Learning Experience

Thanks for Giving: Thanksgiving the Native American Way

By Dawn Frank

Learning Context

Grade Level: 4^th

Purpose: For students to learn the meaning of Thanksgiving in the general way of the Haudenosaunee and Native Americans

For students to become acquainted with the Native American respect for nature

Standards and Performance Indicators:

Giving Thanks, Strawberry Thanksgiving, and The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story

Standard: English Language Arts 2.2

Speaking and writing for literary response involves presenting interpretations, analyses, and reactions to the content and language of a text. Speaking and writing for literary expression involves producing imaginative texts that use language and text structures that are inventive and often multilayered.

• Produce interpretations of literary works that identify different levels of meaning and comment on their significance and effect.

Standard: Social Studies 1.1

The study of New York State and United States history requires an analysis of the development of American culture, diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and traditions.

• Explain those values, practices, and traditions that unite all Americans. 

Tree Bark Rattles, "Round Dance of the Unity", and Earth Web Exercise:

Standard: Art 1.1

Students will perform set dance forms in formal and informal contexts and will improvise, create, and perform dances based on their own movement ideas. They will demonstrate an understanding of choreographic principles, processes, structures and roles of various participants in dance productions.

• Demonstrate ways of moving in relation to people, objects, and environments in set dance forms.

Standard: Math, Science, and Technology 4.2 - Physical Setting

Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.

• Explain how the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and lithosphere (land) interact, evolve, and change.

"Slow Motion Picture:"

Standard: Math, Science, and Technology 4.4 - The Living Environment

The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

• Describe the major stages in the life cycle of selected plants and animals.

These standards are quoted from the Learning Standards written by the New York State Education Department. 

Connection to Instruction/Curriculum: A Learning Experience that is linked to the Learning Unit: A Walk in the Woods: The Legacy of the Haudenosaunee. This fits into the 4^th Grade Native American/Iroquois Curriculum Study.

The subject areas covered: English Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Music 

To succeed students will know or understand:

Procedure

What will be done by teacher and students:

Read: Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp. "Think, pair, share" - students will discuss what the Mohawk Indians are thankful for. Then, they will brainstorm for 3 minutes on what they have to truly be thankful for and how they relate to the Mohawk Indians. Responses are to be shared orally with the class.

"The Round Dance of the Unity and Thanksgiving"

Art: Make Tree Bark Rattles from the Seneca Video, "Keepers of the Western Door: Music and Dance of the Seneca" to use in the "Round Dance" detailed in the next section. The video demonstrates how to make a bark rattle. This may be done in conjunction with the art teacher.

Dance: "The Round Dance of Unity and Thanksgiving" from Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children to express what the students are thankful for and to show their thanks for all that the Haudenosaunee expressed in Giving Thanks.

To perform this dance, begin by having students arrange themselves in two circles.

Part 1: Each circle of students will move in opposite directions.

Part 2: Once students in the outer circle make a complete circle, each group will switch directions.

Part 3: Each circle switches directions.

Part 4: Each circle switches back into position of Part 2 (Caduto, p.50).

Students may discuss how their dance routine demonstrated their thankfulness.

Earth Web Exercise:

Procedure: Write on the blackboard the following words: Plants, Animals, Soil, Sunlight, Rain, Air (Oxygen), Trees, Water, etc. and any other natural resources found on Earth that the students mention. Ask the students to share with the class ways in which all of us are connected to these parts of Earth. For example, ask the students what we need to live (food, clothing, shelter, oxygen). Then ask them where in Earth we get these necessities. This will lead them to trace supplies such as food from supermarkets to farms and back to their original sources as found in nature. That is, if we eat foods like corn, then it links back to a plant that grows in the soil. Challenge the students to think of one thing that we need to live that does not trace back to nature. Once students have brainstormed ideas, connected them to Earth, and written them down, then discuss how each item on the list is like a gigantic spider web that connects us all together. In other words, we are all interconnected. Have students explore what the word interconnected means (a connection to each other). How is everything on Earth connected? How are these connections like glue which bond us together to form one Earth? If all things on Earth are connected, then we must be thankful for what it provides and careful with how we use it. This is the message of the Haudenosaunee. Explore other insights related to what we need to be thankful for (all people, etc.) (Caduto, p.50-51).

