Strategies
The way I envision this curriculum unit is for the instructor to read the summary that is provided, and retell it to the children. Retell as if the story is a part of you is the key to making it resonate within the minds and hearts of our children. There are resources to books that provide the stories at length, but I do understand that some people do not have as easy an access as those in the Four Corners area of the United States.
October would be a good time to begin the unit, the slow transition from summer to fall is noticeable, and to the Din4, October is our New Year. For those who are non-Din4, a suggested start day would be on Indigenous People’s Day, or to most, Columbus Day. With our understanding of the Discovery of New Lands, it would be great to inform our students that there were indeed people here before Columbus’s arrival, and that we do have a rich culture and history which has held on through centuries of attempted erasure.
Introduce the story by letting the students know that according to literary terms, it is mythology, but for the people who carry it on, it is history. Students should be reminded to keep their ears, hearts, and imagination open when being told the story because it should be delivered orally, and if you can, without text in hand. A KWL will be the first part, or if you prefer to alter this graphic organizer to fit your lesson, it can be changed. After the story is told and first activity is done, then you can introduce text to read off of, or have them read themselves. Please remind your students that there are many versions of this story because everyone will picture, and tell just a little different.
Students will retell their stories they heard and to retell a family member about what they were told. This is to keep the thought in their mind, and to engage their family and hopefully awaken family knowledge of the story itself. Students will then illustrate a character they heard about as they see it in their imagination. Throughout the giving and retelling of these stories in each quarter, a different illustration will be made with a caption that describes what it is he/she drew. In the third quarter, having heard the story three times now, the students come up with their own short story. It can be a continuation, it can be an altered event, or they can use a monster and make it their own. Here is where they use what they know, and make a story for themselves. It is important to pass their story on orally, but it is also important to record it for those that aren’t as fortunate and won’t hear these stories. Your voice should be shared, and rightfully so because what you say matters, and you matter. The twins are your ancestors, and you are just as brave as them, and just like them they came into this world with a purpose, and with love for their people. Students can make a booklet to share with someone else, someone in school, a family member, a local business, their friends, whomever.
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