The Yaghan People: A Model for Climate Adaptation

Analyze short videos and text excerpts for messages about the Yaghan people of Patagonia, their adaptation to extreme climate and about which voices media makers choose to highlight.

Grade Levels

Middle School, High School

Objectives

• Students will learn about the beliefs and lifeways of the Yaghan, especially how they have adapted to extreme cold climate.

• Students will consider whose voices are included in narratives about the Yaghan and how those choices impact the believability of and interest in the source.

• Students will reflect on the ways in which Yaghan wisdom can help us adapt to climate changes where we live.

Media Included

Guiding Questions

[Objective] Students will learn about the beliefs and lifeways of the Yaghan, especially how they have adapted to extreme cold climate.

• What do the authors say about how the Indigenous people of the southernmost edge of South America adapted to the extreme climate in their environment?

[Objective] Students will consider whose voices are included in narratives about the Yaghan and how those choices impact the believability and interest of the source.

• Which voices are most helpful to you in understanding the adaptability or resilience of the Yaghan people?

[Objective] Students will reflect on the ways in which Yaghan wisdom can help us adapt to climate changes where we live.

• Do the Yaghan people have messages about adaptation that apply to us as we deal with climate changes?

*This lesson was created in collaboration with Project Look Sharp.