LESSON PLAN

TEACHER Anthony Munn, Katarena Blackett, Kevin Dupuis, Danielle Burkett

Subject/Class/Course Social Studies: World Cultures
Topic Cultural Expression
Grade Level 6 Duration 30-40 min

Objectives/Outcomes (Indicate GCO and SCO) (Indicate SCO in student friendly language)
Social Studies GCO: I will be able to demonstrate an understanding of culture, diversity, and worldview
recognizing the similarities and differences reflected in various personal, cultural, racial, and ethnic
perspectives.
By the end of grade 6, students will be able to:
- Explain why cultures meet human needs and wants in diverse ways
- Describe how perspectives influence the ways in which experiences are interpreted

SCO 6.4.1: I will be able to analyse how the arts reflect beliefs and values in a selected cultural region
- I will be able to identify visual arts, crafts, dance, and music practiced in the region
- I will be able to analyse how music and dance reflect the beliefs and values of the culture

Music GCO 1: Students will be expected to explore, challenge, develop, and express ideas, using the skills,
language, techniques, and processes of the arts.

Music GCO 3: Students will be expected to demonstrate critical awareness of and value for the role of the
arts in creating and reflecting culture.

Music GCO 4: Students will be expected to respect the contributions to the arts of individuals and cultural
groups in local and global contexts, and value the arts as a record of human experience and expression.

ELA GCO: 3. Students will be expected to interact with sensitivity and respect, considering the situation,
audience, and purpose by making a conscious attempt to consider the needs and expectations of their
audience.

SFL: I will be able to describe the significance of drumming for Indigenous groups in Canada to express
their cultural identity.

Introduction (10 min)

Hook: as class enters, music will be playing (from the CD that came from the story book: Track 2 by
Northern Cree)
Kevin will give the attention getter and then will be going over the agenda and outcomes for the class.

Katarena will then give a question to the class to ponder while she is reading The Drums Calls Softly by
David Bouchard and Shelley Willier. (The question is: “What words or ideas from the book show expressions
of culture and music of the Indigenous peoples?”)
Once story is read, we will do a mind map on the board that will go along with the question and the book,
and Anthony will write the answers on the board.

Assessment
Katarena
APK: Mind map of the question given: What words or ideas from the book show expressions of culture and
music of the Indigenous peoples?
Some possible ideas: drumming, feathers, dancing, singing, rituals, storytelling, magic, prayer,
personification, quests, animals, family, etc.

Anthony
Questions will be asked that relate to drumming in Canadian First Nations communities. The information
will be provided earlier in the lesson, and a word wall will be given to help students find the answers.
Groups will answer one of four questions, earning a piece of the drum to build later in the class. This will be
a formative assessments, checking for students understanding of the lesson.

Develop the Instruction (20 min)

Transitions: as each instructor finishes their part, the next instructor will take over

Music will be playing as students enter.

Kevin: attention grabber, rhythm pattern on drum (visual cue to Jill)

Review Agenda & Outcomes: powerpoint (2 minutes)

1. Introduction:
a. music playing
b. read story
c. mind map
2. Indigenous cultures in Canada
a. diversity
b. drums
3. Activity
a. quiz
b. making a drum
4. Closure
a. let’s drum!

Katarena: Will give a question the students will ponder while storybook is read (5 min), (see introduction
section above), and then will do a mindmap with the students answering this question, while Anthony
records on the whiteboard. Possible answers are included in the assessment section above.

Danielle will discuss Indigenous cultures in Canada (10 min): “We’re going to go over this quickly because of
time constraints. In an actual grade 6 class, we would spend several lessons discussing the geographical
context and difference in culture represented by this map. If you’re interested in learning more, there are
many online resources included at the end of this presentation.”
Ask student to read from powerpoint: Since Canada has such a diversity of Indigenous groups, there is a rich
diversity of cultural expression. Because of this, it is important to be cautious about stereotyping all of
Indigenous groups in terms of a particular expression of culture. (ref p. 122 NB Gr. 6 SS Curriculum)

Show map image: This map shows the names and locations of the First Nations on the land we now call
Canada. Each indigenous nation has distinct and varied identity, customs, and traditions that make up its
culture.

