Comparing Celebrations and Cultural Characteristics Unit: 05 Lesson: 03 Suggested Duration: 3 days Lesson Synopsis: The lesson focuses on cultural characteristics of the local community, including a review of why people form communities. Students consider the significance of art work and of cultural celebrations in the local community and other communities, focusing on murals and quilts, comparing how cultural celebrations in the local community might be similar to or different from those in other communities. Students also read and discuss the works of writers, and view the works of artists to uncover the cultural aspects of the works. TEKS: 3.2 History. The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and present. The student is expected to: 3.2A Identify reasons people have formed communities, including a need for security, religious freedom, law, and material well-being. 3.13 Culture. The student understands ethnic and/or cultural celebrations of the local community and other communities. The student is expected to: 3.13B Compare ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community with other communities. 3.15 Culture. The student understands the importance of writers and artists to the cultural heritage of communities. The student is expected to: 3.15A Identify various individual writers and artists such as Kadir Nelson, Tomie depaola, and Phillis Wheatley and their stories, poems, statues, and paintings, and other examples of cultural heritage from various communities. 3.15B Explain the significance of various individual writers and artists including Carmen Lomas Garza, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Bill Martin Jr. and their stories, poems, statues, and paintings, and other examples of cultural heritage to various communities. Skills TEKS: 3.17 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to: 3.17C Interpret oral, visual, and print material by identifying the main idea, distinguishing between fact and opinion, identifying cause and effect, and comparing and contrasting. 3.18 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to: 3.18A Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences. 3.18B Use technology to create written and visual material such as stories, poems, pictures, maps, and graphic organizers to express ideas. GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION Performance Indicator(s): Analyze a work by one of the artists or writers studied. List three cultural characteristics of a community included in the work. In writing, explain how the characteristics contribute to the community and tell how this is similar or different from characteristics of your local community. Orally discuss your product with a classmate, comparing information chosen. (3.13A, 3.13B; 3.17C; 3.18A) 3D Key Understandings and Guiding Questions: Communities often differ in some cultural characteristics while remaining the same in others. Why do people form communities? What is the significance of ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community and other communities? How are ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community similar to and different from those in other communities? 2012, TESCCC 05/01/13 page 1 of 6
What is the significance of writers and artists and their stories, poems, statues, painting, and other examples to their cultural heritages? Vocabulary of Instruction: cultural characteristics festival mural security quilt religious freedom Refer to the section for materials. Teacher Resource: Information and chart on Post Office Murals in Texas Teacher Resource: Barbara Dorff s Quilts Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Example Art Works from Communities Teacher Resource: Sculptures Resources and References: Texas Historical Commission website (examples of Post Office Murals in Texas Resources from the local Chamber of Commerce or City Hall Resources from the public library or school libraries Resources from the state such as the Texas Art Commission and the Texas Historical Commission The Texas Post Office Murals by Philip Parisi Advance Preparation: 1. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson. 2. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson. 3. Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson. 4. Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines. 5. Gather books written by artists included in the TEKS. 6. Prepare 6-8 centers: Use one book per center. Each book must exemplify at least one culture 7. Prepare materials and handouts as needed. Background Information: Teachers must be familiar with the history of Post Office Murals and the history and culture of your own community, including the art works and festivals or celebrations. GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners. The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the My CSCOPE Tab within the My Content area. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES Instructional Procedures ENGAGE Community Arts 1. Facilitate a class discussion about the importance and influence of art work upon the culture of a community. Guide students to understand that within a community the arts can be in the form of: paintings, murals, sculpture, photography, mosaics, music, poetry, and writing. (Most communities have excellent examples of artwork that is meaningful to the people NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes Suggested Day 1 20 minutes Pictures of art work in the community Teacher Resource: Information and chart on Post Office Murals in Texas 2012, TESCCC 05/01/13 page 2 of 6
