grrlstories: Educational Activities

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Educational activities by
Janet Salmons.
Salmons and Associates

Photographs by
Joanna B. Pinneo

Leaders’ Guide: Apache Sunrise Ceremony

The story of the Apache Sunrise Ceremony easily lends itself to a rich exploration of several important topics relevant to girls’ lives.

Topics to Explore:

1. Celebration of Womanhood

2. Relationship to family, heritage and culture

3. The meaning of community ritual

4. Expression of culture through art and dance

5. Learning the responsibility and power of womanhood

Whether you’re a parent, classroom teacher, or youth leader, you know the importance of engaging young people in a variety of in-depth learning experiences and activities that help them to "process" and to better understand the material being taught. While simply reading each story may be sufficient for some girls to prompt self-reflection and learning, others may need additional support.

Grrlstories.org offers this support through a variety of structured activities related to each Exploration Topic. Parents who wish to organize meaningful learning experiences for (and with) their daughters can use these activities at home. Teachers and/or youth leaders who wish to engage groups of young women in active learning and discussion can use them in the classroom.

1. Celebration of Womanhood

Collages: Who Are We?

Suggested Use: This activity works well with small groups unless a large space is available.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To celebrate womanhood and the diversity of the experience

To identify with woman from many backgrounds

To learn about diversity in its many forms

Materials Needed

A Variety of magazines, newspapers and pictures

Other interesting items such as wallpaper samples, fabrics, postcards, maps, greeting cards, wrappers or labels

Poster board

Markers

Glue

Construction Paper

Directions

1. Girls work individually or in teams to create collages to represent the diversity of women in this country. Encourage the group to think of ways they might use the materials to represent that theme. To stimulate thinking, use one or more of the following possibilities:

- Show a structure using many different faces, colors, and textures to build up the figure.

- Form the composite portrait of a single person, using features from pictures of many different people.

- Create a map of the country. Give it a three-dimensional effect by using different kinds of material.

- Brainstorm a list of characteristics of diversity, and collectively create a definition of diversity—provide examples (i.e. age, race, culture, ability, economic, geographic)

2. Have students share their work and explain how and why they chose their depictions. What does the diversity of society mean for the girls, individually and as a group

Variations

Have each person write a statement or find a quotation that they feel captures the spirit of their collage. Have them display the quote/statement with their collage.

Create a mural by arranging all the collages to form one large design. Unify the arrangement by using colorful materials to form a background and the borders.

2. Relationship of Family, Heritage and Culture

Family Vines and Trees

Suggested Use: This exercise can be adapted for groups of girls at various ages. Younger girls can focus on drawing family trees, while older girls can do internet research to trace genealogy.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To gain a connection to personal history and relationships

To learn about genealogy

To gain a better understanding of one’s own culture and heritage

To practice research skills, through either interviews or online research

Materials Needed

Option A: Paper Pens, pencils, markers

Option B: Computer with internet access

Directions

Option A: Create a Family Tree or Vine

Interview parents and/or grandparents to see how far back into history names and information are available. A few places to start include: http://www.ancestry.com/, http://www.genealogysearch.org/, http://distantcousin.com/, and

Girls can illustrate their family as a tree. Encourage girls to include step-families in a family "vine." In addition to names, girls can add details such as place of birth, occupation, place where born and current place of residence, current age or age at death.

Option B: Computer with internet access

Trace family names to find facts about heritage

Illustrate paths of migration on a map

Variations

Ask each person to write a statement or find a quotation that they feel captures the spirit of their collage. Have them display the quote/statement with their collage.

Create a mural by arranging all the collages to form one large design. Unify the arrangement by using colorful materials to form a background and the borders.

3. Community Rituals

A. Fictional Culture

Suggested Use: This fun exercise is a good starting place for serious discussion about culture and rituals.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To understand ways community rituals and the meaning attached.

To understand how culture influences individual and community communication and interactions.

Materials Needed

Flipchart paper and markers

Copy of the Fictional Culture Laws for each person.

Fictional Culture Laws

1. Never frown at someone you don’t know well.

2. Constantly wink at someone if he or she is a close friend.

3. When someone approaches you, the polite think to do is turn your back to him or her.

4. Loud or aggressive people are attractive and you are drawn to them.

5. It’s appropriate to shake hands only when you’re angry with someone and want to start a fight.

6. If you want to talk with a stranger, you immediately sit cross-legged on the floor in front of them.

7. If you want to tell someone that you like them, hold your nose, and hop in place.

8. Never speak English.

Directions

1. Form two groups and send the group to opposite sides of the room.

2. Give each of members of one group a copy of the Fictional Culture Laws. The other group does not receive a copy of the Laws.