Drumming in various indigenous cultures:

One of the common ways that Indigenous groups in Canada express their culture is through drums. As we
heard in the story, the drum is like a character with spiritual attributes.
Ask student to read slide
“No two drums are the same – each has its own distinctive structure, spirit, and life based on both the
culture in which it was made and the hands of the one who made it. The drum is not just a music-maker,
but a voice for the soul within the music.”

This website has a wealth of information about indigenous drumming in Canada. We’re going to take a
quick peek at a couple drums, but I encourage you to visit it on your own sometime.
Website: http://native-drums.ca/en/drums/
- look at “box drum” and “long drum”
- look at “frame drum”
Show marked maps indicating where these drums come from.

“The Drum has been a part of every culture on earth, prominent at one time or another. For our native
people the drum represents the heart beat.” http://www.sa-cinn.com/drums/

Watch video: “The Making of an Ojibwe Hand Drum” http://native-drums.ca/en/video/ (5 min)

Anthony will direct a drum building activity. (10 minutes)

Quiz:
Questions will be posted around the room on chart paper. Using terms from the word bank (sticky notes) on
the whiteboard, table groups will choose an answer to stick on to the pages. They will earn 1 part of their
drum per correct answer. (approx 8 mins)
1. Ask: Name some Indigenous cultures that use drums?
Answer: Ojibwe, Cree, Kwakwaka’wakw
2. Ask: why is drumming an important part of the indigenous culture?
Answer: heartbeat, communicate with Creator/creation, passing along tradition
3. Ask: What styles of drum did we see?
Answer: box drum, long drum, frame drum, hand drum
4. Ask: What occasions are drums used for?
Answer: ceremonies, dancing, prayer

Drum building procedure: (Danielle will demonstration as Anthony describes) (approx 2 mins)
1. Cover can ends (one open, one not) with parchment paper.
2. Trim paper to overlap sides of can. No gaps.
3. Wrap elastic around can to fasten parchment.
4. Use pencil, eraser end, as drum stick.
Video to listen to while working: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txFWJbHgcMM
Native American Round Dance Music: "The Vet" by Northern Cree
Closure (5 min)
Transition question: What type of drum did we build? Answer: Frame drum

Kevin will lead the class in an drumming activity.

The class will be separated into two groups. One group will play the “Tin” (closed side of drum) and the
other will play the “Wax” (open side of drum). They will play their phrase and then switch to playing the
next phrase on the other side of their drum and continue alternating to the end of the song.

Rhythmic patterns to write on the board: (written in music notation)

Tin: ti-ti, Ta, ti-ti, Ta :II

Wax: Ta, ti-ti, Ta, Ta :II
Tin: ti-ti, ta, ti-ti, Ta :II
Wax: Ta, ti-ti, ti-ti, Ta :II
Tin: ti-ti, ti-ti, Ta, Ta :II
Wax: Ta, ti-ti, ti-ti, Ta :II

Kevin will start the song with a deep sounding drum to establish a beat. (Heartbeat pace) Kevin will then cue
both groups to start playing their part. It is important to remind students when Kevin says switch, they
move to the next line while switching sides of their drum according to what group they are in. When the
second group finished at the bottom of the last rhythmic pattern, they stop playing. The first group should
be ending the piece with Kevin still drumming the beat.

Materials, Technologies, Safety or Special Considerations

Cans (All)
Parchment paper (Danielle)
Elastics (Danielle)
Pencils (Anthony)
Book (The Drum Calls Softly by David Bouchard and Shelley Willier)

We will ensure that Jill can see us when we do the attention grabber. The video has auto-generated closed-
captions. All information is in the powerpoint as well as spoken and demonstrated. We will provide the
storybook to the interpreter in advance for her to review.

Resources:
Music from the CD of the storybook: “The Drum Calls Softly” by David Bouchard and Shelley Willier (Track 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txFWJbHgcMM (Northern Cree, “The Vet”)
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-peoples-music/
https://classroom.synonym.com/integrate-social-studies-lesson-plans-8625691.html
http://native-drums.ca/en/drums/
http://native-drums.ca/en/video/
http://www.sa-cinn.com/drums