Week 5: Drama My Presentation Week

Week 5!!! My Presentation Week!!! My group decided to do a cross-curricular lesson between drama and social studies, specifically Totem Poles! 

Totem Poles. (Google Images)

The Drama Strategies/Conventions Used In Our Presentation Include:

Tableaux - Tableaux is a still image that can be created individually or in a group to portray any given subject matter. Students will use tableau’s to present their ‘family’s’ totem poles to their peers. Students will pose in a position that best represents the animal they identify with, while taking into consideration their body position, levels, facial expressions, thoughts and feelings. They will hold this position until all students have added their lines in the thought-tapping activity.

Thought-tapping - Thought-tapping is used to bring the inner thoughts of characters out to the audience during a frozen/ still image. Thought-tapping will be used in this activity to bring to life the characters/ animals that each student is representing through their tableaux. While each group is presenting, the teacher will circulate around the frozen group in their tableaux, and tap the shoulder of different students. Once they have been tapped they must share with the class :” I am a _______. I am ________ and ________.” (for example: I am a bear. I am strong and protective.”). Students will come up with a unique descriptive sentence to explain their animal during their presentation.

Collective Drawing- Collective drawing will be used in the Minds On component of this activity. After students watch the video on totem poles, they will be asked to briefly discuss what they saw and how it makes them feel. Students will then be broken into their groups using the number/colour blocking method. The teacher will explain that in their groups the students are now a “family/clan”. After meeting with their ‘family/clan’ members they will have to decide what animals they want to include in their totem pole. Each student will pick a specific animal that he or she likes, finds interesting or identifies with. Students, as a collaborative group, will then draw out their family’s totem pole, each contributing to the rough drawing. Each student is responsible for drawing their own respected animal in their family totem pole, creating one unique totem pole.

Collective Role - Collective role is when students in a group all play one collective/overall role. Students, will have an individual role but will also demonstrate that they are united within the one collective role by acting out their family’s totem pole. They will not show their individual roles until the thought-tapping activity takes place.

Guiding theory used:

Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. There are eight different intelligences, they include: linguistic, spatial, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natuarlist. As future educators our classrooms need to be catered to suit all types of learners and so do our lessons. In our cross curricular lesson for drama and social studies we have multiple activities that suit many types of learners. In this lesson students will be harnessing their linguistic intelligence, sharing their knowledge about totem poles and explaining their reasoning behind choosing a particular animal for their totem pole. Likewise students will be developing their spatial/bodily-kinesthetic intelligences when they listen and view the minds on component of the lesson, reading of the story a Totem Tale and when they take part in the action part of the lesson, practicing and presenting their tableau’s to the class. Similarly, students will be utilizing their interpersonal skills as they work with their group members to complete the assigned task. Lastly, students will be using their intrapersonal skills as they try to connect with a particular animal and identify why that animal is significant to themselves.

Our Drama lesson will be integrated with the Grade 6, Social Studies Curriculum. It ties in with the Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada; Past and Present unit.

Overall Expectations:

Social Studies Overall Expectation:

A1. Application: Assess contributions to Canadian identity made by various groups and by various features of Canadian communities and regions (FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Patterns and Trends)

Drama Overall Expectation:

B1. Creating and Presenting: Apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to process drama and the development of drama works, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and multiple perspectives;

Specific Expectations:

Social Studies Specific Expectation:

A1.1 Explain how various features that characterize a community can contribute to the identity and image of a country, and assess the contribution of some of these features to Canada’s image and identity

Drama Specific Expectation:

B1.1 Engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on identifying and examining a range of issues, themes, and ideas from a variety of fiction and non-fiction sources and diverse communities, times, and places

Learning Goals:

- Students are learning about the importance of totem poles (storytelling) to the First Nations Peoples of Canada by creating their own totem poles in groups of 3-4 students and presenting them to their classmates.  

- Students are learning to create various poses and movements individually, that will dramatically display a chosen animal which will make up their family totem pole in tableaux form.

- Students are learning about the theory of Multiple Intelligences and exploring their various intelligences through the minds on, action and consolidation activties in this lesson.

Literary source of inspiration:

Totem Tale, A Tall Story From Alaska, Written by Deb Vanasse is our literary source of inspiration for our drama lesson. Below is the audio reading of this story.

(Part A) Minds on:

• Teacher Candidates will ask the (Grade 6s) what they already know or think they know about Totem Poles. Quick classroom discussion.

• Teacher Candidates/ educators will instruct students to sit back, relax and listen to the audio reading Totem Tale, A Tall Story From Alaska - Children’s Book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jh08zY9vo0&t=37s  
• Teacher Candidates/ educators will ask the students what they took from the video, what they think about totem poles etc.
• As background information before we start the main activity teacher Candidates will read:

Totem poles are sculptures carved into large trees by the Indigenous population. Totem poles are carved and painted with symbols or figures, such as animals, that represent the emblems of clans or families. They are a traditional way of recounting the stories of Indigenous families and clans, and of keeping records of important historical events. Totem poles also tell about family and clan accomplishments, adventures, stories and relationships. Simply, totem poles honour Aboriginal people through symbols. Each totem pole has unique features and colours depending upon the clan or tribe. Every animal or figure carved onto the pole has meaning and when combined on the pole, these carvings recount a story, legend or myth.

