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Why do we dream? I have found that this is a questions that is yet to be

answered. Through my research, I came across two types of scientific theories, as well
as, an understanding of how some Native American cultures would answer this
question. Most of the scientific explanations for dreaming explain the phenomenon as
either physiological or psychologically necessary. Some believe that dreaming is the
byproduct of random brain firing that occurs while you are sleeping, therefore having no
real purpose for humans. Others believe that dreaming functions as a way of dealing
with difficult or stressful emotional issues that occur throughout the day but are not dealt
with (Bryant, 2010). Some Native American cultures, including the Chippewa, believe that
dreams come from the night air, not as a function of the brain at all . None of these
ideas have been definitively proven, so this question remains unanswered. Throughout
the past few weeks, my definition of science has differed slightly from what it first was. I
will outline below how my understanding of science has changed, how I chose to
represent my growth and learning of this topic as well as, any implications this may
have for teaching.
Looking back at my original definition of science, I do still agree with the general
idea. However, I would like to add to it given some new understandings. My original
definition read, The process of testing ideas about the way things are (nature) through
questions, observations, and experiments. I would still agree that science is a process
just as described through my initial definition, however, when this was written my idea of
the process of science was different than it is now. When writing the word process, I
was referring mostly to the scientific method of observations, asking a question,
conducting research, etc. Because of this I also viewed the process as a very linear

one. This is the part of my understanding that has changed. Through this project and
class since that first day, I have gained an understanding of science as a more dynamic
process that is not linear as I previously assumed. I have come to understand that as
you conduct research, you run into road blocks and also new questions and ideas that
lead you back to the beginning. The images below show how my idea of science as a
process has evolved.

My new definition of science would be similar to the first but attempt to encompass the
process as dynamic rather than linear. I find it hard to define science in a sentence as it
is an array of things. Science is a body of knowledge and the process through which
we obtain it. It is dynamic and ongoing. Science aims to explain the natural world
through observations, questioning, and experimental evidence. After choosing a
question, in my beginning research I found that there is not yet an answer to the
question why do we dream. Hitting this roadblock forced me to try finding evidence and

to ask other questions. Upon reflection, this helped me to see how the process of
science, does not flow in a linear matter from observations to question to research to a
conclusion, but sometimes causes you to go back to other steps in the process.
Through collaborating with peers, I was also able to gain alternate perspectives. Many
of the articles we have read have explained border crossings and culture in relation to
science. Science has also been explained as a culture and therefore can be presented
and exist alongside other cultural beliefs. This came to life for me through this research
project. I was only researching and exploring the scientific explanation of dreams and
my peers in Native American Studies helped to give me an understanding of other
explanations for the same natural phenomenon. Many Native American cultures do not
believe that dreams are a function of the brain, but that dreams come from the night air.
This helped me to see that science is only one explanation for the way the things are,
and that other cultural explanations can co-exist with science.
The representation I created is meant to portray the lightbulb that I had in
understanding science as a culture. I made a dream catcher that as a whole represents
how the natural occurrence of dreaming can be explained from different perspectives or
cultures, one of which being science. I began by only investigating the scientific
theories that seek to explain dreaming, but found that other cultures may explain it
differently, as the Chippewa people did through dreams being in the night air. This topic
could be further explored to see how other cultures explain the natural phenomenon of
dreaming, as I am sure there are many other cultural explanations. The dream catcher I
created is of course not a true representation of how the Chippewa created them, but is
only my representation of the topic. The Chippewa would have traditionally used a

hoop made of willow and sinew made from plants to make the web. My representation
of a dreamcatcher used very different materials to create and is not meant to replicate
traditional Native American creations, but is meant to visually represent the topic of
dreaming and how its explanation is subject to cultural differences. To represent the two
types of scientific explanations for dreaming (physiologically necessary and
psychological) I made two of the strings different from the other with feathers and the
string in the middle with beads to represent other cultures (specifically Native American
culture). As a whole it shows how there are different explanations for nature that exist
alongside each other, as well as, the different directions that a question can take you.
Had I not spoken to my peers and looked into other explanations of dreaming this
representation would have been completely different and focused only on science as
the way of knowing, rather than a way of knowing.
The idea of science as a way of knowing and as a process are important things
to remember as a teacher. The topic of dreaming or sleep cycles is not one specifically
addressed in the program of studies at all, however, from this I have learned how many
places a good question can take you. I can understand how starting a topic with an
authentic question can make learning real. I can also see introducing a topic with an
object like the one I created to explore the same avenues. Basing learning around a
question allows learning to be authentic and can introduce many different perspectives.
Through my question why do we dream I found information on the different scientific
theories that try to explain dreaming, and then stumbled across related information and
came up with new questions. This also led me to look into the stages of sleep in
relation to dreaming and lastly into other explanations for why we dream rooted outside

of science. This leads me to think about the importance of including FNMI content into
all teaching, even science, and how easy it could potentially be. Including content from
another culture seems like a scary, daunting thing when you just think about it but in this
case it could so easily be presented as an explanation alongside the other scientific
theories for dreaming. In line with this idea, is the importance of teaching children the
real process of science, rather than a never ending list of theories and conclusions.
One of the ways I mentioned doing this in my journal was through having students do
their own research. Through the process of coming up with a question and looking for
explanations and evidence you see that there are many instances in which the answer
is not definitive or new questions emerge and it takes you down another path before you
reach the conclusion. The process of science is the same; you do not always reach an
answer with the first attempted experiment- you may have to revisit your question and
develop new methods. Both explicitly teaching students about the nature of science
and implicitly including it in projects and assignments will help create a better
understanding of how science is actually a creative process rather than the boring list of
facts that it may be seen as. Science is everywhere. Nature is filled with amazing
things that are explained by science, and some that are still yet to be explained. From
our brains and bodies, to the solar system, to why hot air rises there are millions of
areas in nature to be explored, it is just a matter of introducing students to one they can
be interested in- or even introducing one they may not be interested in in an interesting
way such as a story, question, or artifact.
In conclusion, through this process in addition to the other learning I have done
through class, I have gained a new and slightly different understanding of the process of

science. I have also gained an understanding of science as a culture and a way of

knowing. With this, the importance of bringing in other cultural perspectives or ways of
knowing such as those of First Nations into teaching and learning. With this new
understanding of science, it is also important to bring the nature of science into your
teaching. Asking questions is a great starting point for doing this in the classroom.