Dear Educator:
Fall 2011
Thank you for your interest in bringing your students to the Arizona State Museum for the Through The Eyes of
the Eagle guided tour. The broad objective of the exhibit is to inspire all students to live healthier. It is our hope
that these pre-visit activities will help to prepare the students to engage with the material.
Background:
Pima Indians in Arizona have the highest rate of diabetes in the world. But they are not the only ones
suffering from unhealthy lifestyle choices in Arizona. Almost 25% of Arizona’s adult population is obese.
Children are not spared; they too are suffering from unhealthy habits. Nearly one-third of US children are
overweight or obese. That rate is even higher for Hispanic children and nearly double for American Indian
children. Diabetes, heart disease and hypertension are plaguing our communities, thus impacting everyone’s
quality of life. This exhibit and program are about inspiring our communities to eat healthier, get active and
connect to cultural traditions.
Guiding Question:
What is the link between culture and health?
Learning objectives
By visiting the TEE guided tour, students will be able to:
identify the traditional diet of the desert people
how did people live in the desert? (gathered plants, hunted, farmed)
name edible plants of the Sonoran desert (mesquite, cactus fruit and pads,
understand why the diet changed
understand the health consequences of the western/modern diet for native people
understand the role of culture in maintaining a healthy lifestyle
identify ways that Native people today are returning to their traditional foods
understand the importance of physical activity to maintaining a healthy lifestyle
list the cause of diabetes (diet, lack of exercise)
understand the effects of diabetes (diminished quality of life, reduced length of life)
understand how to prevent diabetes
identify the ways Native youth are staying active today
learn how to play a traditional game
Understand indigenous cultures offer meaningful ways to protect the health and well-being of their
communities through strong family ties, healthy traditional foods, physical activities and respect for
animals, plants, water, and the land.
Through the Eyes of the Eagle Guided Tour Pre-Visit Materials
Page 1
Suggested Pre-visit Activities/Lessons
⚫ Activate students’ prior knowledge about cultural traditions and the significance of food.
If you have time,
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/family-traditions-class-book-941.html
shorter lesson about the same idea of food and family tradition
www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/plans/Pages/favorite-family-recipe.aspx
This lesson provides a good overview of the meaning of food:
http://www.pbs.org/opb/meaningoffood/classroom/pop-lesson_plan.shtml
⚫ Make a connection between food and health
Why is it important to be healthy? In what ways can a person be healthy?
How do you know you’re healthy?
Health and Nutrition Resources
University of Arizona Nutrition Network - http://www.uanutritionnetwork.org/
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
http://www.letsmove.gov/
http://www.oregondairycouncil.org/resources/free_downloads/downloads/what_food_am_i_game.pdf
http://healthypima.org/Resources.aspx
www.thelunchtray.com
⚫ Through the Eyes of the Eagle Resources
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/eagle.htm
Through the Eyes of the Eagle Guided Tour Pre-Visit Materials
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⚫ Materials to teach about the Tohono O’odham:

Food, Culture, Health: Rediscovering Traditional Tohono O’odham Foodways. A booklet
available as a PDF file. It is available for download at www.statemuseum.edu , click on the
Education tab at the top of the website. The booklet can be printed for students or projected for
teaching/discussing with the entire class.
 Multimedia
Arizona State Museum website. This url links to the online exhibit of the Paths of Life.
http://statemuseum.arizona.edu/exhibits/pol/oodham1.shtml
Desert Museum’s Sonoresis magazine - these contain excellent articles about ethnobotany. The
articles would be suitable reading for middle schoolers.
http://www.desertmuseum.org/members/sonorensis/sonorensis2009.pdf - Desert Bounty
http://www.desertmuseum.org/members/sonorensis/sonorensis2007.pdf - Legacy of Padre Kino

Video (these can be streamed or the clips can be downloaded and played at a later time using
RealPlayer).
http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2006/12/21/kuat-frances-manuel/
http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2009/7/9/kuat-sahuaro-fruit-harvest/
http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2009/9/29/kuat-desert-rain-cafe/
http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2010/6/7/1733-tohono-oodham-man-walks-3000-miles-intwo-years-to-improve-his-health-and-to-help-others-do-the-same/
http://www.tocaonline.org/Hyperlinks/Entries/2010/3/15_Links__TOCA_on_Video_%28TV_or_Web_Vid
eos%29.html
 Books
The Tohono O’odham by J. D. Greene
Sing Down the Rain by J. Moreillon
This Place is Dry by Vicki Cobb
Ancient Harvest: A selection of Favorite Plants Used by Native Americans of the Southwest
(coloring/learning book)
⚫ Post-visit suggestions
A plan for conducting a cultural food festival for your school:
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/ethnic_folklore/index.html
Check out the other educational programs offered by the Arizona State Museum
www.statemuseum.arizona.edu
Through the Eyes of the Eagle Guided Tour Pre-Visit Materials
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