3rd Grade Integration Unit:
Native American Studies and Basic Play Construction
by Lauren Wilkins and Beth Lowe
Unit Objective:
Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of Native American culture and stories by performing in a short fable reader’s theater piece.
Prior Experience:
Theatre – Students have completed one voice unit including work with puppets and characterization. Students will use what they have learned about strong vocal choices in their reader’s theater performance.
Social Studies – Students are participating in concurrent Native American history lessons with their teacher.
Standards:
Theatre – Standard 2
Develop expressive use of the voice
Theatre – Standard 3
Understand the use of visual, aural, oral, and kinetic elements in live theatre
Social Studies – Standard 3
Recognize some of the major components of a culture (i.e., language, clothing, food, art, music)
Big Ideas:
- Native Americans were great storytellers because they used stories to explain their history.
- There are many parts to putting on a performance, including a director and many designers.
Essential Questions:
- How are Native American stories similar to our own?
- What parts are needed to put on a play?
Lessons:
All lessons included in attachment of full unit curriculum.
Day 1: The People of a Play
Objective: Students will be able to differentiate between theater maker roles and responsibilities.
Day 2: Native American Culture
Objective: Students will be able understand the parts and culture importance of fables in Native American Tribes by listening to a fable and then creating one of their own.
Day 3: Introducing a Script
Objective: Students will be able to understand the historical importance of a rain dance and participate in a class rain dance as well as create their own characters and take ownership over a role in a story.
Day 4: Native American Clothes/Costume Day
Objective: Students will be able to understand Native American Symbols and how they tell stories, as well as the importance of those symbols being used in costumes by designing their own costumes for The Great Rain.
Day 5: Rehearsal
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of projection by speaking loudly enough to be heard during the read through and writing in their journal about how they can be loud enough.
Day 6: Geography/Set-Design Day
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of Chippewa territory and basic set design by drawing a possible set design for the play, and as a class creating the design that is chosen with the desks and classroom materials.
Day 7: Final Rehearsal
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of annunciation and diction as well as Native American culture by super annunciating the words from Native American culture and their lines in the script.
Day 8: Performance
Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of projection, diction, and Native American storytelling by participating in a readers theatre performance of The Great Rain.
Native American Studies and Basic Play Construction Unit of Lessons