Series II

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Dances of First Nations

Legends

Dwellings

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Lesson 1#                  Introduction to Dances of First Nations
                

SUBJECT:  Language Arts ,Social Studies and Arts Education

TOPIC:  Introduction to First Nations Dances

TIME FRAME:  1 class

COMMON ESSENTIAL LEARNING'S:  Communication, Independent Learning, Personal and Social Values.

MATERIALS:   Various pictures of First Nations dances and dancers, a cassette tape of powwow music.

1. OBJECTIVES:              Saskatchewan Language Arts Objectives
                                         Saskatchewan Arts Education Objectives
                                         Saskatchewan Social Studies Objectives 

Cognitive:  Students will...

- compile information about different First Nation dances using the internet.

- summarize their findings into the given research report format.

Affective/Spiritual:  Students will...

- respect similarities and differences between cultures and lifestyles.

2. RESOURCES:

a) http://www.powwows.com/dancing/index2.html
This website contains information about what a powwow is, different dances, powwow etiquette and powwow information.

b) http://collections.ic.gc.ca/luxton/sect_4/4d.htm
This website contains information about the Sun Dance.

3.  PURPOSE/TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

   The purpose of this lesson is to introduce traditional First Nations dance styles.

    Men's Dance Styles:                Women's Dance Styles:
            - Grass Dance                             - Buckskin Dance 
            - Fancy Dance                            - Cloth Dance 
            - Straight Dance                         - Fancy Shawl Dance                         
            - Traditional Dance                    - Jingle Dance

A pow-wow is a gathering of various First Nation peoples.  It is a way of meeting together to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships and making new ones.  This is a time to renew thought of the old ways and to preserve a rich heritage.

There are several different stories of how the Pow Wow was started.  Some believe that the war dance societies of the Poncha and other Southern Plains tribes were the origin of the Pow Wow.
(From Powwow Dancing website)

4.  ACTIVITIES/IDEAS:

As a suggestion, you may like to play a sample of pow-wow music for the students' to listen to.   Before you begin, ask the students' if they "have ever been to a pow-wow? or "What is a pow-wow?"   For those students' who know what a pow-wow is and have been to one,  record their answers on the chalkboard.   Follow up by asking more specifics about the pow-wow; what will you see?,  what do you hear?,  what types of dances will you see?,  what are the names of the dances?,  do any of you powwow dance?   Tell the students' that they will be learning more about Traditional First Nations Dances.  A starting point may be, the lesson entitled "What is a Powwow ?".

Brainstorm with the students' ideas of what they think the 'traditional dances' are.  At the end of the brainstorming activity, let the students' know that there are different types of dance styles done by men and women. 

Divide the students' into groups of 3.  Each group is to research the following websites and locate and read the information about the different types of dance styles.
Men's Dance Styles
Women's Dance Styles

5.  EVALUATION:

(Grass Dancer;  Powwoww Dancing, 1999)