Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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CONTENTS
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WELCOME! About These Materials Culture CaraVan: Bringing the Museum to You! Links to State Curriculum Standards What is Culture? Three Objects, Three Cultures Huipiles and the Highland Maya of Guatemala Paj Ntaub and the Hmong of Southeast Asia Cradleboards and the Kiowa and Comanche Peoples of the Southern Plains, USA Further Exploration Acknowledgements 3 4 5 7 16 16 23 29 43 50
Cover Images Top Left: Larabanga, Ghana; photograph by Sarah Philbrick. Center Left: Cashinahua, Peru; photograph by Kenneth M. Kensinger. Right: Hmong, Rhode Island; photograh by Patricia Symonds Bottom Left: Hamar, Ethiopia; photograph by Anna Colaiace.
Culture Connect: Experience the Cultures of the World The Culture Connect outreach program is a two-hour interactive program where your students will travel the world with amazing objects from our collections to explore cultures of today and yesterday through clothing, food, shelter, religion, music, and art. Your students will become citizens of the world as they learn how similar people are and how exciting their cultural differences can be. We will bring objects from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America to your classroom, turning it into a kaleidoscope of diversity and a multicultural laboratory for teaching inquiry-based lessons about tolerance and respect. Visit our website at brown.edu/Haffenreffer for more information.
CURRICULUM STANDARDS
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National Council for the Social Studies (for all grades) I. Culture Standards a, b, c, d, e II. Time, Continuity and Change Standard e III. People, Places, and Environments Standards a, b, h IV. Individual Development and Identity Standards e, g VIII. Science, Technology, and Society Standards a, b IX. Global Connections Standard a Rhode Island Department of Education Grade Span Expectations Civics & Government: C&G5(K-6)-1; C&G5(K-6)-2 Historical Perspectives: HP1(K-8)-1; HP2(5-8)-1; HP2(K-4)-3; HP3(K-8)-2 Engineering and Technology: ET1.1(K-8); ET1.2(K-4) Reading: (K-8) R-3; R-7; R-11; R-13 Writing: (K-8) W-1; W-2; W-3; W-6; W-7; W-8; W-9; W-10; W-11 Oral Communication: (K-8) OC-1; OC-2 Visual Arts & Design: VAD2(K-12)-1; VAD3(K-8)-1c,d; VAD3(3-8)-2 Dance: D2(K-12 )-1 Music: M2(K-12)-1; M2(K-12)-2 Theater: T2(K-12)-1 Massachusetts Department of Education Frameworks Social Science: 1.9, 2.7, 2.8, 4.15ACD, 4.16, 5.6, SEAO.1, SEAO.2 Science and Technology (K-2): Life Sciences: 1, 6, 8; Technology/Engineering: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 Science and Technology (Gr. 3-5): Life Sciences: 8&10, Technology/Engineering: 2.1 English Language Arts (Gr. K-8): General Standards 3, 8, 19, 23, 24 Arts (K-8): Visual Arts: 1.1, 1.2, 3.3, 3.5; 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2; 5.3, 5.6; Dance: 1.14, 3.6, 3.7, 4.5, 5.1; Music: 1.8, 3.9, 5.7; Theatre: 2.7, 3.2
CURRICULUM STANDARDS
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What is Culture?
Culture is, simply, the way of life shared by a group of people. Humans all over the Earth need the same basic things. We need food, water, shelter, and clothing to survive. Although humans are mammals (we give birth to live young, nurse, and have hair), we are different from other animals in some important ways. We are most especially largebrained, bipedal (stand on two feet) and make tools to help us achieve our basic needs, including tools to help us harvest, make, and eat our food or drink our water. We create our own shelters (our homes) and clothing out of materials in our environment or materials made by other humans. Besides these basic needs, other aspects of culture include technology, art, dance, music, religion, and language. Culture is something that we learn from the people who live with and near us our mothers and fathers, grandparents, other members of our families, our friends, the people with whom we go to school, our teachers, and our neighbors. Culture is passed down through each successive generation. We also learn a system of beliefs, values, and practices as we grow up. These beliefs and values are part of our cultural traditions. Culture is collective; we share our culture with a group of people, often the people we grew up with or the people who raised us. All humans have a culture; we may have the same basic needs, but
From top to bottom: Uman Islander, Micronesia; photograph by Eileen McDermott Ethiopia; photograph by Anna Colaiace Passamaquoddy, Maine; photograph by Joan Lester Hopi, Arizona; photograph by Gino Conti Cachinahua, Peru; photograph by Kenneth Kensinger
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WHAT IS CULTURE?
