Lesson Overview:
This unit for grades K-5 (including lessons for K-2 and 3-5 respectively) introduces students to Native Americans and various aspects of Native American weavings. Emphasis will be placed on Navajo loom weavings. Students will explore various ways of relating the weaving pattern to dance movement. The multicultural approach of these lessons will help students gain an appreciation for other cultures while developing an understanding of the interrelatedness of dance to various aspects of life. Students will have the opportunity to develop technical, creative and performance abilities.
Length of Lesson:
Three 45-minute periods
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for students in grades 3-4.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- become familiar with the life of a Native American weaver.
- broaden their ability to create dances through the abstraction of ideas and sources.
- create a bridge between the Native American cultures and the students' lifestyles.
- demonstrate knowledge through group activities.
- enhance their knowledge and understanding of the Native American people, specifically the topic of Navajo weavings.
- clarify their personal views of themselves in relationship to the lives of those from another culture.
- integrate dance with the academics and with other art forms.
Instructional Plan:
Activity One: Teacher Directed
Begin the lesson with information on the story they will read, such as title, author and what the story is based on. They will learn general information and history about Native American Navajo weaving and culture and gain an understanding of the life of a young Navajo girl. Explain to the students the importance of the generation of Navajo weavers and their product—generally rugs.
Navajo weavers carry the distinction of being the best weavers among Native American tribes. The Navajo's fiber/yarn for weaving comes from the sheep they raise. They never use cotton. Navajos began weaving in the 1600's, when the Spanish introduced sheep into the territory. They now have vast herds of sheep that provide the wool for their rugs.
The wool is sheared, washed and combed. Navajo weavers used a simple spindle, as seen in this statue, which is a stick that goes through the center of a round disk for spinning the wool into thread.
Navajo weavers used native dyes for their colors and primarily used yellow, red and black. They also used natural wool colors like grays, rusts and whites. Although traditional colors are still used for the most part, you will occasionally see new modern colors interspersed.
Navajo folklore and traditions claim that the Spider Woman, not the Spaniards, taught Navajo weavers to weave. Begin to read the story "Navajo Weaver" from the book, Children of the Earth and Sky by Stephen Krensky with the students.
In a group activity, ask the students to name the major points that make up the story. You may also use the Printable Story Map with the students. List the major points of the story on chart paper or the board. Students can then create their story map based on what was discussed.
After listening to the story and discussing it in class, students should complete the Student Questions Handout.
Activity Two: Performance Task
Ask the students to imagine that they have just visited a Navajo Indian tribe and want to write a letter to a good friend about what they have learned. Ask them to think about the answers to the questions in the handout to help them form their letter. Tell them to include as much information as possible. Choose one of the following two methods of sharing students' works:
- Have the students share their letters with the class through individual oral presentations.
—or—
- Photocopy the students' letters and distribute them to the class. Have the students form small discussion groups to read aloud and listen to others' letters, and choose the best-written letter to be read in front of the class by one member of the group.
Activity Three: The Dance
Students will now return to the story and look at the order of the blanket colors in Little Crow's weaving. Students will observe her weaving in the book and use her order of colors and design, as ideas for a dance study. Begin by using the Blank Color and Dance Chart Handout and listing the color order and patterns. Referring to question eleven from the Discussion Questions Handout, discuss the students’ personal ways of seeing the order of the blanket colors and the design presented. After the students have created their individual charts, begin discussion and start to create the final chart on the board, with everyone's input. Color and pattern ideas will be recorded on the board. Finally, complete the chart by filling in movement and count, based on how students "view" the design. Distribute the Discussion Questions Handout to the students.
Activity Four
Have groups of students count and do the movement pattern in place while standing. Practice several times.
Have groups of students walk in space (travel) while performing the movement pattern. Practice several times.
Activity Five
If it is a new class day, then students will review the chart and movement pattern they practiced in the last class. Students will first practice seated, then standing. If you are continuing on in the same class,divide the students into four groups. Place them in the four corners of the room and have them practice how they would implement this movement and count chart to create the dance. They have to decide direction, movement, level, speed, etc. Each group will then have created a complete a dance sequence, and they will demonstrate what they have created. Before beginning their dance sequence, the students should present their pattern explaining direction, movement, level, speed, etc. to the class. These elements make each groups' dance different. The teacher should point to the pattern sheet to see if they are repeating in the order they should as the group demonstrates.
Once each group has demonstrated the pattern, place all patterns together to perform the complete dance. You can create a four-part pattern as well, to intersperse in the dance. Refer students to the Example of Color and Dance Patterns Handout.
Assessment:
Use the Assessment Rubric Handout.
Extensions:
This unit can be used independently or in conjunction with another unit entitled, Totems, Personal and Historical.
A simple weaving unit could be completed with the help of the Visual Art Teacher. Or the classroom teacher could create simple small cardboard looms and have the students weave small placemats in the Navajo style.
Sources:
Print
- Autumn, White Deer of. Ceremony in the Circle of Life. Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. Hillsboro, OR, 1991.
- Cheney, Gay. Basic Concepts in Modern Dance. Princeton Book Company, Publishers, Pennington, NJ, 1989.
- Fox, Frank. North American Indians. Putnam and Grosset Group, New York, NY, 1995.
- Griffin-Pierce, Trudy. The Encyclopedia of Native America. Michael Friedman
Publishing Group, Inc., New York, NY, 1995.
- Grossman, Virginia and Long, Sylvia. Ten Little Rabbits. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA, 1991.
- Krensky, Stephen. Children of the Earth and Sky. Scholastic, Inc., New York, NY, 1991.
- Oakley, Ruth. The North American Indians in the Beginning. Marshall Cavendish Corporation, New York, NY, 1991.
- Oakley, Ruth. The North American Indians, Art and Totems. Marshall Cavendish Corporation, New York, NY, 1991.
Web:
Authors:
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Carol Tester, Teacher
Thomas Pullen Arts Magnet School
Hughesville, MD
