CROSS CURRICULAR USE
OF ABORIGINAL DRUMS
JERROD KUSYK, DAVID GAMBLE, PHIL DYCK
THE DRUM BUILDING PROCESS
GRADE 11
• Canadian History – role, significance and variations
among the different Aboriginal groups across
Canada
• Physics – controlling tone and amplitude of a drum
by changing the material used.
• Industrial Arts – combine traditional and modern
building techniques in frame drum construction
CANADIAN HISTORY
• Aboriginal culture is rich and diverse; difficult to
provide a thorough understanding in 1 semester.
• Grade 11 Canadian History curriculum has (finally)
been updated
• Thematic method (First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples)
• Chronological method (First Peoples and Nouvelle-France)
• Enduring Understanding 1 – First Nations, Metis and
Inuit peoples have a long history in North America
and their diverse and complex cultures continue to
adapt.
• Learning Experience 1.1 - Who were the First
Peoples and how did they structure their world?
CANADIAN HISTORY CONT’D
• Drumbeat represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth
• Drums are used in 4 main categories:
•
•
•
•
Social
Personal
Healing
Ceremonial
• Types of Drums
• West Coast – plank, log or box style (no animal hide)
• Plains – branches formed into frames or hollowed logs;
drumhead of deer, bison or moose skin.
• Central – water drums; hollowed logs with skin stretched across.
Water would be added or removed.
• Arctic – Whale baleen or bone frames with a drumhead of
deer, caribou, seal skin or walrus intestines.
PHYSICS
• Grade 11 Physics has an entire cluster devoted to
Sound and includes:
• How its created
• How it reacts with its environment
• How the materials used affect it
• Drums create sound by having a thin membrane
being stretched over a hollow structure.
• The struck membrane causes vibrations, which
create pressure waves in the air (sound).
PHYSICS CONT’D
• Pressure (sound) wave characteristics describe the
sound that is heard
• Amplitude affects volume
• Frequency affects the pitch
• S3P-1-17 Investigate to analyze and explain how
sounds are produced, transmitted, and detected,
using examples from nature and technology.
• S3P-1-19 Design, construct (or assemble), test, and
demonstrate a technological device to produce,
transmit, and/or control sound waves for a useful
purpose.
DESIGN LOOP
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
• Aboriginal frame drum construction utilizes both
traditional and modern building techniques.
• Modern processes and techniques allow for more efficient
use of material and time.
• Traditional techniques are utilized for the lacing and
application of the drumhead
• Incorporate the construction of these drums with a
Canadian History and/or Physics unit to greatly
increase the students understanding of key
concepts.
INDUSTRIAL ARTS CONT’D
• IA11.WW1.1 – Identify common woods, their
classification as hardwood or softwood, and their
properties such as type, species, grain texture…
• IA11.WW5.1 – Identify several common wood joints
such as butt, box, dado, dovetail, lap, mitre, mortise
and tenon, rabbet, tongue and groove…
• IA11.DD6.1 – Identify the common terms and
practices associated with product manufacturing
drafting such as detail working drawings, assembly
drawings, scale models, and prototypes.
RESOURCES
• Manitoba Education. (2010). Senior Years Industrial Arts.
Manitoba. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/
k12/cur/teched/ia_framework/glo.pdf
• Manitoba Education. (2011), Clusters and Learning
Experiences, retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/
k12/cur/socstud/history_gr11/gr11_clusters.html#cluster1
• “Modern Wood working”. By Willis H. Wagner and Clouis E.
Kicklighter Rohahes Iain Phillips. (2010), Drum Culture,
retrieved from http://www.native-drums.ca/index.php/
Drumming/Culture?tp=a&bg=1&ln=e
• Teachings of the Drum, (2010),, retrieved from http://
www.shannonthunderbird.com/Tribal%20Drum
%20Teachings.htm
• “Technology Education: Safety Resource. By Rachel Baxter
and Mary Lorenz”