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each culture has a different set of values, beliefs, and views of the world. Your culture affects the things you do, including many of your behaviors, but you might not even be aware of it! Culture is only one thing that can shape your behaviors. Each person has his or her own taste, talents, and interests. Just as each culture is different, each individual within the culture is different as well. People can be part of more than one culture for instance, one person can be Jewish, a New Englander, and an American. Another person might be Hopi, a Southwesterner, and also an American. Together they may share a common set of cultural values and behaviors as Americans. Independently, each may practice different behaviors or hold different beliefs based on their other cultural or sub-cultural traditions.
VOCABULARY
A persons actions or conduct. Something accepted as true by an individual or group. The way of life shared by a group of people. A system of beliefs, values, and practices passed down to people through the people who come before them. Principles or standards considered worthwhile or desirable.
Values
Internet Resources
The Gateway to Educational Materials http://thegateway.org/ This consortium project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and intended to provide American teachers with one-stop access to web-based teaching resources, provides an excellent search engine for teachers to locate lesson plans and Internet resources. The Gateway provides access to over 50,000 resources. Cultures of the World, part of the American Library Associations Great Web Sites for Kids. http://www.ala.org/greatsites This excellent webpage maintained by the American Library Associations (ALA) ALSC Great Web Sites Committee, contains links to short descriptions of seventeen web pages with notations on their suitability for Pre-K, elementary, and middle school-aged youths. United Nations Cyber School Bus http:www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/index.asp Contains information about the United Nations and human rights issues for students and teachers. Features on-line activities appropriate for students ages 6 and older, dependent on the activity. Exploring Ancient World Cultures http://eawc.evansville.edu/index.htm Sponsored by the University of Evansville in Indiana, this site teaches visitors about eight ancient cultures and contains an index of internet sites for each. Peace Corps: World Wise Schools: Educators http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/ As part of the Peace Corps Coverdell World Wise Schools program, this site provides a wealth of information for educators on teaching about the worlds cultures.
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Books
Books for Students Faces Magazine: People, Places, and Cultures Carus Publishing Reading level: Ages 9-14 Children Just Like Me By Susan Elizabeth Copsey, Barnabas Kindersley, Anabel Kindersley, and Harry Belafonte DK Publishing, 1995 Reading level: Ages 9-12 Children from Australia to Zimbabwe: A Photographic Journey Around the World By Maya Ajmera, Anna Rhesa Versola, and Marian Wright Edelman Charlesbridge Publishing; 2nd Revision edition, 2001 Reading level: Ages 9-12 Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! By Anabel Kindersley with Bamabas Kindersley (Photographer) DK Publishing, 1997 Reading level: Ages 9-12 Cultures Around the World By Kelly Doudna SandCastle, 2004 Reading level: Ages 4-8 People Around the World By Anthony Mason Kingfisher, 2002 Reading level: Ages 9-12
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Content Objectives
Students will understand the concept of culture. Students will learn about the cultures represented in the classroom. Students will make connections between their own cultures and cultures unfamiliar to them. Students will understand the term culture. Students will be able to explain their thoughts in writing and orally. Two sheets of poster paper, pencils, paper or blue-book for each student, map, pins for the map, books and magazines with photos of homes around the world, bulletin board.
Educational Standards National Council for the Social Studies: Rhode Island Department of Education: I. III. IV. Culture Standards a, d, e People, Places, and Environments Standards b Individual Development and Identity Standard e
Civics & Government: C&G5(K-2)-1; C&G5(K-2)-2 Historical Perspectives: HP1(K-6)-1 Reading: (if What is Culture is assigned as a reading activity) (4-8) R-3; R-7; R-11; R-13 Writing: W(K-8)-1; W(K-8)-2; W(K-8)-8; W(K-8)-9; W(5-8)-10 Oral Communication: (K-8) OC-1; OC-2 Social Science: 1.9, 2.7, 2.8, 4.15 Science and Technology (K-2): Life Sciences: 1, 8 Science and Technology (Gr. 3-5): Life Sciences: 8, Technology/Engineering: 2.1 English Language Arts (Gr. K-8): General Standards 3, 8, 19, 23, 24
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ELP Standard 1: (Gr. 1-2) Listening: Following Directions, level 3&4; (Gr. 3-5) Listening: Following Direction, level 3&4; (Gr. 6-8) Speaking: Instructions/assignments, level 3&4; Social Interaction, level 3 ELP Standard 2: (Gr. 3-5) Writing: Editing and Revising, level 3, 4, 5; (Gr. 6-8) Writing: Editing, level 3&4 ELP Standard 5: (Gr. K) Homes in a Community, level 3&4; (Gr. 1-2) Writing: Homes and Habitats, level 3&4; (Gr. 3-5) Speaking: Maps & Globes/Locations, level 3; Writing: Communities & Regions, level 3, 4, 5; (Gr. 6-8) Listening: Maps, level 3.
