Kim Frango’s class aboard the Star of the Sea  in Juneau’s Aurora Harbor, interviewing Norval Nelson Junior, Norval Nelson III, and Nicholas Nelson – 3 generations of Alaska fishermen, based in Juneau. Their family lines are Scandinavian, Tlingit, Filipino, & Aleut – all fishing families.

A Kennedy Center Partners in Education project between the Juneau Alaska team and the Deer Isle team, exploring fisheries biology and issues through the arts.

Swapping Fish Tales: Alaska to Maine

Fishing is at the heart of both Deer Isle, Maine and Juneau, Alaska. What can we learn from the process of exploring the similarities and differences between fishing cultures in these different communities: one on the Pacific, one on the Atlantic? This is a professional development project integrated into classroom learning for teachers, using embedded classroom modeling and four stipended weekend retreats to provide teachers with an opportunity to learn how to teach science in and through the arts and technology; and students with an opportunity to learn marine biology, community history and resource management in different geographical locations via these tools and methods. The project sponsors, Kennedy Center Partners in Education teams from Maine and Alaska, will employ local teaching artists from each location in a two year professional development sequence for and with teachers and administrators. The project focuses on Investigation, Communication, Collaboration, Creation and Reflection as central themes and processes for teachers and students. Throughout the two years, teams will work with students in grades 4 -12 to create ongoing communications between the two locations; gather scientific information via oral history and storytelling; and ultimately to produce a collaborative performance piece that reflects the similarities, differences, and learning opportunities between the two communities.

Project Activities

Teachers, administrators and Teaching Artists in Deer Isle, Maine and Juneau, Alaska will:

1. INVESTIGATE local cultural perspectives, around the topics of fishing and marine ecosystems, through creative interview processes with fishermen and related community members;
2. Learn to use and teach digital media and environments to COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE and CREATE writing, music and visual arts focused on locally relevant issues (fish depletion; subsistence/sustainable fishing; environmental regulations such as whale regulations; and tourism/cruise ship impacts, etc.) with national/global implications (international trading, climate change, etc.);
3. CREATE writing, original music and visual arts to produce a performance with students, either for film or stage, based on interviews and the study of fishing /marine ecosystems, including REFLECTIONS on the collaborative process within and across the communities.

Project Timeline