Curriculum

Using senses to create a song of place
Students will:

• Learn that our connection to a certain place can be captured through our senses
• Use sight, smell, sounds, touch, emotions, and relationships to create a valuable Oratory that preserves important ideas through oli

Creating crosswords as a way to teach about place
Students will:
* Explore, learn, and share about the place with which they most closely identify
* Create a crossword puzzle about the place they identify with that highlights key facts and features
* Give a short presentation to teach their classmates about this special place

Living pono; protecting Hawai‘i nei
Students and teachers will:
* Gain a deeper appreciation for the land, sea, and their community
* Find ways they can protect, defend and preserve what is important to them

Words from kūpuna on the importance of place
Students will:
– Be introduced to the significance of “place” in Hawaiian culture.
– Read and discuss various quotes from respected Hawaiian leaders and scholars.
– Deepen understanding of why place is so important in Hawaiian culture.

Exploring relationships and responsibilities to place
Students will:
* Be able to understand themselves and how they fit in their place
* Start to think about their kuleana to that place and how they can contribute and help their community thrive

Water: In need of protection
Students will:
– Learn why Wai (water) is at the core of Hawaiian culture and the ahupua‘a

Learning stories of familiar places
Students will:
* Select a place name in or near their community, or a place that holds significance in Hawai`i, to study and explore
* Deepen connections to this place by researching the meaning of its name and history
* Prepare and give a short presentation to educate classmates about this place

Polling communities: A simple process to learn a lot
Students will:
* Explore, learn, and share about the place that is their community
* Create and facilitate a one-word reaction poll to assess how others view their community
* Give a short presentation about people’s reactions and their own thoughts about this poll

Understanding trees
Students will:
* Deepen their sense of place and understanding about the importance of trees
* Understand the interdependence between plants and humans

Knowing importance of water
Students will:
* Gain a deeper understanding of the importance of water in Hawaiian culture
* Learn about or review the water cycle from a scientific aspect
* Identify sustainability issues; work toward understanding solutions