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Activity One: Class Discussion, What is Culture? You may use the previous What is Culture section as information for your discussion, or it may be used as a guided or independent reading activity.
Initiate a class discussion about culture. What is culture? What are beliefs? What are
values?
Ask your students to think of examples of each. From your discussion, come up with a class definition of culture. Write this on a large piece of paper and hang it in a prominent place in your classroom.
You can refer to this definition throughout your studies of culture.
Activity Two: What Are Our Cultures? Ask students to identify the different cultures to which they belong by asking their parents and grandparents or guardians, this can also include the American culture in which they are participating. Perhaps your students can identify an Irish or Portuguese or Cambodian ethnicity within their families. Are there any cultural aspects of their ethnicity that are still practiced by their families? How are these cultures different? How are they alike? Try to have students think in broad categories like food, religion, wedding customs, etc.
Have students list these on a piece of paper or in a blue book. (Grade K can draw pictures). Compile these into a class list on a large piece of paper and pin country locations on a map
to show all the different cultures represented in your classroom.
Have students in grades 5 to 8 write an essay about their families backgrounds and give
presentations to the class. Students can switch essays with a partner to have their essays edited.
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Activity Three: Homes Around the World Every human needs shelter, but our physical environment influences our culture, including the types of homes we construct and what we use to make them.
Have your students search for pictures of homes around the world in books and magazines
or on the web.
Ask the students to create a classroom collage of different homes on a bulletin board. Have your students consider the following questions: Why are some homes made out of
certain materials?
Talk about the influences of the environment on culture and home construction. For
example, why might a home in the mountains of Switzerland or Germany have a steeply pitched roof? (Snow) Why are so many homes in New England built using wood? What do all of our homes have in common? How are they different? Why?
Activity Four: Celebrations in Our Families and Around the World As a class, discuss the different ways your students families celebrate special days. What does each family do? How often do they celebrate or get together? What kinds of activities are done during this holiday?
Have students bring in photographs or draw pictures of their family celebrations. Students can work individually or in teams to research one holiday that is celebrated in
another culture. Have them write and illustrate a book about that holiday, addressing the following questions: What is the holiday? When is it? Is it the same time each year? How do people in that culture celebrate the holiday? What activities do they do? Do they eat special foods? Listen to special music? Play games?
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Maya Huipiles
A huipil (we-peel) is a type of blouse worn by Highland Maya women in Guatemala. A huipil is a rectangular piece of cloth with a hole in the center for ones head. A design is woven onto the portions of the cloth that are visible when the huipil is worn over the shoulders. Most women wear wrap-around skirts without waistbands; the huipil is tucked in and held in place with a belt. Women weave huipiles for themselves and for their relatives. Sometimes women make them for other women in their village or for sale. It takes a long time to make a huipil. Huipiles are made out of cotton. In the past, the Highland Maya grew and harvested the cotton themselves, then spun and dyed the thread to prepare it for weaving. Today, Maya women purchase factory-spun cotton yarn. Women weave the yarn into huipiles using a backstrap loom. They use the loom by wrapping a strap around their hips and attaching the other end to a tree or a post. The designs they produce are very intricate and show the weavers skill, so it takes a long time to weave them as well. Since the loom produces a narrow strip of cloth, women must weave several strips and sew them together. Finally, the huipil is completed.
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At one time, each community or language-group made its own specific huipil designs. Without saying a word, a womans huipil could tell you which community she came from. Huipil designs can include geometric shapes, stars and suns, and natural objects such as flowers, birds, and butterflies. Since the Highland Maya make their living by farming, natural symbols like the sun are very important to them. The huipil designs may have religious meaning as well. The head hole may represent the sun and the center of the universe. When a woman puts on her huipil, she places herself in the center of that universe, surrounded by symbols of her family and community in short, the symbols that are important to her and to her culture. Highland Maya women continue to make and wear huipiles and other traditional clothes, called traje (trah-hey), today, even with the availability of European-style clothing. Thousands of Highland Maya people were affected by the civil wars in Guatemala that lasted from 1960 to 1996. The Guatemalan army killed many Mayan people who were thought to be helping the rebels. In the 1980s, the army targeted women wearing huipiles with symbols that associated them with communities where the army thought rebels were based. To protect themselves, many Maya women disguised the symbols on their huipiles so that the army could not tell which communities they were from.
