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2024 Lesson Plan

Photo Credit: Jamie Kirby DNRC

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Life in the Land Intro Video

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Ice Breaker Activity

What makes human interactions with, and stewardship of, our environments so complex?

What are the potential benefits and challenges of collaborating with your community to address local issues?

What personal character traits would enable you to work well with others?

Photo: Louise Johns

Photo: Gina Riquier, National Park Service

Examine the two photos. They showcase the historic flooding event that occurred in June of 2022 within Yellowstone National Park and its nearby communities. Now, consider that you’re leading a community meeting with the intention of addressing the issue of flooding while also seeking to create a more resilient and sustainable ecosystem. Now, answer the following questions on the PowerPoint slide.

FOR A MORE GENERAL APPROACH: Icebreaker # 2: Working independently, imagine you are planning a community discussion around a particular natural resource issue that is relevant to your local landscape. In planning for this meeting, consider the following questions:

What issue(s) are you seeking to address?
Who might you invite to participate in this discussion?
What are the potential benefits and challenges of trying to collaborate with your local community to address the issue(s)?
What personal character traits would enable you to work well with others?

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View a Life in the Land Film

by clicking one of the links below:

Central Montana Plains

Blackfeet Nation - Amskapi Piikani

The Seeley-Swan Region

The Big Hole Valley

The Upper Yellowstone River

The Mighty Few

Instructors: We recommend downloading your video of choice as an .mp4 to your desktop, rather than streaming, for best viewing quality.

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Discussion Questions

1) Describe the historical, geographical, social, political, and cultural elements that contribute to the story of the people and place mentioned in the film.

2) How would you describe a “connection to place”? What benefits of the relationship did you observe or learn about from the film? In what ways can you connect to your own community and local environment?

3) List any challenges (historical, environmental, social, political, etc.) mentioned in the film. How would you describe the lifespan and impact of these challenges?

4) How does the community describe their collaborative process of working together to address their challenges? What key elements contribute to their success? What creative solutions did they utilize?

5) The film looks at the connections between humans, the environment, and economics. How does these factors intersect in your own community? How would you describe the role of each?

6) From what you have learned today, what skills, abilities or intentions would you like to include in your own approach to problem-solving?

7) What else would you like to learn about the people, process, or outcomes of this effort?

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Podcasts that accompany the films are available on Apple, Spotify, Podbean, iHeart, or StoriesforAction.org.

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Thank you! We hope some new thoughts & ideas were sparked from your viewing & discussion.

We’d love to hear your feedback.

Send us an email at:

info@storiesforaction.org