who live there from the past and in the present.) Ask students if they know of any art work around the community where they live. (Show a few examples of art work in the community.) 2. Create a class list of the local art works and where the art works reside. (Be prepared to provide pictures and examples of your own.) 3. Inform students about other interesting examples of important art work to a community such as the Post Office Mural history. Post Office Mural Project information: During the Great Depression, several different artists were commissioned by the Federal Government to design and paint murals on the post office walls of the local communities in different towns all over the United States. Each mural was designed with the historical cultural heritage of that community in mind. Therefore, no two of the murals are exactly the same, because no two communities are exactly the same. TEKS: 3.15A; 3.18B Visit the Texas Historical Commission website to find examples of Post Office Murals in Texas. The website includes a list of all the communities in Texas that still have a mural available for viewing. 4. Read the story of the Post Office murals and show examples of the murals. EXPLORE Quilting as a Local Art Form 1. Facilitate a discussion and create a list of some other American art forms that are famous or that students know about. 2. A possibility for an example of local arts and crafts would be to explore the art of quilt making as a form of folk art, and a tradition that reflects who we were as Americans and who we are now. 3. Have students think about and discuss such things as: What is a quilt? Have they ever seen one? Describe it. Who makes a quilt? What is it made from? Who decides the pattern? What is it used for? Do any of you have quilts at home? Who made them? Suggested Day 1 (continued) 20 minutes Examples of art work Teacher Resource: Barbara Dorff s Quilts TEKS: 3.15A; 3.18B Show examples of quilts and quilters. Give examples from your own community if you can find them. Invite a quilter to visit with the students and show their work. Bring a quilt or two to class, if possible, for students to view. 4. Help students explore and research more about quilt making in American communities and their community. Students begin to understand that a quilt is both creative and practical, but also very colorful and beautiful. 5. Provide background information about quilting such as: People can piece and quilt a quilt all by themselves but often the quilts are made by a group of women or a community. Sometimes quilts are made to give away to someone who needs a warm blanket, other times people create quilts for their beauty like a piece of art work. Sometimes quilts are sold and the money is used to help the family or it is given to help the community. Quilting is an American art form. EXPLAIN Quilting and Community Fairs Suggested Day 1 (continued) 10 minutes 2012, TESCCC 05/01/13 page 3 of 6
1. Students explain quilt festivals and displays as a tradition at the state or county fair. 2. Students explain the Post Office Mural Project. TEKS: 3.13B; 3.18B EXPLORE Communities and Cultures 1. Create an anchor chart about reasons people form a community (security, religious freedom, rules and laws, and material well-being). 2. Teacher leads a discussion about the reasons people form communities. 3. Create 6-8 centers (depending on class size): Use one book per center. Each book must exemplify at least one culture. Supply each center with paper, and pencils.. 4. Students, in small groups, rotate through at least 2 centers (as time allows). As students read the book at the center, they watch for evidence of the reasons people form communities and examples of cultural characteristics of the community (games children play, or the language or slang spoken, foods eaten, and how time is used each day). EXPLAIN Our Community Has Many Cultures 1. Distribute a square of white paper that will become a quilt square. 2. Each student chooses a book read in one of the centers in the Explore, above, and writes the title of the book on a square of paper. 3. Student uses information from the book to draw a picture showing evidence of a reason for forming a community (security, religious freedom, rules and laws, or material wellbeing). Suggested Day 2 30 minutes books written by artists included in the TEKS (Kadir Nelson, Tomie depaola, Carmen Lomas Garza, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Bill Martin Jr.) other books about cultures TEKS: 3.15A Suggestions: Review Main Idea and Summary before beginning centers. Make sure to post the reasons people live in communities on the board (security, religious freedom, rules and laws, and material wellbeing) Steps for the center activities: 1. Students read the book together. 2. Students discuss what the book is about. 