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The Natural
Environment, History, and Tradition: The Power of
Oral Language |
 Disciplinary
Focus:
English/language arts, Visual and Performing Arts,
Science and Social Studies Curriculum
Grade Level:
Middle Grades 6-8
This integrated middle grades curriculum unit was
written by the Connecting Oceans Academy's
experienced teaching staff in collaboration with
historical and cultural experts from Alaska, Hawai`i,
and Mississippi. The integrated curriculum explores
storytelling and the performing arts from both
standards-based and cultural perspectives. The
stories and performances included in this curriculum
are part of the traditions of cultural and
ecological communities that include:
• The Arctic Tundra and Polar Sea of Barrow;
• The Taiga and Northern Coniferous Forest of
Anchorage;
• Hawai`i 's Tropical Rain Forest and Coral Reefs;
and
• The Temperate Forest and Tidal Coast Line of
Massachusetts; and
• The Deciduous Forests, Swamps, and Wetlands of
Mississippi.
This research-based curriculum, which is based on
the Understanding by Design curriculum framework,
integrates art, language arts, science, and social
studies with cultural content. Each learning
experience is standards-based and incorporates
approaches to teaching and learning that are
grounded in research. The middle grades curriculum
begins by introducing storytelling and identifying
where students are headed and what they will
understand and be able to do when they've completed
the unit. Next, students learn the fundamentals of
storytelling, create and use storyboards, and
explore how biome diversity shapes stories and other
oral traditions. In subsequent learning experiences,
the focus is on the relevancy and universality of
storytelling through oral language, talk story,
song, and dance. As students experience performances
from Alaska, Hawai`i, Massachusetts, and
Mississippi, they come to understand that creating
and sharing stories builds understanding and caring
between and among people of different cultures.
Students learn that storytelling is universal and
dynamic in the hearing and the telling-adapting to
reflect the cultural communities in which they are
told, heard, and/or seen.
This curriculum is accompanied by a set of DVD's
that contain cultural performances from Alaska,
Hawai`i, and Massachusetts. Each performance has
been carefully selected to reflect various cultures
and to illuminate the concepts of the curriculum.
The unit and learning experiences can serve as a
model of how teaching and learning can be engaging,
promote understanding, and still meet standards. The
DVD's are available, free of charge, from the New
Bedford Oceanarium. Please contact . |
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What is ECHO?
ECHO is an educational and cultural enrichment initiative, annually serving thousands of children and adults in Alaska, Hawaii and Massachusetts. Established by Congress as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, ECHO brings innovative programs collaboratively produced by the regional cultural institutions to culturally diverse audiences. Read
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