Close-up of a huipil from The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropologys collection; Photograph by Sarah Philbrick
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Huipiles from The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropologys collection; photographs by Sarah Philbrick
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VOCABULARY
One type of loom that Highland Maya women use to weave huipiles. The country in Central America where many Highland Maya live. (we-peel) A womans blouse that is worn by the Highland Maya in Guatemala.
Traje
(trah-hey) The name for traditional clothing worn by the Highland Maya in Guatemala.
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Internet Resources
Traje en Guatemala http://www.rutahsa.com/traje.html This web page, authored by Janie and Ric Finch, contains photographs and information about traje and huipiles worn by the Highland Maya.
Books
For Students Abuelas Weave By Omar Castaneda Lee & Low Books, 1995 Reading level: Ages 4-8 Guatemala Rainbow by Gain Vecchiato Pomegranate, 1990 Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play by Rachel Crandell Henry Holt & Company, Inc, 2002 Reading level: Ages 4-8 Guatemala: A Question and Answer Book By Mary Englar Capstone Press, 2005 Reading level: Ages 9-12 Guatemala: Land of the Maya By Nancy Johnson Black and Mary C. Turck Discovering Our Heritage Series Dillon Press, 1999 Reading level: Ages 9-12
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For Teachers Costume as Communication: Ethnographic Costumes and Textiles from Middle America and the Central Andes of South America By Margot Blum Schevill Bristol, RI: Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, 1986. Maya Textiles of Guatemala By Margot Blum Schevill Austin, University of Texas Press, 1993 Textile Traditions of Mesoamerica and the Andes Edited by Margot Blum Schevill, Janet Catherine Berlo, and Edward B. Dwyer Austin, University of Texas Press, 1996
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Hmong Hill Tribe, Thailand; photograph by Professors Douglas and Wanni Anderson
In Southeast Asia, the Hmong use slash-and-burn agriculture, clearing the land for farming by cutting down trees and burning them. The Hmong grow rice, yams, potatoes, corn, and squash. They also grow hemp and cotton for textiles. The Hmong typically live in small villages, made up of approximately 8 families or households, although these households are quite large some can have as many as 50 people! Entire villages move every few years since slash-and-burn agriculture quickly strips the soil of its nutrients.
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
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Left: Ly Plia working on applique in her yard in South Providence, 1979 Right: Hmong women creating flower cloths in Providence
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VOCABULARY
Someone who does embroidery. Detailed stitches on fabric. This means free man or free people. The Hmong live in mountainous areas in Southeast Asia, primarily China, Laos, North Vietnam, and Thailand. Many live in the United States, including Providence, Rhode Island.
Paj Ntaub
Meaning flower cloth. These are the textiles that the Hmong make and embroider with symbols of their culture or to tell a story. A method used to clear the land for farming by cutting the trees down and then burning them. A word for cloth made by weaving or knitting.
Slash-andburn Textile
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Internet Resources
Hmong Needlework: Traditions Both Ancient and New http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/hmong.htm This site explains the history of the Hmong and the story cloths.
Books
For Students Nine-In-One Grr! Grr!: A Folktale from the Hmong People of Laos by Blia Xiong with Nancy Hom (Illustrator) Childrens Book Press 1989 Reading level: Ages 4-8 Dais Story Cloth by Dai HCA with Chile Tahoe HCA (Illustrator), Nhia Thao Cha (Illustrator), Chue Cha (Illustrator), and Nhia Thao Cha (Illustrator) Lee & Low Books, 1998 Reading level: Ages 4-8 The Whispering Cloth: A Refugees Story By Pegi Dietz Shea with Anita Riggio (Illustrator) and You Yang (Ilustrator) Boyds Mills Press, 1996 Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hmong of Southeast Asia By Sandra Millett Lerner Publications, 2001 Reading level: Ages 9-12 Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girls Story By Pegi Dietz Shea Clarion Books, 2003 Reading level: Ages 9-12
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For Teachers Hmong Means Free: Life in Laos and America By Sucheng Chan Temple University Press, 1994 The Transition of Hmong Immigrants to the United States: Oral Histories from Providence, Rhode Island By Jamie F. Metzl Brown University, 1986
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Cradleboards and the Kiowa and Comanche Peoples of the Southern Plains, USA
