The Letter C

My group’s Multicultural Curriculum Standard was…

C !!!

To quote, Curriculum Standard C states: “A culturally-responsive curriculum uses the local language and cultural knowledge as a foundation for the rest of the curriculum.”

Lesson Snippet 1: Talk about a Local Music Festival

I thought introducing students to an upcoming music festival/event would be a good way to incorporate Standard C into the music classroom. I could look ahead at the schedule for performing arts in the community, and seek out an opportunity like Folk Fest to preview some of the performers in the classroom. The students and I could watch videos of performances, and answer some questions about the music – what instruments, where does this music come from, what are the lyrics about, etc. It would also be a way to educate kids about upcoming events in the community so they could go out and see/hear some live performances.

This idea connects really well with something like Celebration, where I could invite an elder/culture bearer to come into the classroom and teach the students about the music of the Tlin’git. It would also be a great opportunity to learn about their instruments, traits of their songs and dances, and delve deeper into how the music was used for education and spirituality simultaneously.

Lesson Snippet 2:

I am still working on the idea of using smart phones and other technology as a way to promote students recording interviews with family, friends, and other people in the community. I think its an awesome way to connect them to people, and teach them some important conversation skills. Its also a great way for them to engage oral tradition and learn how easy it is to help record and document society for further generations.