Lesson 26: Researching Reciprocity

Think-Pair-Share

Place students in pairs.

Say these Directions: Think back to all the ideas and examples we discussed in Braiding Sweetgrass. First, take a quiet moment to think. Then, turn to your partner and share what you found most interesting about the idea of reciprocity and why it stayed with you.

• Ask: What did you find most interesting about the concept of reciprocity in Braiding Sweetgrass?

  • I was most interested in how Kimmerer shows that people are supposed to give back, not just take. For example, the part that struck me the most was when she talked about having gratitude for fruits like strawberries and to consider them gifts from the land as opposed to just something we pick up in the grocery store, which shows that reciprocity is an intentional mindset and responsibility, not just a choice.

Choose 2–3 students to share their ideas with the class.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we are beginning the research part of our unit. Your task will be to develop a research question about reciprocity or balance in human or natural systems, study multiple credible sources, compare at least two sources that interpret the topic differently, and, finally, create a multimedia presentation that explains what you learned and how this knowledge can restore balance between humans and the environment.

Unpack the Prompt

Display and have students briefly review the Performance Task Description and Criteria for Success:

Say these Directions: As you review the Performance Task Description and Criteria for Success, focus on what you will need to do as a researcher and what your final product will include.

Performance Task Description:

Develop a research question about reciprocity or balance in human or natural systems. Research at least three credible sources, including two that interpret the topic differently. Write a presentation explaining what you learned from your research and how knowledge can restore balance to human and natural systems.

You may publish your work as a digital article with visual displays, a short video, or a multimedia presentation with captions and visuals. After you have drafted your presentation, you will orally present your research with your multimedia and visual displays to your peers.

Criteria for Success:

• A clear, focused research question connected to reciprocity, restoration, or systems balance

• Credible and varied sources (at least three, including two with differing interpretations of the topic)

• Accurate, well-organized information supported by specific evidence and clear synthesis, not just summary

• Logical structure with purposeful headings, transitions, and text features (charts, visuals, captions) that clarify ideas

• Multimedia and visual displays that clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest

• Objective, precise language and correct citation of sources

• Reflection or conclusion explaining how reclaiming or applying knowledge can restore balance or reciprocity

• Professional presentation and tone appropriate for a public or academic audience

Ask students the following questions to activate prior knowledge about student-led research.

Say these Directions: Consider what you already know about research or how you have done research in the past.

• Ask: What do you already know about research skills?

  • Research skills help you find information, decide which sources are trustworthy, and keep track of what you learn. Good research also starts with a clear question, not just a general topic.

• Ask: How have you done research in the past?

  • (Student responses may vary.) In the past, I usually started with a topic, read a few articles, and took notes. Sometimes my topic was too broad, so I ended up collecting facts instead of really answering a question.

• Say: A strong topic should connect clearly to reciprocity or balance between human beings and nature and be something you can research using multiple sources, including sources that show different perspectives.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you understand the focus of the research and the performance task, we are going to learn about what makes a strong research topic. You will begin the research process by generating possible topics and starting to shape them into focused research questions.

Part A: Brainstorming Potential Research Topics (W.8.7) (15 minutes)

Students learn about how to brainstorm potential research topics. Discuss with students how to move from a broad topic to a more specific researchable topic.

Say these Directions: A good research project does not begin with a broad topic like “fire” or “animals” or “water.” It begins with a topic that is specific enough to investigate and relevant enough to matter. Remember that your research topic comes from Kimmerer’s larger ideas about reciprocity and the balance between human beings and natural systems and should be something you can realistically research using multiple sources.

Display the following topic:

• Broad Research Topic: Controlled burns or fire management

• Ask: How can we narrow this broad topic and make it easier to research?

  • You could say how to use controlled burns to restore natural woodlands or natural forest. You could also talk about how people sometimes burn areas in order to prevent an outbreak of wildfires.

Display this framing to support students in moving from broad topics to more specific topics:

Say these Directions: Use this framing to help you to move from broad research topics to more specific research topics.

• How does _______ (specific system, policy, or practice) _________ (precise academic verb) _________ (ecosystem or community) in ways that _______ (demonstrate or disrupt reciprocity)?

• Optional extension: and what are the long-term effects on _________?

