Celebrating Trees
Driftwood Journey Curriculum

Lesson Summary
Objective: Students will use driftwood in arts-and-crafts projects as well as in literary projects.

Outcomes:

• Students will gain an appreciation for the uses of driftwood and the trees from which they come.
• Students will learn about the role of wood in their lives
• Students will learn that wood has both utilitarian and recreational uses
  

Materials needed:

• Driftwood pieces of various sizes (including plenty of small pieces); other objects found during beachcombing; fishing line; beads; acrylic paint colors; carving knives; leaves; paper for poetry; pens/pencils

Explore: Activity #1: Wood identification and driftwood selection for art projects
Explore: Activity #2: Poetry writing about driftwood pieces (or trees)
Explore: Activity #3: Carving driftwood
Explore: Activity #4: Driftwood painting (perhaps incorporating already-carved pieces)
Explore: Activity #5: Driftwood Mobiles (perhaps incorporating already-carved/painted pieces)

Lesson Outline:
    1. A Driftwood Story
    2. Properties of Wood
    3. Cultural Uses of Wood – Past and Present
    4. Tides – Gravitational Pull of the Moon
    5. Wind, Tides and Currents
    6. Earthquakes and Tsunamis
    7. Afognak and the 1964 Tsunami
        (Camp version, classroom version)
    8. Celebration of Trees
        •  Driftwood Art
        •  Driftwood Stories and Poems
    9. Celebrating Alutiiq Customs and Traditions

    Appendix: Resources Used