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How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back

How the World Was Formed on Turtle's Back Lesson

“How the Earth Was Formed on Turtle’s Back,” is an Onondaga creation story that features a team of vibrant animal characters, who work together to save a young woman’s life and create the world as we know it. This lesson provides numerous opportunities for students to use their bodies and voices to create characters and practice transformation. You may also integrate Language Arts by discussing the importance of personification and character traits in the story.

How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back Lesson

How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back Lesson

“How the World Was Formed on Turtle’s Back” is an Onondaga creation story that features a team of vibrant animal characters who work together to save a young woman’s life and create the world as we know it. This lesson provides numerous opportunities for students to use their bodies and voices to create characters and practice transformation. You may also integrate Language Arts by discussing the importance of personification and character traits in the story.

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 2)

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 2): Adding Narration

Objective: students will explore using narration to enhance a drama.

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This builds on Part 1 of the Piasa Bird Lesson as students add narration to their interpretations for the bird. Students will use different narration styles (see our guide for more details) in groups of up to four participants as they create different scenes in a drama (part of the fourth grade objectives). This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Fourth Grade Curriculum.

Fourth Grade Drama Journal: Piasa Bird (Part 2)

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Fourth Grade Curriculum. 

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 1)

piasa bird lesson

Piasa Bird Lesson (Part 1): Exploring Visual Elements

Objective: students will explore how to use visual elements to enhance a drama.

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Students will explore adding visual elements to a drama through the Native American legend of the Piasa bird. They will identify the visual elements of shape, line, form, and texture in a work of art (part of the fourth grade objectives). Part 2 of this lesson adds narration to the students’ interpretations for the bird. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Fourth Grade Curriculum.

Fourth Grade Drama Journal: Piasa Bird (Part 1)

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Fourth Grade Curriculum. 

 

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 2)

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 2): Transformation 

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Objective: Students compare characters and situations in drama to situations and people in real life. Students combine the primary drama tools to create character and setting. Students demonstrate transformation in a drama.

Transformation is key to the message of the story and understanding of societal values of the community (part of the third grade objectives). This lesson uses the story of the same name, "The First Woodpecker": download it to complete the lesson if you haven’t already. Review our tips for viewing student work before you begin. This lesson can also be used with the original story Vision Quest by Karen Erickson. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Third Grade Curriculum.

Third Grade Drama Journal: The First Woodpecker (Part 2)

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Third Grade Curriculum. 

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 1)

The First Woodpecker Lesson (Part 1): A Life Drama 

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Objective: Students compare characters and situations in drama to situations and people in real life. Students combine the primary drama tools to create character and setting.

Mythic stories appeal to all ages. This story of "The First Woodpecker," based on Native American myth, is a powerful lesson about respecting societal law and assisting others within a community. The drama places the students in role in an early Native American setting where they play members of a tribe faced with a great dilemma (part of the third grade objectives). A brief history of the Mandan Tribe is included for your reference. Review our tips for No Denial of Creation (helpful in a Life Drama) to improve the imagination and teamwork of the group. We included suggestions for integrating both Social Studies and Language Arts in the lesson. This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Third Grade Curriculum.

Third Grade Drama Journal: The First Woodpecker (Part 1)

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Third Grade Curriculum. 

 

Vision Quest Lesson

Vision Quest Lesson: Body Objects Review 

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Objective: students demonstrate concentration, imagination, imitation, transformation and collaboration as they plan and practice a drama.

Students transform the body into objects and then combine objects to create settings for a dramatic story. Students then enact the one character journey story in small groups with one team member playing the character and the others creating all of the settings (part of the third grade objectives). This lesson uses a Native American story of the same name, "The Vision Quest": download it to complete the lesson. This lesson can be used to integrate topics related to Native American life or teach details in language arts - read more about it in the lesson. The lesson also reviews collaboration and negotiation skills first introduced in second grade (see this lesson for a review). This lesson is part of our recommended sequence in the Third Grade Curriculum.

Third Grade Drama Journal: Vision Quest

To maximize student achievement, download this drama journal for students to use as reflection or formative assessment. For each lesson in the curriculum, we have created a corresponding journal page for your students. A drama journal allows participants to reflect on their learning and artistic growth (metacognition). It also allows you, the teacher, to see how students are using the drama vocabulary, thinking about big ideas, and perceiving their own strengths and weaknesses. If you use the journal for assessment and would like more assessment tools, visit our Third Grade Curriculum.