Turn and Talk

Transition students into partners to start brainstorming possible topics they might want to research.

Say these Directions: We are going to start our research by brainstorming possible research topics together. First, think about the human-environment relationships Kimmerer wrote about. Then, collaborate with your partner and name examples and topics from the book that could lead to further exploration and research by discussing the following questions.

Display the following question for partners to discuss.

What specific examples of human-environment relationships did Kimmerer write about?

• Kimmerer wrote about the Three Sisters growing together, sweetgrass restoration, restoration of the land for salmon to return to the river, maple sugaring, the return of old-growth forests, and how overconsumption can damage balance. Each example shows a relationship where human choices affect the system.

What specific examples did Kimmerer use to explain her ideas about reciprocity?

• Kimmerer wrote about considering the fruits and vegetables we take from the land as gifts as opposed to commodities. She used the example of basketmaking to show that you can care about the goods you take from the land by showing gratitude and giving back.

Next, transition the student partners into brainstorming potential topics they might be interested in researching. Remind students that they can think beyond Kimmerer’s book and consider the following topics:

• other plants or animals that have reciprocal relationships with people

• environmental systems in the local community or region

• issues related to land, water, or resource use in their own communities or the greater United States

• Indigenous practices students are curious to learn more about

Say these Directions: Now, collaborate with your partner and brainstorm two or three possible research topics of your own. Use the examples from the book to help you think about topics related to reciprocity and balance in human and natural systems. As you talk, try to make each idea specific enough that someone could actually research it more easily than just a one- or two-word topic.

Circulate to support students brainstorming potential research topics with their partners. Encourage pairs to jot down their research topics in their journals to share with the larger class after their partner discussion.

• I am considering pollinator gardens in cities because people build them, but they also help bees and other pollinators survive.

• I might research salmon restoration because it connects ecosystems, food systems, and Indigenous stewardship.

• I am interested in local water use because it affects people, plants, and animals in the same system.

After partners discuss, lead a whole-class discussion in which students share their potential research topics. Keep a visible class list titled Possible Research Topics. Add student ideas as they share so the list can support students in selecting their final research topic.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Part B: Choosing Possible Topics (W.8.7) (15 minutes)

Transition students into working independently for the next part of the lesson. Students will now determine 3–4 topics they are most interested in researching.

Have students create a four-column chart in their journals. The chart should include the following headings:

Say these Directions: Create this chart in your journals. Use this chart to determine 3–4 possible research topics. For each topic, include a brief description, how it relates to the overarching research topic, and why it interests you.

Display this completed sample if students need a model:

Say these Directions: As you complete the four-column chart, consider these questions:

• Is this topic connected to reciprocity or balance?

• Can I imagine finding more than one source about it?

• Can I explain why it matters to a human and natural system?

• Is my topic too broad? Where can I add a specific place or system?

• Say: If a topic is specific, relevant, and interesting, it becomes a strong starting point for research. Our goal today is to leave class with one or two strong topics that we can use to create inquiry questions in future lessons.

Say these Directions: Begin completing your chart independently. Be ready to revise your ideas as you think more deeply about each topic.

As students work, circulate and use the following research prompts to ensure students are progressing in their topic selection:

• What new connection helped you decide this topic might work?

• What new inquiry question is starting to form?

• What changes do you need to make to your topic so it becomes more specific?

Quick Write

Transition students into writing an independent Quick Write response to reflect on their potential research topics.

Say these Directions: In 2–3 sentences, explain which topic you are most interested in researching and why. Be sure to explain how your topic connects to reciprocity or balance in a human or natural system.

• (Student responses may vary.) I am most interested in researching salmon restoration because it connects ecosystems, food systems, and Indigenous stewardship. This topic connects to reciprocity because restoring salmon populations supports both the environment and the communities that depend on them. One topic I selected is urban pollinator gardens. I chose it because our class discussion about reciprocal relationships reminded me that people can build habitats that support bees, and bees help plants reproduce, which keeps the system in balance.

Instruct students to write 3–5 questions in their Journal about the topic that they would like to explore through research. Tell them that they will use these questions in the next lesson when they generate focused inquiry questions about their research topics.

• Write 3–5 questions in your Journal about the topic you would like to explore through research.