Diabetes Education in Tribal Schools (DETS)
PURPOSE
The DETS project is part of a national effort to decrease the incidence and improve the care of type 2 diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives. The DETS project is a FREE K- 12 curriculum that weaves together inquiry learning, exposure to science and healthrelated careers, and American Indian/Alaska Native culture and community knowledge. The curriculum units are aligned with national science, health, and social studies education standards. To learn more about the curriculum go to: http://dets.niddk.nih.gov. To download curriculum files go to: www.kbocc.org/dets/htm
BACKGROUND
Diabetes was rare among American Indian and Alaska Native peoples until about 50 years ago. Since then, diabetes has become one of the most common and serious illnesses in the Tribal Nations of North America (Narayan,1997). In 2002 more than 100,00 American Indian and Alaska Native adults, or nearly 15 percent of those receiving care from the Indian Health Service (IHS), were estimated to have diabetes.
GOALS
- Increase the understanding of health, diabetes, and maintaining life in balance among American Indian / Alaska Native students.
- Increase American Indian / Alaska Native students' understanding and application of scientific and community knowledge.
- Increase interest in science and health professions among American Indian / Alaska Native youth.
K-4 CONTENT
At the K–4 level, students will
- develop a concept of health through balance in life;
- identify how making healthy food choices and being physically active every day can prevent diabetes;
- explore the concepts of balance and imbalance through learning activities and visual aids and apply these concepts to maintaining health; and
- explore four areas of their lives—body, mind, feelings, and the world—that work together in harmony to promote good health.
Please note that all K-4 units are interdisciplinary curriculum units emphasizing health science with strong language arts components, and that the kindergarten units are suitable for both K and pre-K levels.
5-8 CONTENT
- At the grades 5–8 level, students using the social studies unit will
- describe lifestyle in terms of dietary patterns, physical activity levels, and personal choices; and
- identify environmental changes that can be made to improve or maintain personal health and the health of families and communities.
At grades 5-8 level, students using the science unit will
- understand, as the result of scientific investigation and the accumulation of evidence, that disease develops slowly across time; and
- understand that diabetes is a disease in which a person’s body is not able to use glucose properly.
9-12 CONTENT
At the grades 9–12 level, students using the science unit will
- learn through analyzing case studies how the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person’s life are affected when someone has diabetes and how to use those aspects of life plus input from the community to regain balance and health;
- understand by using models how the hormones insulin and glucagons regulate blood glucose levels and maintain homeostasis; and
- understand how problems with the body’s use of insulin disrupt the homeostatic regulation of blood glucose and lead to diabetes.
At the grades 9-12 level, students using the health unit will
- learn by conducting interviews with community members what others know about diabetes and what misconceptions about diabetes are common;
- participate in role playing to learn about careers in health professions that deal with diabetes;
- learn about the risk factors for type 2 diabetes including which can be controlled through personal behavior and which cannot; an
- learn that people can reduce their chances of getting type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes.
FUNDING AGENCIES
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases/NIH
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Native Diabetes Wellness Program
Indian Health Service (IHS) Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention
Office of Science Education/NIH
To learn more, please check http://dets.niddk.nih.gov and feel free contact the Tribal College or University representative for your state for additional information.
North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi
Ann Wadsworth
Candeska Cikana Community College
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701-766-1134
North West Montana, Northern Colorado
Joni Ackerman
Fort Peck Community College
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406-768-3024
Kansas, Central and West Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana
Shelly Bointy
Haskell Indian National University
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785-832-6628
Michigan, Eastern Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
Lynn Aho
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
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or
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906-353-8151
Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana
Juanita Wiley Reopelle
Leech Lake Tribal College
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218-335-4279
Washington, Oregon, Northern Idaho, Northern California, Northern Utah
Bill Freeman
Northwest Indian College
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360-392-4284
New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Utah, Southern Colorado
Carol Maller
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
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505-453-4437
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
Corey Sangrey
Stone Child College
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406-395-4875 ext. 246
Alaska, Southern California, Florida, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, New York
Carolee Dodge Francis
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
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702-895-0569