 Checklist for class discussion:

Adapted from a checklist by Strategic Learning Technologies, Inc. ;

located at www.rubrics.com

Strawberry Thanksgiving:

Read Strawberry Thanksgiving by Paulla Jennings and The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac. Strawberry Thanksgiving is about a boy who discovers the true meaning of thanksgiving. It involves the story of a brother and sister who learn the need to forgive and to forget with the help of a gift from the Great Spirit. The First Thanksgiving is about an argument between a husband and wife, which is resolved by the Sun's gift of strawberries. Compare and contrast the two stories. Discuss the meaning of each and what we need to be thankful for. Use the "Trash 'n Treasure Method of Notetaking" to construct a Venn Diagram or other graphic organizer for the students' responses. With their notes from the graphic organizers, students will write an essay to compare and contrast the two books.

Comparison/Contrast Checklist:

Adapted from rubric from Strategic Learning Technologies, Inc.; located at www.rubrics.com

"Slow Motion Picture" Activity/ Plant Appreciation Festival: Arrange the students in cooperative groups of three. Provide strawberry plants (without berries) for each group. Students will use a digital camera to take snapshots of a strawberry plant as it develops blossoms. Students need to photograph the plant from the same position twice a week over the course of several weeks or months. This series of images indicates the plant's growth stages. Students will keep a journal to record their observations. Once the plant bears strawberries, each group of students must compile a photo-journal of pictures and captions of the following stages: 1) the original plant; 2) the plant with green buds; 3) the plant with white blossoms and yellow centers; 4) the plant with pink berries; and 5) the plant with red strawberries. The students will also write entries in their journals that express their thankfulness for the growth of their strawberries, illustrating the spirit of the Native Americans. Each journal will be laminated and bound into a book which will be shared with other 4^th grade classes (Caduto, p.54).

These exercises were adapted from the "Round Dance of Unity and Thanksgiving" in Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac which is published by Fulcrum Publishing, 1994, pages 50-51, 54. Fulcrum Publishing is located at www.fulcrum-books.com

Checklist for journal writing:

Instructional/Environmental Modifications

It may be necessary to have books of different levels to accommodate all students’ reading abilities. There is also a great deal of class discussion for the purpose of assessing students’ understanding in each exercise. There are also video tapes available. Teachers/librarians will be observing students and providing guidance and assistance when necessary. Students will be assisted while using the digital camera, and while taking and developing the pictures.

Materials and Supplies 

Pencils, paper

"Music and Dance of the Seneca" Video

Tree bark, seeds or pebbles, small piece of wood – enough for each student

to have their own rattle

Graphic organizers

Strawberry plants - 1 for each group

Digital camera, printer, and photo developing paper

Journals

Laminator, book binding machine

Assessment Tools and Techniques

Teachers/librarian will do the following:

1. Observe students
2. Initiate group discussions
3. Utilize checklists and/or rubrics to evaluate journal writing, essay

Time Required

Planning – 4-5 hours

Implementation 1-2 months

Assessment – in procedure section - over 4-5 hours - imbedded

Student Work

Unavailable

Reflection

Students will be actively engaged in Native American Thanksgiving practices. This lesson will be most effective by working collaboratively with other teachers.

Bibliography

Bruchac, Joseph. The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story. New York: Penguin Group, 1993.

Caduto, Michael and Joseph Bruchac. "The Thanks to the Trees." Keepers

of Life: Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth

Activities for Children. Golden: Fulcrum Publishing, 1994.

Jansen, Barbara. "Trash-'N-Treasure Method of Teaching Notetaking."

School Library Media Activities Monthly, February, 1996: 29-32.

Jennings, Paulla. Strawberry Thanksgiving. Cleveland, Modern Curriculum Press, 1992.

Keepers of the Western Door: Music and Dance of the Seneca. Oneida

Boces Videocassette, V0362.

Swamp, Chief Jake. Giving Thanks. New York: Lee and Low Books, 1995.