Classroom Resources - Genealogy

Summary
Objectives
Materials Needed
Procedures
Assessment
Extension Activities
Relevant Curriculum Standards


Summary:

As with Pele and members of her family, the genealogical linkage of an individual to a group of people and a particular place of setting is unique and maintains a historical passage to one's own future. In this lesson, students will study the genealogy in the film Holo Mai Pele, conduct research on their own family's history, and create heraldries using symbols they have devised.

Objectives:

Students will:

• be familiar with their own genealogical linkages;
• make connections between themselves and their families, their communities, and their environments;
• conduct research on personal family, land origination, and travel;
• write genealogical stories of their families;
• reflect on their everyday experiences and personal beliefs;
• appreciate who they are and their own place of setting;
• reflect on historical events of their own families;
• use language and literature to gain insight into their own and other's lives, and build understanding of different cultures, including value systems, languages, traditions, and individual perspectives;
• make connections between family and objects in the environment and meanings of such items to family;
• utilize significant items in the creation of symmetrical design representing historical, familial, communal, and environmental relationship to the individual (heraldry);
• strengthen familial and communal binds amongst its members;
• express their own feelings and thoughts on historical and current topics of interests to them and to others.

Materials Needed:

• Tape of Holo Mai Pele
• Family Members
• Poster Board
• Markers

Procedures:

1. If tape is available, view Holo Mai Pele. You can also use this website's summary of the Pele legend, poetry excerpts, and video clips, which can be found at Holo Mai Pele - The Story. In groups of 2-3, have students write relational events between characters and their environment. Who are these characters? What are the relationships between these characters? What is happening between these characters?
2. Review the essays on Hawaiian Culture, Hawaiian Mythology, and The Hula to place the dance in historical context.
3. Describe a "heraldry" to students. What is the significance of "heraldry" and the symbols that exist on the "heraldry"?
4. Have students create symbols that they think represent what they viewed on the videotape focusing on relationships of characters, significant items or tools used, actions of characters, environment, etc.
5. Students will display these symbols on a heraldry-shape that students decide to use.
6. Students will share their heraldries with the rest of the class and display them.
7. Students will go home and gather information regarding their own families. Students will conduct short interviews with members of his/her family and identify major events that are closely related to the family and its members.
8. Students will develop symbols representing what was gathered focusing on individual members, their personalities, major historical events that have occurred within their families.
9. Students will create a heraldry of their family using the symbols that they have devised.
10. Students will share their heraldries with the rest of the class and display their heraldries.

Assessment:

Student will complete two heraldries:

1. Focusing on the videotape, Holo Mai Pele and
   
2. Their own family.

As a class, criteria will be developed using the following:

1. Presentation
2. Use of accurate information
3. Adequate research completed
4. Use of different resources
5. Ability to articulate meaning of heraldries

Extension Activities:

• Students will create a family tree utilizing information gathered.
• Students will create a map of origin of family members.
• Students will develop a pie graph displaying the ethnicity of themselves in percentages.
• Students will research the social, historical, economical, and political aspects of the place of origin of their own family.

Relevant Curriculum Standards:

This lesson correlates to the following McRel K-12 Standards, located online at www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp.

Language Arts Standards

• Writing
• Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
• Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
• Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
• Gathers and uses information for research purposes
• Reading
• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
• Listening and Speaking
• Using listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
• Viewing
• Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
• Media
• Understands the characteristics and components of the media

Historical Understanding Standards

• Understands and knows how to analyze chronological relationships and patterns
• Understands the historical perspective

Thinking and Reasoning Standards

• Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument
• Understands and applies basic principles of logic and reasoning
• Effectively uses mental processes that are based on identifying similarities and differences
• Understands and applies basic principles of hypothesis testing and scientific inquiry
• Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
• Applies decision-making techniques

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