3. Tell the Fictional Culture group to study the laws so they can act them out with the other group.

4. When the Fictional Culture group is ready, have the two groups mingle to establish friendships.

5. Have the members of the "regular" group figure out the laws the Fictional Culture group members are using just by interacting with them.

6. Write these laws that they come up with on the flip chart paper and compare them with the Fictional Culture Laws.

7. Reflection: How did this exercise feel for the "regular" group? How did "the laws" your behavior and interactions? How is this similar to your interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds? What did you learn about how you treat someone different from yourself?

Variations

Create your own set of fictional laws.

4. Expression of Culture through the Arts

A. Musical Expression

Suggested Use: This activity explores artistic expression through the lens of music. This activity is suggested for older youth. You may want to read the lyrics before choosing a piece of music.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To develop critical viewing and listening skills

To understand how emotions and cultural values are expressed in music

Materials Needed

This activity can be done with any song, which has a video. The example used here is: "One," by U2 on Achtung Baby (Island, 1991)

Lyrics

VCR and television

The music video

Directions

1. Distribute lyrics. Ask the group to analyze lyrics:

What is the main idea or message of the song? Identify its major themes.

What emotions are expressed?

What literary/poetic devices are used by the songwriter?

Are there any cultural references in the song?

How do these references contribute to the song's meaning?

Does the song address any issues that are relevant to contemporary society?

2. Play the music. Ask the group to discuss how the addition of music changes or adds to their interpretation of the song. Consider the following:

Describe the musical elements such as the instruments used, the vocal style, melody, rhythm, etc.

Do these elements reinforce or change the meaning you identified earlier?

Is the musical style what you expected from reading the lyrics?

3. Watch video. Ask the group to discuss how the visual imagery adds to or changes the meaning of the song.

What is the main purpose of the visual imagery?

Does the video tell a story?

Does it contain symbolic imagery?

How does it help set the mood of the song?

What kind of image of the performer(s) is created by the video? How does this image impact the meaning of the song?

How is the cultural expression of music in this example is similar or different from the music and dance of the Apache Sunrise Ceremony?

Variations

Several video versions, each quite different, were created for U2's "One." Compare the different versions. Which is the most successful interpretation of the song in your opinion and why? Ask group to respond to the question: If you were making a video of this song, what imagery would you use?

Resources

Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame http://www.rockhall.com.

5. Responsibility and Power of Womanhood

A. Learning Leadership

Suggested Use: This exercise encourages all members of the group to become actively involved.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To encourage girls to take on leadership skills

To practice building leadership skills within a supportive small group setting.

Materials Needed

None

Directions

1. Select a time or day for each member of the group to take leadership responsibility for the group.

2. Have the entire group work together to set group expectations for that leadership time (i.e. no side conversations, respect each person’s contributions).

3. Define and talk about different methods for leading a group (i.e discussion, lecture, decision making, consensus).

4. After each leadership session have each member of the group say what they appreciated about that persons leadership of the group.

5. After everybody has lead the group, discuss feelings related to leading the group as well as challenges.

Variations

Have a retreat weekend lead entirely by the group of girls.

Arrange a facilitation training session in preparation for a meeting or retreat led by girls.

Resources

Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making by Sam Kaner, et al (April 1996) New Society Pub; ISBN: 0865713472.

About Young People and Native American Tribes:

Coming of Age in the Navajo Nation, and Around the World: http://www.mjoe.org/cultures/navajo1.html

Books:

Shannon : An Ojibway Dancer (We Are Still Here Native Americans Today)
by Sandra King, Catherine Whipple (Photographer), Michael Dorris

Reading level: Ages 9-12
(September 1993) First Avenue Editions; ISBN: 0822596431

Nesuya's Basket (The Council for Indian Education Series)
by Carol Purdy, Paulette Livers Lambert (Illustrator) (California Maidu Indians)

Reading level: Ages 9-12
(June 1997)
Roberts Rinehart Pub; ISBN: 157098087X

Lakota Woman
by Mary Brave Bird, Richard Erdoes (Contributor), Mary Crow Dog