(Part B) Action - Creating a Totem Pole Story Using Drama:

• Students will be divided into their respective groups (3-4) using number/coloured blocks- These groups will represent their families.
• As it was shared with the class at the beginning, storytelling and totems are a very pertinent and important part of their culture and history.
• Totem poles are used to share the stories of each family with other families, tribes and clans.
• Each table/ group/ family, will be given time to complete their own totem poles that represent and signify their families.
• Each family has a variety of animals and symbols to choose from (Google Slides).
• Students will be given time in their groups to collaborate on what animals/ symbols they want to incorporate into their totem poles. Instead of making their totem poles by hands, students will be given class time to collectively draw out a rough copy of their totem pole.
• Students will, when complete, use their drawing to help them pose and use their bodies to act out the various unique animals that make up their totem poles.
• Students will be instructed to freeze as to how the animal would move. Students are encouraged to think of and use unique poses/positions to represent the animals that make up their totem.
• The teacher will circulate the frozen/ still image and thought tap students. This is their opportunity to share at least one line stating the importance of their animal to their family totem pole.
• Students will then share with the class why their group chose certain symbols/poses to dramatically act out their totem pole. As well groups will explain what their totem pole story is and the meaning behind it's arrangement.

Above is an image of a drawing that a group of my peers created. It is their individual and unique group Totem Pole. 

Totem Pole Animals/ Symbols with their significance/ meanings:

BEAVER - Determined, Strong-willed, Builder, Dreamer, Protector

BEAR - Great Strength, Healing, Power, Courage, Teaching

DOGFISH- Persistence and Strength - A Born Leader

DRAGONFLY- Carefree, Joy, Lightness

EAGLE- Intelligence, Courage, Healing, Freedom, Creation

FROG- New Life, Cleansing, Peace, Hidden Beauty

HALIBUT- Life Protector, Strength and Stability

HAWK- Messenger, Victory, Healing, Nobility, Guardianship

HERON- Self-determined, Balanced, Calm, Present, Independent

HUMMINGBIRD- Warrior, Energy, Affection, Playfulness, Spirit Messenger

KILLER WHALE- Traveler & Guardian - Symbol of Good

KINGFISHER- Luck, Patience, Speed and Agility

LOON- Peace, Tranquility - Generous Giving Nature

MOON- Protector and Guardian of the Earth by Night

OTTER- Playful, Dynamic, Helpfulness, Sharing, Love of Young, Loyal Friendship

OWL- Wisdom, Mystery, Secrets, Vision

RAVEN- Magical, Courageous, Knowledge

SALMON- Proud, Intense, Confident, Determined, Spiritual Desire

SEAL- Love, Creativity, Good Luck, Bright, Inquisitive

SUN- Healing Energy, Guardian of the Earth by Day

THUNDERBIRD-Powerful and Mystical - A Leader

WOLF-Intelligence and Leadership, Loyalty, Success, Spirit, Strong Sense of Family

(Part C) - Consolidation:

To conclude the activity, students will present their drama presentations of their family totem poles. As well, a video can be shown to the class to tie everything learned in the lesson together. Video - Totems The Stories They Tell - Informative Video https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1472670112251/1472670146699

Furthermore, students can then share what they liked, disliked and how the activtiy could be improved upon. Going into teacher mode, this lesson can be used as an intro activity or a consolidation piece for your grade 6 social studies unit of First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples of Canada. This lesson could also incorporate aspects of language, such as writing and media literacy. Students could film themselves acting out their totem poles and present their final video to the class. Also, students could create comics, write poems or even short stories describing their unique family totem poles. Likewise, this activity could be completed individually. For example, each student could create their own totem pole based on their family history/story and then present it to their peers. As well, visual arts can be incorporated as a major component for this lesson. Students could draw, paint, sculpt or even construct their unique totem poles. Lastly, depending on the school’s resources and where the school is situated, the classroom teacher could look into having a First Nations individual who is from a tribe with a specific family totem pole come in and speak about their story, the history of totem poles, their tribe and the significance of totem poles in their culture. In conclusion, this activity could be used in a unit or as a culminating project. There are a wide variety of interactive, cross-curricular and inquiry based lessons and assessments that could be drawn from this unique activity.

Thanks For Reading Friends!

I hope you learned lots in regards to DRAMA & DANCE, and the numerous ways in which both can be incorporated into your everyday classrooms! I hope this blog inspires you, promotes your creativity and challenges you to incorporate the arts everyday you teach!!!!

DON'T KILL CREATIVITY IT'S WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEED!!!!