About the Kiowa and Comanche Although many Kiowa and Comanche people live today in the Southern Plains of the United States, neither group started out there. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Kiowa lived in present-day Montana. They then moved to the Black Hills in South Dakota and into the Southern Plains Oklahoma and Northern Texas by the 1820s. The Comanche lived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, along the Arkansas River. Kiowa and Comanche tribes were nomadic people and hunted bison as their primary food source. In 1867, the United States government assigned the Kiowa and Comanche people to a reservation in Southwestern Oklahoma. Their entire way of life changed. The government sent children to schools where they were not allowed to speak their own languages or dress in traditional ways. The government built houses for them instead of letting them live in tipis and they had to give up hunting bison to become farmers. The United States government closed the reservation in 1906, yet many Kiowa and Comanche people still live in the Southern Plains region. Cradles and Their Uses Many Native peoples in North America used cradleboards to hold their babies. Kiowa and Comanche men and women made beautiful lattice cradles for their babies. Many of the most highly decorated ones were made between 1870 and 1920. Men made the frames for the cradles, but the women, who made the beaded covers, were considered the cradle makers due to the long hours of work that they spent on the beadwork. Two long boards formed the base of the cradle frames. These were held in a
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
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V shape by two cross pieces of wood. A piece of rawhide filled the gap in the middle of the V. Another curved rawhide piece was put on the frame above the babys head to protect it, and another was set below the babys feet to support them. The cradle maker covered the rawhide with animal hide, canvas, or wool to hold the baby. Women lined the inside with materials such as moss to cushion the baby and act as a diaper, which they would change when necessary. Women carried the cradleboard on their backs or in their arms, or hung it from a saddle pommel if they were riding a horse. It could stand upright or be hung from a tree branch while the mother was working. In this way, babies could be kept safe while their mothers traveled or worked. Babies typically spent much of their time in cradleboards, from the time they were born until they learned to walk.
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Above: Kiowa woman from Vanessa Jennings Collection Left: Kiowa Cradle now at Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The intricate beadwork on the cradles testifies to the high value that Kiowa and Comanche men and women placed on their children. For the Kiowa and Comanche, the lattice cradle symbolizes the arrival of a new life. The Kiowa and Comanche started decorating cradles in the mid-nineteenth century, just as they were experiencing the difficult transition to reservation life and its many changes in their culture. Cradles symbolized a family identity and a connection to the past for many Kiowa and Comanche, and continue to do so today.
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
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Cradleboards Today
Non-native collectors bought cradleboards from Kiowa and Comanche families in the early twentieth century. Times were difficult, so many families sold their cradles for cash. Many cradleboards are now owned by museums like the Haffenreffer Museum or by private collectors. Some Kiowa and Comanche female and male artists make cradles today, decorating them with beads and other materials. Families still use cradles for their children on special occasions such as family photographs. Many Kiowa and Comanche families share stories about the cradleboards that their grandmothers or great-grandmothers produced and still remember the names of cradle makers from earlier generations.
Left: Lattice cradle, Kiowa, made by Daisy Mattonsaw (1871-1943), Oklahoma, 1880s Center and Right: Lattice cradle, Kiowa, made by Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings in 1998
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VOCABULARY
Auday Bison
A specially favored child, usually the eldest child or the first grandchild. The primary traditional food source for the Kiowa, Comanche and other Plains Native Peoples. Many Americans refer to bison as buffalo. Used by many Native people who lived on the Great Plains to carry their babies.
Cradleboards
Cradle makers
Kiowa and Comanche women who embroidered cradleboards with beads. A type of cradleboard used by the Kiowa and Comanche between in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Lattice cradles
Reservation
A tract of land that the United States Government set aside for Native Americans. The United States Government assigned Native peoples like the Kiowa and Comanche to reservations in Oklahoma. A portable dwelling used by many Native peoples of the Great Plains.
Tipi
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Internet Resources
Taking Care of Babies http://www.eiteljorg.org/ejm_PlanYourVisit/PDFs/Family_Adventures.pdf A lesson plan about Cradleboards by the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.
Books
For Students A Ride on Mothers Back: A Day of Baby Carrying around the World by Emery Bernhard with Drug Bernhard (Illustrator) Harcourt, 1996 Reading level: Ages 4-8 Ways of Carrying Babies By Bobbie Neate and Christopher Clark Longman, 1994 Reading level: Ages 4-8 For Teachers Gifts of Pride and Love: Kiowa and Comanche Cradles Edited by Barbara A. Hail Bristol, RI: Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, 2000.
