Alice Yazzie's Year

In the classroom/library:

GRADE LEVEL: 7th-grade literacy strategies class
SUBJECTS: Social Studies, Language Arts, Fine Arts
OVERVIEW: Alice Yazzie's Year will be read and students will be asked what Alice might have put in a "Who Am I" poem. Reversely, students will then use Alice's story to write and illustrate events in their own lives. Students will be introduced to Dinéh (Navajo) language and culture through a picture book. They will use the book's story as a basis for describing their own lives in terms of events and experiences, not days and months. Further, these descriptions of their lives will help them to be more cognizant of some of their own cultural activities.
PURPOSE: Although many Navajo live in Albuquerque, this book gives a glimpse into rural Navajo life, offering readers an opportunity to consider urban and rural differences in cultures. The lesson will also encourage students to appreciate and celebrate their own cultural backgrounds.

Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Brainstorm potential artistic expressions.
2. Connect personal activities to a larger culture.
3. Recognize the diversity of cultures in the classroom.
4. Consider the differences between rural and urban members of the same culture using the book's Navajo as an example.
5. Depict themselves artistically and write an accompanying descriptive paragraph.

Standards - from the APS Educational Standards Website (ww2.aps.edu):

Social Studies - Civics and Government Strand
1. Explain the concept of diversity and its significance within the political and social unity of New Mexico.
2. Describe ways in which different groups maintain their cultural heritage (Benchmark III-B).

Language Arts - Strand V: Receptive Language: Listening and Viewing
The student demonstrates, analyzes, evaluates, and reflects upon the skills and processes used to communicate by listening and viewing a variety of auditory and visual works.
18. Organizes information that is heard or viewed (I A.2):
* determines the importance of the information,
* generates further questions,
* makes connections to related topics/information,
* summarizes the information, and
* takes useful notes.
20. Draws inferences and conclusions from texts and events that are viewed (I A.2).

Fine Arts - Visual Arts Content Standard 4
Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of the creative process.
A. Explore the influence of personal experiences, imagination, and the dynamics of culture to works of art.

English Language Learners (ELLs): From NM English Language Development Standards (www.ped.state.nm.us):
Strand: Reading and Listening for Comprehension I.
* Students will apply strategies and skills to comprehend information that is read, heard, or viewed.
Strand: Writing and Speaking for Expression
II. Students will communicate effectively through speaking and writing

Standards - from the AASL's Standards for the 21st Century Learner
* Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning (1.1.2).
* Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community (1.3.4).
* Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres (4.1.3).
* Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience (4.1.5).
* Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning (4.1.8)

Resources
Children's Picture Book:
Alice Yazzie's Year by Ramona Mahler, illustrated by Shonto Begay
Additional Children's Book: READiscover New Mexico: A Tri-lingual Adventure in Literacy by Kathy Barco, illustrated by Mike Jaynes.

Materials
Assessment rubric (pdf file)

Drawing paper (with template), colored pencils

Process
1. Introductory Set
Focusing activity: "Who I am" poems. The students will spend 5-10 minutes creating poems that describe themselves. These poems will detail the students' lives in terms of sensory perceptions. Poems will then be shared in small groups, leading to a class discussion of "culture."

2. Objectives - The students will:
A. Note how many aspects of culture transcend location (urban vs rural).
B. Consider some of the activities in which they participate as a part of larger cultural
traditions.
C. Draw and describe themselves participating in these activities.
D. Discuss these activities with their classmates and recognize the diversity of others .
E. Acknowledge these activities as defining features of their lives, more than months or years.

3. Input
A. Define: urban, rural, culture, and Dinéh (Navajo).
B. Read aloud Alice Yazzie's Year, noting oral story telling is the traditional Native way.
C. Discuss events and other details of the story which are parts of Navajo culture.
D. Brainstorm events and details of students' lives and consider if these activities are part of a larger culture. Consult the additional children's book for ideas and inspiration.
E. Brainstorm ways to illustrate/describe these events and details, using a graphic organizer (Concept Map).

4. Modeling
Demonstrate usage of template, with illustration on top and descriptive narrative below.

5. Check for Understanding
Review definitions of culture and possible activities to illustrate and describe.

6. Guided Practice
Walk around the room, making sure students are participating. Ask a few students if the activities they are depicting are examples cultural activities and why or why not.

7. Independent Practice - or Homework
If assignment is not completed by end of class period, it is homework.

8. Closure

Ask students to share their work and discuss whether or not the activities depicted are unique to one culture or shared by many. Discuss significance and possibly history of cultural activities depicted. Reiterate the importance of culture and encourage students to consider activities of other cultures they encounter or experience. Suggest other books regarding Southwestern cultures and encourage students to read and reflect upon them.

Assessment

Student assessment will be based on classroom discussion participation, effort of artistic interpretation, respect for others, and correct grammar and spelling in accompanying description.

Extensions/Modifications
This lesson could be expanded into social studies, language, or fine arts classes. Social studies classes could use the lesson as a launching point for discussing tribal government/sovereignty (from the Civics and Government Strand), noting Alice's grandfather is a member of the school board.

Fine/Visual Arts classes could use this lesson to begin a more in-depth look at Southwestern art forms, styles, and techniques, in accordance with Content Standard 6 (Show an increased awareness of diverse peoples and cultures through visual and performing arts).

Language Arts could use this lesson as a starting point to begin a research project on various Southwestern cultures, thereby adhering to Strand VI (Research) and the Content Standard where the student conducts and compiles research data, synthesizes findings, and develops an original conclusion to increase personal and community depth of knowledge. This research project could investigate a variety of topics; for example, the cultural effects of Spain's history in New Mexico, the comparing and contrasting of different celebrations of different cultural groups, or historical examples of cultures being forced by oppressors to surrender their heritages.

Modifications for high-achieving students could include more illustrative and narrative details in the assignment. Generally, however, this assignment is accessible to all students, but extra time should be spent with ELLs to verify their understanding.

 

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