Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE
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Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is for students to explore the concept of the planet earth and our connection to it in the Native American traditional beliefs of “Mother Earth.”
Duration:
One Sixty-Minute Class Period
Objectives:
The learner will:
- describe and illustrate the Native American traditional beliefs of “Mother Earth.”
- interpret the words of Chief Seattle.
- define vocabulary of environmentalism and apply to the past and present.
- cite examples of personal virtue and good character from the past and present.
- recognize the interconnectedness of earth and life.
Service Experience:
Materials:
- Copies (5) of the book Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: The Words of Chief Seattle (see Bibliographical References )
- Audio recording of Native-American music (see Bibliographical References )
- Overhead transparency of Attachment One: Venn Diagram
- Student copies of Attachment Two: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
- Watercolor paints, brushes and white paper
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Play Native American music (see Bibliographical References ). Ask the students if they can identify from what people or culture the music comes. Tell them that the world has many diverse cultures. We can learn from studying diverse traditions and comparing them to our own experiences. Today they will start learning about the Native-American concept of the earth and responsibility to the environment.
- Show the book Brother Eagle, Sister Sky (see Bibliographical References ). Tell the children the background information contained in the flyleaf of the book. Read the book aloud, asking students to comment on how the illustrations contribute to understanding the text. Discuss how Chief Seattle demonstrated good character and personal virtue and compare that to positive and negative examples of that today.
- After finishing the book, ask the class to compare the role of a mother to the role of the earth by completing a Venn diagram on an overhead transparency (see Attachment One). Ask students to brainstorm what might go into each circle. For example, in the mother circle, write “a person;” in the earth circle, write “a planet;” in the intersection, write “nurture with food” (or shelter, water, comfort, beauty or companionship).
- Introduce the vocabulary of environmentalism:
philanthropy - giving time, talent and treasure or taking action for the common good
stewardship - taking care of a valued resource
environment - our surroundings
environmentalist - one who takes care of the natural environment
common good - resources shared for the collective benefit of the whole group of people
- Discuss in what ways stewardship and environmentalism are examples of philanthropy
- Discuss how the vocabulary words apply to the concepts presented by Chief Seattle long ago. Have them think in terms of how Chief Seattle (and the people he represented) would define the words and how he would apply the concepts in his daily life. Chief Seattle's understanding that the earth and all life (including humans) are interconnected is strongly linked to the vocabulary of environmentalism.
- Divide the class into five groups. Assign each group one of the following topics related to the earth: water, air, land, plants and animals. Give each group a copy of Brother Eagle, Sister Sky . Ask one person in the group to read the book aloud slowly. The group listens for references to their topic and records what is said about it using Attachment Two. Model this for the whole class by reading page one of the text and filling in the following references for each topic:
Air: Sky and wind – can't be bought
Water: Rain – can't be bought
Land: Sandy shore, meadow – sacred or holy
Plants: Pine needle – sacred or holy
Animals: Humming bird – sacred or holy
- Ask each group to read its list as the teacher or a class recorder writes “ nature nouns” under each of the five categories on chart paper or an overhead transparency. These words will be used in the next lesson.
- Distribute white paper, watercolor paints, brushes and cups of water. Explain that they are going to begin to make a picture similar (not as detailed) to the illustrations in Brother Eagle, Sister Sky.
- The students will be creating a work of art with a watercolor “wash” and fine black-line drawing. Today they will be creating the color wash and tomorrow drawing the black lines. They should choose the appropriate colors for their wash based on the subject. (If they are going to do primarily trees and woods they might want to use mostly green and brown. If they want to portray water and meadow they might use primarily blue and green.) Show the students how to use the paintbrush to dampen their entire paper with clear water (caution against “puddles”). Use a very little bit of watercolor paint on the brush to create a “wash” of color(s) on the paper. Caution the students not to allow the paints to overlap or mix too much, but to keep separate areas of color until the paper is covered with light color. Set the painting aside to dry until Lesson Two : “Mother Earth” – Present.
Assessment:
- Teacher observation of student participation and understanding during the Venn diagram discussion.
- Group completion of Attachment Two, demonstrating the ability to recognize parts of nature and the meaning to Native Americans
School/Home Connection:
None for this lesson.
Extension:
Bibliographical References:
- Audio CD: Various Artists. Tribal Waters: Music from Native Americans . 1998. Earthbeat. ASIN: B00000C41M
- Seattle, Chief . Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle. Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0803709692
Lesson Developed and Piloted by:
Barbara DillbeckCurriculum Director
Learning to Give
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Mother Earth Venn Diagram
Handout 2Print Handout 2
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
Topic: _____________________________________
Group Members:
What does the book say about your topic? Look for words (nouns) that can be categorized under your topic and what the text says about them.
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Unit Contents:
Overview:Earth Connections Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- "Mother Earth" - Past
- 2.
- "Mother Earth" - Present
- 3.
- Let's Experiment!
- 4.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
- 5.
- Looking at the Data
- 6.
- Let's Make a Plan
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
Comments
The students were very in tune to the Nature Nouns of the books. They were also anxious about water-coloring diagrams. The Venn Diagram strengthened their listening skills.
It (the lesson) introduces students to a different culture - one they might know about but may not realize it's a different culture. Music is great! Art lesson is super. Book- Chief Seattle's understanding of the earth and that all life is interconnected very closely fit with the vocabulary of environmentalism.
It (the lesson) ties in nicely with our multi-culture studies in SS. The art work hung in our halls and parents enjoyed it also.
The book "Brother Eagle, Sister Sky" gave students a good understanding of how Native Americans felt about the earth.