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Materials
Educational Standards National Council for the Social Studies I. II. III. VIII. IV. IX. Culture Standards a, b, c, d, e Time, Continuity and Change Standard e People, Places, and Environments Standards a, b, h Science, Technology, and Society Standards a, b Individual Development and Identity Standard e Global Connections Standard a
Civics & Government: C&G5(K-6)-1; C&G5(K-6)-2 Historical Perspectives: HP1(K-8)-1; HP2(5-8)-1; HP2(K-4)-3 Engineering and Technology: ET1.1(K-8); ET1.2(K-4) Reading: (if Three Objects, Three Cultures is assigned as a reading activity) (4-8) R-3; R-7; R-11; R-13 Writing: W(K-8)-1; W(K-8)-2; W(K-8)-8; W(K-8)-9; W(5-8)-10 Oral Communication: (K-8) OC-1; OC-2 Visual Arts & Design: VAD2(K-12)-1; VAD3(K-8)-1c,d; VAD3(3-8)-2 Social Science: 4.15AD, 5.6, SEAO.1, SEAO.2 Science and Technology (K-2): Life Sciences: 1, 6, 8 Science and Technology (Gr. 3-5): Life Sciences: 8&10 English Language Arts (Gr. K-8): General Standards 3, 8, 19, 23, 24 Arts (K-8): Visual Arts: 1.1, 1.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.6
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
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ELP Standard 1: (Gr. 1-2) Listening: Following Directions, level 3&4; (Gr. 3-5) Listening: Following Direction, level 3&4; (Gr. 6-8) Reading: Use of Multiple Resources, level 3&4; Speaking: Instructions/assignments, level 3&4; Social Interaction, level 3 ELP Standard 2: (Gr. 3-5) Writing: Editing and Revising, level 3, 4, 5; (Gr. 6-8) Writing: Editing, level 3&4 ELP Standard 4: (Gr. K) Writing: Colors, level 3&4 ELP Standard 5: (Gr. K) Speaking: Clothing, level 3; (Gr. 3-5) Speaking: Maps & Globes/Locations, level 3; Writing: Communities & Regions, level 3, 4, 5; (Gr. 6-8) Listening: Maps, level 3.
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Activity Three: Design Your Own Huipil, Story Cloth, or Cradle Design
For this exercise, students can choose which object they want to make. If your class worked in groups for the readings, you may wish to keep students in those groups for this activity. Huipil option Draw the outline of a huipil on a sheet of paper. Make one photocopy for each student making a huipil. Have students research some of the designs on traditional Mayan huipiles in books and on the internet. Using paper and markers, have students draw their own huipil designs based on their research. Students can also create their own symbols. Have students share their designs with the class and have them explain the significance of their chosen symbols. Story cloth option Have students research some of the histories and stories depicted on Hmong story cloths. Many images of story cloths can be found with an internet image search of Hmong story cloths. Students should also talk to their parents or caretakers about their own families stories or histories. Then, based on what they have learned about the histories on Hmong story cloths, have students use large pieces of paper and markers or crayons to create their own story cloths about a part of their own or their familys history. Some possible ideas include their familys migration to the United States or a move to a new city or state, how their parents or grandparents met, or scenes from their daily life. Alternately, just as Hmong story cloths depict stories or myths, students could depict their own myths or stories on their story cloth (i.e. how the leopard got its spots, a story about a special day, etc.). Have students share their stories with the class. Cradleboard option Draw an outline of a cradle from the side. Make a copy for each student making a cradleboard. Have students research symbols and common colors used in Kiowa and Comanche cradleboards. They can find photographs in books or on the internet. Using markers, crayons, and even some beads to glue on, have students design their own cradleboards. They can also create their own symbols. Have students share their designs and explain the significance of their chosen symbols to the class.
Larger cradle and huipil outlines are available at the end of this Activities section.
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each culture has a different form of art, each form served the purpose of communication. Each used symbols to tell a story or to convey meaning, i.e. although Maya women have access to contemporary clothing like t-shirts, many choose to continue to make and wear huipiles because they believe it is important to communicate their identities. The Hmong women traditionally embroidered on clothing, but when they were in refugee camps, they started making story cloths to record their history and past ways of life. Although Kiowa and Comanche women may use contemporary baby strollers for daily use, many still make traditional and decorative cradle boards for use on special occasions. This serves to continue a tradition and to communicate their heritage. It attests to the special treatment of babies in their culture.
Discuss how each object is both utilitarian and aesthetic, i.e. huipiles are clothing but also
have decorative weaving and embroidery; Hmong story cloths are forms of record-keeping and story telling but are also embroidered works of art; Kiowa and Comanche cradleboards were used to carry babies while keeping a womans arms free, but they are also works of art with intricate beadwork.
Discuss how identity plays a role in the designs, symbolism, media, and colors used in each
object. Have your students bring or wear an article of clothing that they feel expresses their culture or identity. Ask them to show the example to the class or a small group and describe why it is important to them. Have students discuss ways in which they record their history or stories, i.e. journals, diaries, letters to friends, blogs, twitters, or through painting, drawing, or sketching, etc.
