliverables:
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Weaving teachers will develop and implement a unit of instruction or other plan designed to bring learning to life
through the exploration of at least one Alaska Native Art form - As appropriate, units of instruction maybe shared
with colleagues in an electronic repository
After the unit or plan has been implemented, Weaving teachers will write a brief summary of their project that
includes an overview of the unit or plan and impact, and add at least one picture to be put on SSD’s website
Weaving teachers will work with SSD’s Assistant Superintendent on the development of K-12 Arts Standards – This
may be done during the Basic Arts Institute or during the 2013-14 school year through substitutes or paid
compensation for time over and above contract hours
Partners:
Sitka Tribe of Alaska
Sitka School District
Weaving Culture into the Curriculum Application
School:
Principal’s Signature in Support of Application:
Teacher #1
Name:
Grade Level/Subject:
Teacher #2
Name:
Grade Level/Subject:
Teacher #3
Name:
Grade Level/Subject:
Teacher #4
Name:
Grade Level/Subject:
Briefly describe your thoughts about what you would like to develop as part of this project (Note: Units or
Plans can be individual or joint):