Hale-ManoHale-ManoGoals:
1. To introduce students to a popular Hawaiian myth.
2. To use creative skills in developing their own interpretation and presentation of the book Hale-Mano.
3. To improve group skills and give the opportunity to foster leadership by allowing students to choose their parts and presentations. Everyone will be included, yet some will have to take lead roles.
Resources:
1. At least five copies of the following book:
Hale-Mano: A Legend of Hawaii by David Guard (1981). Berkeley, Calif.: Tricycle Press (ISBN 0-89742-048-9)
2. Map of Hawaii with mileage chart.
Time:
This lesson will take about 4 hours. It will be split over the two days the students are on Molokai/Lanai, with about two hours for each day. (A 1.5 hours-2.5 hours split is possible depending on time.)
Procedure:
1. Introduce the book, giving brief descriptions of the main characters.
2. Read aloud pages 7 through 24.
3. Split the class into five groups of five students and give the following assignment: Each group will be responsible for one-fifth of the remaining book (pages 25-83). Group one will take pages 25-37, group two pages 38-53, group three pages 54-62, group four pages 63-73 and group five pages 74-83.
4. Each group must read aloud their section among themselves, reading two paragraphs per person.
5. The group must then design a 5-7 minute play describing their part of the story. Every member of the group must be involved. On the first day, it is expected that students will begin to generate ideas and decide if they want to bring in clothes or other props for their act.
(The story divides easily enough that groups don't have to know what has happened before in order to complete their act. As long as the teacher gives a solid opening presentation of the characters, the students should be able to work from that.)
6. On the second day, time will be given for each group to further prepare, and finally they will give their presentations in order of the story.
7. Discussion of the story focusing on central themes of myth, dreams, family, magic and the Hawaiian dependence on the ocean.
Assessment:
1. Teacher evaluates each group's presentation for accuracy, depth and creativity (rubric included). (Criteria for success = 17 pts. out of 25.)
2. Students will give peer evaluation of each group's presentation (rubric included). (Criteria for success = completed forms with positive comments about each presentation.)
3. Students will give self-assessment of how they worked in their own group, and how well their group worked together (rubric included). (Criteria for success = 4 pts. total with flexibility to adjust point totals for comments pertaining the group's effort.)
Curricular strands:
1. Language arts: Oral reading is done by both teacher and students.
2. Art/drama: Students will act in front of the class, some taking big roles and others taking small parts.
Possible extensions:
1. Develop a full-length play out of this story for those students who are interested in making it a production.
2. There is a long vocabulary list at the end of the book, and teachers can make each group responsible for writing down and knowing the vocabulary words highlighted in their section.
3. As a class, we incorporate math and determine how far each of the characters traveled in this story and chart their movement.
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