Gluskabi and Old Man Winter – Lesson I

Understanding the use of characters as symbols to create a mock up advertisement: reflecting on images from “Gluskabi and Old Man Winter” From Joseph Bruchac’s Pushing up the sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children

DESCRIPTORS

Curriculum Areas: Reading comprehension, critical thinking skills

Recommended Levels: Students with reading deficits grades 2-5

Time Frame: This lesson is adaptable from 45 minutes to an hour, divided as needed.

Tribal Affiliation: Muckleshoot

Geographic Location: Muckleshoot Reservation, Auburn, WA

Developed by: Cara Francis

Email addresses of developers: meegat@aol.com

Date lesson was developed: 7/26/01

American Indian Standards:

Standard 7: Analyze and interpret information from stories or other text.

Standard 9: Be familiar with children’s literature with Indian themes, especially with that pertaining to the student’s tribe’s and literature written by Indian authors.

Standard 12: Use the conventions of written language with increased accuracy

Standard 1: Understanding and using forms and features of language that vary within an across individual speakers, diverse cultural communities, and different situations.

Standard 10: Recognizing, reflecting on, and articulating their participation in the aesthetic dimensions of literature.

INSTRUCTION

Goal: To understand how a character can be used as a symbol in different forms of media. To increase abstract and critical thinking skills. To increase comprehension of literary and story telling conventions.

Behavioral Objectives: Students will:

• Create a character that embodies or symbolizes a type of product (such as bathroom cleaner) of their choice. Students will draw this character using KidPixä (such as a man dressed in a huge parka), name the character and add a “slogan” such as “Keeps your bathroom Winter Fresh.”

Prior Knowledge Needed:

• Ability to use KidPixÔ.
• Prior reading of the play “Gluskabe and Old Man Winter.”
• Knowledge of what a symbol is
• Basic knowledge of character symbols in the play.

Materials and Resources Needed:

• KidPixÔ
• A list of symbolic characters in the play: Old Man winter, Grandmother Woodchuck, Summer Land People

Culture Content and Strategies:

Symbolic characters are prominent in Native American story telling tradition as well as in other literary genres. Greater understanding of the concept of symbol will increase the student’s understanding of individual tribal myths and stories.

Lesson Summary and Performance Tasks:

• Students will create and draw a character using Kid Pix Ô. This character will symbolize the positive aspect of a product being advertised. Common examples in the media are Mr. Clean for kitchen cleaner and That Guy dressed up in the Milk Carton who nags athletes who are drinking soda instead of milk
• Students will create a mock up advertisement, complete with slogan.
• Students will respond in writing, either on the back of the printed “ad” or on another piece of paper to the following questions:

1. What is your character’s name?

2. What is his slogan?

3. What does he symbolize?

Assessment:

The questions above can form the basis for assessment. Assessment can be based on how well the questions are answered, creativity of drawing, wording and general understanding of the concept of symbolism with this context.

EXTENSION

Technology Integration:

This lesson uses KidPix Ô to characterize an invented character.

Enrichment/Remediation:

This lesson can be adapted by giving extra time. If needed a classroom “brainstorming”

session could be added to ensure grasp of the idea of symbol. For enrichment, these characters could be acted out and role-played. A class or teacher “interview” of the character could be arranged.

Teacher Reflections

To be added by the user

EXAMPLE