Field Trip: Museum

Local museums are a wonderful source of information. If your local museum has an Indigenous/Anishinaabe Harvest Exhibit, this would be a great field trip for the class.

Tasting Mnoomin

In the story, students learn that Anishinaabe people harvest mnoomin. For a hands-on experience, students can taste mnoomin by trying it after it’s been fried in a pan (comes out tasting like popcorn) or they can sample mnoomin soup or casserole.

Life Cycle of a Seed

Plants come from seeds. Students can learn more about seeds by being introduced to the plant life cycle. Science lessons could include hands-on activities that examine the growth of a seed by having students plant a seed in potting soil, or in a ziploc bag with a...

The Mnoomin Harvest

The Anishinaabe people still harvest mnoomin each year. There is a process to “knocking” the crop, and special tools are used. Ask students to make a list of crops that can be harvested. Mnoomin picking takes place in late summer to late autumn each year. Ask students...

Comprehension Questions

After reading the book, ask students the following comprehension questions: From what perspective is the author speaking in the book Mnoomin maan’gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin? What animals do we see in the story? In which season does the story take...