KAPAA — School is in full swing now, the autumn equinox arrived Sept. 22, and the rainy season will soon be upon us, relieving areas of drought and dryness and renewing the life of the land. Members of the educational
KAPAA — School is in full swing now, the autumn equinox arrived Sept. 22, and the rainy season will soon be upon us, relieving areas of drought and dryness and renewing the life of the land.
Members of the educational committee of Ka ‘Imi Na‘auao o Hawaii Nei Institute are reaching out to school principals, teachers, cultural and club leaders, and librarians with the nonprofit cultural Institute’s DVD and study guide, “Hawaiians as Scientists, He Mele No Kane (The Waters of Kane).”
This teaching tool on the importance of the water cycle in nature was carefully planned as a ready-to-use lesson plan. The “hands-on” units require observation and critical thinking.
It includes a lecture on the importance of fresh water streams and animals throughout the natural cycle by Kauai District Aquatic Biologist Don Heacock.
Ka ‘Imi students of the Maui branch school were filmed for the chant segment in natural settings, mauka to makai (mountains to sea). The lecture was filmed at a working kalo (taro) farm.
The material is geared to elementary through middle school classes and beyond, to life learners.
Dawn Kawahara, a writer and publisher, completed the final edit and formatting of the study guide developed by Carol Pescaia, a retired teacher who chaired the educational committee for this project.
“We’d like to see the valuable material on the DVD disseminated into schools and organizations to reach children and interested people of all ages, since education is an important part of Ka ‘Imi’s mission,” said Jo Manea, secretary and Kumu Hula (retired) of the Eastside branch school.
An advanced student of Hawaiian language, Manea fulfilled the role of editing the printed Hawaiian language portion.
The DVD is regularly $25, the cost to educators will be $15.
Info: www.kaimi.org.
