Studying a stream's ecosystem firsthand in Honouliwai, Hawaii

Kimberly Puanani Johnston [contemporary] lives on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. She teaches first grade in the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program of the state’s Department of Education.  Students in Kula Kaiapuni o Kualapu’u study the same subjects as other students, but all instruction is conducted in the Hawaiian language. In addition to language, the curriculum emphasizes Native Hawaiian cultural tradition and values. Children in Johnston’s class learn about their home and the world around them through lessons in and outside of the classroom. They learn their history by taking trips to areas of great significance to their ancestors. Students journey around the island, learning ways to protect the ocean and the streams and all that live there. They also do activities in reforestation, restoration of ancient fishponds, and the preservation of Native foods and herbs.  Johnston teaches her students about computers, and they share their activities on the Internet. Through the efforts of Kula Kaiapuni and teachers like Johnston, the Native Hawaiian language and culture will thrive through the children of Hawaii.

Let’s explore the water cycle    Have the students read A Drop around the World or explore other resources to learn about the water cycle and how streams depend on rain. Discuss the following questions: 

• What would happen if a stream dried up because we diverted all the water?
• What would happen if there were no plants on a mountainside?
• What would happen if people dumped trash and chemicals into a stream or an ocean? 

Make a chart to display ways to take care of streams and rivers and conserve  resources. Write ideas on paper raindrops and stick them to the chart.

Let’s investigate our need for water    Share the following Hawaiian proverb: Ue ka lani, ola ka honua (When the heavens weep, the earth lives.) Discuss the figurative meaning of the proverb. Have the student share examples from their own lives that relate to our need for life-giving rain by drawing pictures and then explaining their work to the class. Have the students write and rehearse a skit about the importance of rain, streams, rivers, and the ocean. For Earth Day, invite other grades to join your class, decorate the classroom with proverb-inspired drawings, perform the skit, explain the charts, and ask for ideas from the audience.

Making connections  Take action for the streams of Hawaii and bodies of water in your own community. Have the group compose a joint letter to the community from the perspective of the plants and animals that live in local bodies of water. Suggest that the students ask the community to cooperate in caring for these ecosystems, and include suggestions for doing so. Encourage the students to send the letter to the editors of local papers and explore other outlets for promoting this cause. Read in Children of Native America Today about other groups that are working hard to preserve ecosystems.

Suggested Resources 
Discover Hawai’i’s Freshwater Wildlife; Discover Hawai’i’s Natural Forests; Discover Hawai’i’s Sandy Beaches and Tidepools. Katherine Orr. Waipahu, HI: Island Heritage Publishing.

A Drop around the World. Barbara Shaw McKinney. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 1998.

Flowing to the Sea. Maura O’Connor. Honolulu,HI: Moanalua Gardens Foundation, 1994.

Hawaiian Word Book. Robin Yoko Burningham. Honolulu, HI: BessPress, 1983. 
“Central Pacific Island Environments"
“Exploring the Islands Teacher Guide"
“Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk"
“Hawaii Watersheds"

Links from Carlos Andrade, Ph.D.
Lesson plans and student exercises about Hawaii’s land, waters, forests, winds and more.
The waters of beautiful Haena on the island of Kauai.
Ancient and modern Haena.
A quick video featuring elders and culture in the Hawaiian language.