Name Siri Fiske
Aug 5, 2005
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Grroouupp IInnvveessttiiggaattiioonn ((lleessssoonn 22)) 31, 2005
Standard: Language Arts/listening and speaking 1.1 Ask thoughtful questions and respond to relevant questions with appropriate
elaboration in oral settings. 1.3 Identify how language usages reflect regions and cultures. 1.9 Use volume, pitch phrasing, pace,
modulation, and gestures appropriately to enhance meaning. Speaking Applications 2.1 a. Relate ideas, observations, or
recollections about an event or experience. B. provide a context that enables the listener to imagine the circumstances of the event
or experience. C. provide insight into why the selected event or experience is memorable. Theatre/ 2.1 Demonstrate the emotional
traits of a character through gesture and action. 5.1 &2 Dramatize events in California history. Use improvisation and dramatization
to explore concepts in other content areas
Objective: Students will be able to act out different stories and emotions and using non sensical words. Students will
be able to understand better and dramatize the circumstances, events, emotions and experience of the lone woman –
particularly through her inability to communicate with language.
Description of the Lesson
OCT. 2002
Puzzlement
Students encounter a
puzzling situation or
are presented with
some input that they
are not award of.
Explore reactions,
respond with
questions or
statements
Prior knowledge will include: Reading The Island of the Blue
Dolphins, extensive work on the Missions and Spanish
exploration, a few lessons on Native Californians, lessons on the
lone woman in particular (Power Point slides in previous days
lesson -with an emphasis on the idea of fact vs. fiction).
Without an introduction students will hear the short recording
(attached) of the song of the lone woman (sung 15 years after her
death, in 1935, by a man with a similar language) It will be played
again and they will be told to write down what they hear (sounds).
Afterwards I will write out the transcription (see attachment) and
tell them what the recording is and how NO ONE understood the
language of the lone woman.
Students will want to know - How does a language becomes
extinct? What did her words mean? What would she be singing
about?
Their reactions and questions will be written on the chalk board.
These reactions or
questions are
documented in some
way for reference.
Organize the study
task
Choice of questions,
grouping
(Think ahead: how will
this be done?)
Group Study
Students will be grouped by tables (5 students in each group, ELL
equally distributed) to work on three sets of questions/ ideas (see
attachment). There will be a whole class discussion after each of
the three sets of small group discussions. Each of the three small
group discussions will be ~ 10 minutes with the teacher walking
around and checking their progress.
Actual research from
available resources
Students will have the option to use information in their social
studies and science textbooks as well as the internet. Most
information will come from group discussion about their prior
knowledge and hopefully the ELL will contribute their personal
experiences as well
Report and analyze
progress and results
After each set of questions/ ideas the whole class stops and
shares a few tables’ examples of what they discussed.
Decide upon needs
for further study
Each table will decide which person’s version of the song to sing
to the whole group and the class will decide if one of the versions
is the most plausible (voting by a show of hands). I will conclude
the discussion by asking can we really know what the lone
woman was saying with the information we have.
[NO]
Can the question or
puzzlement be
answered or
explained?
( Implications)
What does
understanding or
knowing the resolution
to the puzzlement
actually mean and
how does it apply to
our body of
knowledge or lives?
OCT. 2002
-That sometimes we can’t find the “truth” in books.
-Sometimes we can’t find the truth or pertinent information with
live people because we may not understand one another.
-It is hard to try and communicate when you don’t have language
in common.
-The changes that occurred with the settlement of California
cased rapid culturalchange (this language/culture was eliminated
within 20 years)
-It must have been difficult to be the lone woman both before and
after she was rescued.
Technological/Multi-Media
Enhancement
Clip of lone woman’s song taken from
http://www.sbnature.org/research/anthro
/chumash/faq.htm
OCT. 2002