3. Students summarize the story. 4. Students discuss and decide: What culture is the main idea or focus of the book. What is the purpose for the book? How do they know? 5. Students check to see if the book addressed reasons for forming a communities: security, religious freedom, rules and laws, material well-being. 6. Allow time for students to complete 2 or 3 centers. Cultural Characteristics include: games, languages, songs/music, rules/laws, clothes, food, celebrations Suggested Day 2 (continued) 15 minutes squares of white paper about 4x4 or 5x5 (for students to draw summary pictures of the story) TEKS: 3.15A; 3.15B; 3.18A Instructional Note Create a class quilt by gluing student squares to large piece of butcher paper 4. Student adds a short summary sentence at the bottom of the picture to further explain the example from the book. 2012, TESCCC 05/01/13 page 4 of 6
5. In pairs, students share their drawings and discuss the book they read, expressing a main idea or summary from the book read by explaining to their partner. 6. Students share ideas about what contribution security, religious freedom, rules and laws, or material well-being made to the story. 7. Students discuss what contributions different cultures make to help their own community and discuss security, religious freedom, rules and laws, and material well-being. 8. When drawings on all squares are completed, create a quilt by gluing the squares onto a larger piece of paper, such as colored butcher paper. (Glue squares onto a long piece of colored butcher paper to create a quilt effect. Leave a small space around each square to create a quilt-like effect.) ELABORATE - Discussion 1. Facilitate a student discussion about cultural characteristics of communities, using the local community and other communities as examples. Suggested Day 2 (continued) 5 minutes 2. Include in the discussion ideas about contributions by artists, including what arts contribute to the good of a community. Possible ideas include: beauty, record of history, value of culture, pride of ownership, celebration of education, or material well-being, kinship, laws, customs, traditions 3. Summarize student learning by continuing the discussion to answer guiding questions and support the Key Understanding using evidence and academic language. Communities often differ in some cultural characteristics while remaining the same in others. Why do people form communities? What is the significance of ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community and other communities? How are ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community similar to and different from those in other communities? What is the significance of writers and artists and their stories, poems, statues, painting, and other examples to their cultural heritages? EXPLORE Artwork Brings Culture to Our Community 1. View artwork by various artists that have been placed in your community and in other communities. Examples are the sculpture of horses in Las Colinas, the sculpture of longhorn cattle in downtown Dallas, the statue of Dr. Throckmorton on the square in McKinney, or the sculpture by Alexander Calder in front of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. Make every effort to find any fine art (sculpture, painting, fountain, architecture) that is distinctive to your community, as well as art from other communities. Suggested Day 3 15 minutes examples of artwork in the local community and other communities Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Example Art Works from Communities Teacher Resource: Sculptures TEKS: 3.15B; 3.17C; 3.18B 2012, TESCCC 05/01/13 page 5 of 6
2. While viewing each piece of artwork, students think about such things as: What did the artist have in mind with this piece of artwork? What might the artist have wanted us to learn or to feel when we look at the artwork? EXPLAIN Artwork Contributes to the Culture of Our Community 1. Students write 3 sentences to explain the value of artwork to a community. Include a cultural characteristic. 2. Pair students. 3. Students read their sentences aloud to another student. 4. Students listen to sentences read aloud by partner student. EVALUATE Analyze a work by one of the artists or writers studied. List three cultural characteristics of a community included in the work. In writing, explain how the characteristics contribute to the community and tell how this is similar or different from characteristics of your local community. Discuss your product with a classmate, comparing information chosen. Instructional Note: Search the Internet for examples of artwork in your own community and other communities. Create a power point slide show, if possible. Ideas of artwork to include: Mustang sculpture at Las Colinas Longhorn sculpture-dallas Pioneer Plaza Research the Internet for sculptures in the local community, or outside fine arts museums in large cities. Suggested Day 3 (continued) 10 minutes TEKS: 3.15B Consider providing sentence starters. Possible Cultural Characteristics to include: games, languages, songs/music, rules/laws, clothes, food, celebrations Suggested Day 3 (continued) 25 minutes TEKS: 3.13A, 3.13B; 3.17C; 3.18A 2012, TESCCC 05/01/13 page 6 of 6