Title: Muskrat Will Be Swimming
Author and Illustrator: Cheryl Savageau and Robert Hynes
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
Date of Publication: 2006
Lesson Template: Miranda Schell
Date: April 1, 2016
Theme and Plot Summary:
There is a young girl who lives by the lake. She finds it difficult to connect with her fellow classmates as they call her “lake rat” because of where she lives. The girl tries to explain the joys of the lake to her peers however, they will not relate. The Native American girl finds solace from her grandfather after sharing a similar story about himself, and strength to find one’s self . Instead of being repressed by the name given to her, she found the strengths of the name, like that of a true muskrat, and to love the place she lives in.
Intended Grade Level: Grade 3-4
Key Concepts:
- How can your actions affect the feelings of others?
- Learn about self identity. What makes you you?
Drama Learning Outcomes (3 max):
- Explore identity, place, culture, and belonging through arts experiences
- Connect knowledge and skills from other areas of learning in planning, creating, interpreting, and analyzing works for art
- Express, feelings, ideas, and experiences in creative ways
Cross Curricular Outcomes (2):
Social Studies: This story incorporates not only traditional story form the Iroquois, but also the importance of family stories. This story can be incorporated not only in the learning of other first nations cultures and also be used as a starter to look at other cultures and values around the world.
Science: As students hear about the muskrat, they will be asked about what animal represents them. This story describes some of the physical atributes muskrat have and the habitat it lives in. The students can do a project learning and describing the habitat and special characteristics their animal obtains.
Grouping: 2 Groups
Strategy: Movement
Administration: Masking tape or string
Focus: Recognize that we are all the same but different, diversity comes in different forms.
Toeing the Line 10 minutes
Teacher: Hello class! Today we are going to warm up this lesson with an activity that will help get to know each other a little bit better.
Ask students to stand while laying out a string or a long strip of masking tape. Divide class in half and have each standing in a line across from one another 5 steps away from the line dividing them.
Teacher: We are going to play a game called “toeing the line”. I will ask you a series of yes or no statements. If the statement applies to you, step up to the line. You only have to answer honestly if you feel comfortable doing so, but remember, you are surrounded by friends here.
Ask a series of questions starting off as simple and popular interests to more difficult reflective questions…
“
Teacher: Wow, thank you all for participating. Is that not really cool how we can be so different but so similar at the same time.
Grouping: 2 Groups
Strategy: Conscience Alley
Administration: Muskrat or Swamp Stuffed Animal
Focus: Have students realize that name calling hurts people’s feeling.
How Would You Feel? 7 minutes
Teacher: Let’s gather around on the carpet and I want you to show me your good listening skills we have been practising.
Read to the end of page 8.
Teacher: Alrighty students. Now we are going to stand up again and break off into two groups. Please go back to your place that were before doing the previous activity.
Once students have formed the alley, explain activity to students. You as the teacher will represent the main character while holding a stuffed animal to represent this. As you walk from one end of the alley to the other, students will call out what the other children in the town think of the main character or call her.
Teacher: Thank you for participating everyone, now let’s gather back in a horseshoe at the carpet area. Let’s think about what happened. Were some of the things you yelled mean comments? How do you think the main character would feel if those things were said to her? How did you feel shouting these types of comments out? Before you say anything we are going to express this through the next activity.
Grouping: 1 Volunteer
Strategy: Hot Seat
Administration: 1 Chair in Front of Horseshoe, Muskrat or Swamp Stuffed Animal
Focus: Have students place themselves in main character’s place to understand the impact of words
Greater Understanding 5 minutes
Teacher: Can I have our first volunteer come up to represent the main character. Now the rest of you are going to ask the main character question about how they feel when the other kids say things like this. You can also ask questions about what the main character thinks and feels about the swamp.
Give volunteers the muskrat or swamp related stuffed animal to feel more connected to the main character.
Teacher: Thank you to all of our volunteers for really embodying the main character and what excellently thoughtful questions you all asked. Now let’s all sit down again and find out what happens next.
Grouping: 4 or 5 groups
Strategy: Role on Wall
Administration: 4 or 5 tracings of a life sized child, markers
Focus: Have students recognize strengths and descriptive words that represent the main character
Descriptive Words 12 minutes
Read out loud just after “that must be it” statement in final paragraph on page 14. Close book and ask for volunteers to help set up writing stations. Separate students into groups and send them to paper figures,
Teacher: Great teamwork on helping set up everyone. Now the activity we are going to carry out will require each of you to use your descriptive words and to think back to what we have learned about the main character. I want each of you to write words that describe the main character. If you like, you can also use simple pictures as well.
Walk around to make sure students are on task and to be available for spelling questions if asked. When 3 minutes are left, ask a new pair of volunteers to help tidy up and hang the figure on the wall in front of the classroom. Give students one minute to look at what other people have written/drawn.
Teacher: Wow, very perceptive everyone. I can really see how well all of your describing and writing skills are coming along. Can we all sit back down in the horseshoe so we can see what the main characters Grampa says next?
Grouping: 4 or 5 groups
Strategy: Tableaux
Administration: None
Focus: Have students mimic emotions that the animals and Skywoman feel
The Legend 12 minutes
Read to page 20.
Teacher: Wow, isn’t that cool how this is a real legend somewhere else in the world? I want you all to separate back into your groups so we can create a still tableau representing the emotions and triumphs the animals and Skywoman went through. We are really going to practice trying to express emotion.
Possible scenarios:
What did the animals look like when they saw the Skywoman falling.
What did the animals look like when they were saving the Skywoman.
What did all of the animals look like when they were trying to get earth.
What did it look like when muskrat popped out of the water with earth.
What did the process of putting earth on turtle’s back with other animals and plants look like?
In the final 2 minutes, have each group individually showcase their tableaux and hold for 10 seconds (have rest of students start turned away and then look after group is ready). Encourage students to move around and verbalize what they see.
Teacher: Excellent representations all of you! Shall we gather back in our places to finish our story now?
Grouping: Whole Class
Strategy: Reflection in Role
Administration: None
Focus: Have students reflect on their strengths and express them through writing
The Legend 12 minutes
Read rest of story.
Teacher: Well students, I want us all to once again look at our figures on the wall and the words and pictures that describes them. Is there anything we would now like to add? Please raise your hand if you would like to suggest something.
Allow students to speak their ideas before sending them back to their desks while asking them to get out a writing utensil and paper.
Teacher: We have spent a lot of time thinking about actions and other people’s feeling so now I want each of you to think about yourself. I want you all to individually write at least 3 of your greatest strengths, the top 3 things that make you, you. Then I want to to pick an animal that most represents you and why.
Use rest of allocated time to finish activity. Leave figures on wall for the rest of the day and hang up students’ work when done.
Assessment
Using checklists
Swartz,‘Drama Themes’
Focus on Communication Skills
| Does the student… | Always | Sometimes | Never |
| Reveal thought willingly? | |||
| Explain and describe ideas clearly? | |||
| Take turns during discussions? | |||
| Accept and build on the ideas of others? | |||
| Make positive suggestions and complete tasks and build the drama? | |||
| Raise significant questions? | |||
| Conduct interviews effectively? | |||
| Communicate the thought in role? |
Comments:
Focus on Participation
| Does the student… | Always | Sometimes | Never |
| Focus attention on the task at hand? | |||
| Follow instructions effectively? | |||
| Contribute ideas when planning? | |||
| Revise and shape ideas for presentation? | |||
| Accept different points of view? | |||
| Collaborate in a variety of group situations? | |||
| Appear to enjoy drama? |
Comments:
Bibliography
EDCI 305A - Drama Education: A Medium for Learning I 