Curriculum

The School Curriculum offers a year of activity and discussion for grades 6 through 12

This website pushes the goal to get students outdoors for a learning experience, but it is built for classroom interaction. If you are a kumu, a teacher, video clips from Youtube, and links to news articles can bring some knowledge into your classroom.

Hāloa as a teacher. Lo'i as a classroom.

Disclaimer: These are suggested activities offered by someone who likes to eat kalo and is not a kumu (teacher). You know your haumana (students) the best. Our focus is on kalo's cultural history and use as food. For detailed information on planting and farming please see the book Taro Mauka To Makai, published by CTAHR. Link to CTAHR.hawaii.edu.

This curriculum targets teachers who convey knowledge to students at 6th grade and higher. Any student with hunger to learn is welcome to explore. We appreciate your curiosity and constructive feedback.

Months are assigned educational themes. The calendar runs from July, when a teacher might plan the school year, to the following May, when students can pull the kalo and eat. Youtube is blocked from some school computers. Please note that the web-links may have copyrighted material that is prohibited from reproduction or distribution without permission. Weblinks are imbedded in the text.

Protection of students from adverse internet materials, and protection of visitors' computers from viruses and SPAM are a high priority. In addition we aim to respect the intellectual property rights of the creators of the videos and photos that are referred to in this website.

This curriculum aims to meet the following core concepts:


Food, Culture, Science, Botany, Biological Diversity, Health, Nutrition, Economics and Setting Goals

Teacher Preparation: July

Kalo as a main course in Hawai'i's history: August

Standard: Analyzing Influences

  1. Objective: Identify events in Hawaiian history that show kalo’s cultural importance.

  2. Objective: Explain how the concepts of ‘Ohana and Hāloa relate to kalo.

  3. Objective: Understand kalo’s role as a sustainable food.

  4. Objective: Explain how language, stories, artifacts, traditions and beliefs are elements of culture and contribute to cultural preservation.

Food and Health. What do the students think of eating kalo? September

Standard: Analyzing Influences

  1. Objective: Explore how our cultural behavior related to food is influenced by a system of beliefs, knowledge and practices shared by a group.

  2. Objective: Identify influences that guide our food choices.

  3. Objective: Understand how a visitor unfamiliar with the culture can interpret an experience differently.

The global lū‘au. How does kalo fit into the global food supply? October

Standard: Analyzing Influences

  1. Objective: Name other countries where communities eat kalo.

  2. Objective: Identify other communities that use a traditional food to pass on their culture.

Ahupua‘a and Farming, mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean): November

Standard: The scientific process: Nature of science

  1. Objective: Define the Ahupua’a system.

  2. Objective: Identify popular kalo farming areas, and the environmental features the areas have in common.

How many kinds of kalo can I eat? December

Standard: Life and Environmental Sciences: Biodiversity, genetics and evolution

  1. Objective: Define biodiversity.

  2. Objective: Name the parts of the kalo plant in both Hawaiian and botanical terms.

  3. Objective: Distinguish between the four genera (types) of taro.

  4. Objective: Distinguish between the classification (types) of kalo (Colocasia esculenta) varieties.

How much does it cost to grow and eat kalo? January

Standard: Decision making and goal setting

  1. Objective: Cost analysis of growing food for your own family.

  2. Objective: Gardening: estimate how much input should produce how much food.

  3. Objective: Evaluate the immediate and long-term consequences of food and diet decisions on the individual, family, and community.

Feed your ‘ohana. February

Standard: Health and Nutrition

  1. Objective: Appreciate the importance of safety in cooking food.

  2. Objective: Identify the effects of specific vitamins and minerals on students’ health and physical abilities.

  3. Objective: Understand concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.

Who is a Kupuna? March

Standard: Analyzing Influences

  1. Objective: Identify kupuna in your family and community.

  2. Objective: Explain genealogy’s role as a tool for gaining cultural knowledge about other people in our community.

Technology: What are the effects on my food? April

Standard: Life and Environmental Sciences: Biodiversity, genetics and evolution

  1. Objective: Explain how scientific advancements and emerging technology have influenced the production of our food.

  2. Objective: Weigh the risks and benefits of technological solutions on our surrounding environment.

  3. Objective: Identify pests and diseases that threaten kalo. See book Taro Mauka To Makai, College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources.

  4. Objective: Study the benefits of organic pest and disease control. See book Taro Mauka To Makai, College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources.

Harvest, Lū‘au, What are your career plans? May

Standard: Decision making and goal setting.

  1. Objective: Explore careers related to kalo that may interest the student.

  2. Objective: Understand how various careers influence our supply of kalo as food.