Have students ask their parents or guardians what was used to carry or hold them. Why
did their parents use the baby carriers that they chose? (For instance, did they look for the safest car seat? Did they use a cradle that had been passed down in the family?) How did these change as they grew?
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Content Objectives
Students will learn to question stereotypes. By studying cultures in depth, students will gain tolerance and respect for classmates and people in their communities. Students will understand the term stereotype. Students in grades four through eight will be able to interview, take notes, research, and write a report. Photographs of stereotypes used in the media, photographs of people from around the world, drawing paper, pencils, crayons or markers, recorders for interview (optional), blue books or paper.
Educational Standards National Council for the Social Studies I. II. IV. IX. Culture Standards a, b, c, d, e Time, Continuity and Change Standard e Individual Development and Identity Standards e, g Global Connections Standard a
Civics & Government: C&G5(K-6)-2 Historical Perspectives: HP2(5-8)-1; HP3(K-8)-2 Reading: (K-8) R-3; R-7; R-11; R-13 Writing: (K-8) W-1; W-2; W-3; W-6; W-7; W-8; W-9; W-10; W-11 Oral Communication: (K-8) OC-1; OC-2 Visual Arts & Design: VAD2(K-12)-1; VAD3(K-8)-1c,d; VAD3(3-8)-2 Dance: D2(6-8)-1 Music: M2(6-8)-1; M2(K-12)-2 Theater: T2(6-8)-1 Social Science: 1.9, 2.7, 2.8, 4.15, 4.16 English Language Arts (Gr. K-8): General Standards 3, 8, 19, 23, 24 Arts (K-8): Visual Arts: 1.1, 1.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.6; Dance: 1.14, 3.6, 3.7, 4.5, 5.1; Music: 1.8, 3.9, 5.7; Theatre: 2.7, 3.2
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ELP Standard 1: (Gr. 1-2) Listening: Following Directions, level 3&4; (Gr. 3-5) Listening: Following Direction, level 3&4; (Gr. 6-8) Reading: Use of Multiple Resources, level 3&4; Speaking: Instructions/assignments, level 3&4; Social Interaction, level 3 ELP Standard 4: (Gr. K) Writing: Colors, level 3&4
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Activity One: A Discussion About Stereotypes The most important lesson students can take home with them after learning about the many cultures discussed in the Museums Culture Connect CaraVan program is that all people around the world are alike in that they need the same things for survival, and all people obtain and do those things differently based on their cultures. It is never too early to help students learn to tolerate and respect cultural differences, and to learn to recognize a stereotype.
Gather magazine images or locate images on the internet from movies, television, cartoons,
toys, and other consumer products that promote stereotypes, like this cigar store Indian once did.
Ask your students what they think of when they see these images. Do they have a pre-conceived image in their minds when they hear Indian (Native
challenge your students pre-conceived ideas. Did your students laugh or say gross when they learned about a particular cultural practice during their studies (an example might be body tattooing)? Have students research that cultural practice further and have a class discussion about it. (Why do people have body tattoos? Does it have special meaning/significance? Is it for special ceremonies? Is it a form of beautification?) In your class discussion, connect the practice with something similar in American culture. (Do some Americans get tattoos? Why? What other things do we do to express meaning to others? Do we wear t-shirts or jewelry with symbols or phrases that tell others something about our personality? Do we wear special clothing or ornamentation when we go to church, funerals, weddings, or other ceremonies? What do we do to make ourselves beautiful?)
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Would someone from another culture laugh at something we do? How does it make us feel when someone laughs at us or calls us weird, different, or gross?
Have a class discussion about the importance in having a deeper understanding of a
persons culture rather than making a quick judgment based on a stereotype. For example, discuss the difference between a stereotype of an Indian with the understanding of an aspect of Kiowa and Comanche culture. Use cultures examined in this packet and in the CaraVan program in your discussion.
Lead the discussion so that students understand that having a deeper understanding
of a culture can help them see the similarities and differences with their own cultures. Understanding cultural connections will better prepare them to appreciate rather than fear differences.
