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Culture and Identity

Authors: Matthew Manley, Andy Peeler, Gunn Mo, Jordan Hopkins

Grade: 6

Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Writing

Timeline: 3 Weeks

Essential Questions

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How does where you live affect how you live?

How do we learn about cultures in a deep way?

What does it mean to be Hawaiian?

Project Description

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As part of the New Pacific Century Academy, 6th graders seek to share their cultures with each other even as they explore Hawaiian culture together. Over the course of this project, students seek to look beyond the surface in their own culture and in their experience of Hawaii. Student work includes collaborative mural pieces, Hawaiian music (traditional and student-composed), written artist statements, and legend narratives. Students also present their art, music, and written pieces formally at a community exhibition event.

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Project Extensions and/or Real World Connections

 

Our students found an authentic audience for their murals and artist statements by contacting Oahu community organizations asking to display their work. We have installed two of our murals at the Hau’ula Civic Center on public display. Students were also encouraged to apply their cross-cultural learning to real-world situations in social and business situations. We found a further connection to the community by doing in-depth interviews with Native Hawaiians and engaging in cultural activities outside of school such as taro (kalo) farming and outrigger canoe paddling.

Products and Exhibition

 

The final exhibition included presentations, musical performances, and dialogue about Hawaiian culture.  The 5th and 6th grade students presented their works of art to the community by explaining what thought went into each piece of art.  This was followed by a musical performance, both instrumental and choral, using native Hawaiian instruments and lyrics.  The exhibition ended with a 'gallery-walk' style experience, where the audience was welcome to ask the students more in-depth questions about their learning and the ideas behind their artwork.

Learning Goals

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  • Understand and explain how cultures contain “Surface” and “Deep” elements

  • Explain behavioral norms and taboos in different cultures. 

  • Explain the positive and negative impacts of interaction between different cultural groups

  • Analyze ways that people have maintained their traditions and resisted external challenges    (e.g. wars, generational gaps, migration patterns, or globalization)

  • Analyze how a culture’s literature, music, and the visual arts influenced social values

  • Describe a work of art in order to explain its meaning

  • Work collaboratively and communicate effectively in teams to create a shared product (murals)

Standards Addressed:

 

Social Studies: AERO

Standard 3 - Students will understand the interactions and relationship between human societies and their physical environment.

Standard 4 - Students will understand cultural and intellectual developments and interactions among societies.

 

ELA:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.B Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.A Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

 

Visual Arts:

Anchor Standard #1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard #7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Anchor Standard #11: Relate Artistic ideas and work with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

 

Performing Arts:

Anchor Standard #1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard #2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard #3. Refine and complete artistic work.

Anchor Standard #6. Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

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21st Century Skills (RUBRIC)

Collaboration - Group mural project

Communication - Socratic Seminar Discussion

Critical Thinking - Cultural analysis and role plays, artist statements

Citizenship - Beach cleans and meeting local community

Creativity - Creating legends, mural design, musical composition

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