Last Day of the Institute

The Heroe Journey-Reading Medicine Lake Story, Discussion of the movie Smoke Signals and PP with Wizard of Oz, Metrics, Star Wars, references to Harry Potter.

We were asked to brainstorm and answer the following question with whatever we would implement in our schools: From crosscultural explorations what do you hope to employ and how? If the story themes (our stories now) are the same, and how they are interpretered by the culture helps us realize what makes the culture unique and special. It transcends age. The older you get the more sense it makes, but the stories could be read and understood by adult and children, how can we incorporate the different perspectives to enhance our students understanding and respect for different perspectives? The heroe's journey gives us some universal areas of focus

A possible activity resulting of the elements of a heroes journey:
1. If you were going in a big adventure, what would you pack in your suitcase?
2. Where will you be going?
3. What greater good will you be seeking?

After going over the heroe's journey, participants shared the first ideas of what they were intended to implement in their classrooms. As a group, we hope to keep in touch and share lesson plans.

Some of the general wishes going through my head now are: I have special interest in connecting some of my students with Santa Fe and Anadarko High schools. Our realities are different, but we could learn from focusing on each other's perspectives as we share reactions to the movie Smoke Signals.

I also want to get lesson plans of the Native Games unit and the Scavenger Hunt withe the added element of culture. The teacher intends to survey students about their cultural heritage, make questions in the scavenger hunt appropriate to each culture, and then PP of one chosen culture for he kids in her computer class.

I will also be watching with great interest the development of the units at the elementary level because we think all these integration has to start in the early grades.

We will see what becomes a reality.