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Cultures in My Communitiy
Name:___________________________ Date:_____________
BROWN
Assignment: Interview someone who lives in your community who participates in a culture other than your own. On a separate sheet of paper, write your own interview questions. Use the questions below to guide you. Possible Interview Questions: What is life like for a child in your culture? Are there traditional games, stories, and toys? Does your family cook or buy traditional foods? What are they? Is it easy to find the ingredients for those foods in your neighborhood? Do you or anyone in your family wear clothing that represents your culture? What are they? What celebrations or holidays does your family observe? Are there other people in your neighborhood that share the same culture? Have you faced discrimination when practicing aspects of your culture? Do people of other cultures in your neighborhood welcome you? Are there aspects of your culture that your parents or grandparents practice that you no longer practice? Why? After your interview: Go to the library and research further about the persons culture. What did you find out in your research about this culture? Based on your research, are there other questions you would like to ask this person? Your report to your teacher should include (1) your interview questions, (2) your interview notes, (3) an essay about your background research, (4) your bibliography. Bonus: Interview a second person and compare the experiences of the two people. Are there similarities and differences between the two cultures? Are there similarities and differences between each persons experiences?
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Research and Questions Take a dance class or watch a performance. Research books in the library. How was the movement similar or different from what you are used to? Are there certain dances for certain occasions in this culture? What special clothing is worn / special music is played for this type of dance? Find a new recipe or take a cooking class of a food from a culture other than your own. Research the ingredients. Where can they be found? Is this recipe prepared for special occasions or is it a common meal? How was the food prepared traditionally and how is it prepared today? Share the recipe with your classmates and bring sample ingredients to school. Ask your teacher if there are concerns with food allergies before having your classmates try any food. Research another religion. Attend a service, but ask for permission first. How are the services structured? What do people wear? Who leads the service? What is proper behavior? Are there restrictions to who can attend? Ask if you can take photographs, or find photographs in books. Bring the photographs to school and share what you learned with your class. Research or watch a sport or game played by people from a culture other than your own. When is the sport or game played? Who can play it? What are the rules? Are there spectators? What is appropriate behavior for a spectator? How is the winner determined? Bring photographs to school to share with your class.
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Food
Religion
Sports / Games
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Family Life
Music
Clothing
Read a fiction book written by an author from a culture other than your own. Research information about the author. How is the authors culture apparent in the work? You may choose instead to watch and interview a storyteller. Are there clues to other cultural aspects such as food, ceremonies, or daily life in the story? Bring the book, or photographs of the storyteller, to school and share with your class. Visit a family or research family life in another culture. How is the family structured? Do males and females, adults and children have different roles in the household? Are there expected customs when guests arrive? What is daily life like? Bring photographs to school and share with your class. Check out a CD from the library or attend a performance of music from a culture other than your own. What kinds of instruments are played? What is the music like? Are there certain forms of dance that accompany the music? Are traditional and modern pieces both included in the performance? Does the artist create new works using traditional instruments? Have the instruments been altered to make a modern sound? You may need to also research the instruments in the library or online to find these answers. Bring music or a video sample and photographs to school and share what you learned with your class. Attend a workshop to make a craft from a culture other than your own. You may choose to instead visit a museum to study a cultural artifact or modern work of art of an artist from a culture other than your own. What medium is used? What colors are used? How are the pigments made? How are the pigments applied? Are there colors and symbols that portray meaning? Research the background of the artist or craft at the library and on the internet. Is the craft or piece purely aesthetic or utilitarian? Bring the craft you made, or a photograph or sketch of the work of art you studied to school and share with the class. Research clothing styles from a culture other than your own. Try to visit a museum that has examples of clothing. What materials were traditionally used to make clothing? How did the people traditionally obtain the materials? Are different materials used now? How have styles changed over time? Do males and females, adults and children wear different styles? What symbols are used on the clothing? Are there different styles for everyday and ceremonial wear? Bring a photograph or sketch to school and share with your class.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Acknowledgements
Project Director Geralyn Hoffman, Curator of Programs and Education, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology These materials were written by Marion Wingfield, Curator of Programs and Education (2005) and Geralyn Hoffman, Curator of Programs and Education (2010) Edited by Kevin P. Smith, Deputy Director, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
BROWN
Special editing thank yous to Barbara Hail, Curator Emerita, at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, for the Cradleboards and the Kiowa and Comanche Peoples of the Southern Plains section; Dr. Patricia Symonds, Brown University, Department of Anthropology, for the Paj Ntaub and the Hmong of Southeast Asia section; and Margot Schevill, Museum Anthropologist, for the Huipil and the Highland Maya of Guatemala section. Graphic Design and Illustrations by Sarah Philbrick, Graphics Coordinator, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology Photography coordination by Rip Gerry Photo Archivist, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
Evaluation
We welcome questions and comments. Teacher feedback on the use of these materials in the class room is appreciated. Please email us at haffenrefferprograms@brown.edu.
2010
401-253-8388
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