Cultural Analysis Assignment

Observation PaperShavonne FloydAugust 2, 2009

National UniversitySan Jose, CA

The Thanksgiving pageant is coming up and I have a tough issue that I must deal with.

How do I conduct the play without gender stereotyping or allowing ethnicity or race to

negatively affect the students experience that they will have learning this historic lesson

of what took place right here in America. There is no way around the pageant I must deal

with how to make this a great learning experience for all of my students and their

audience.

The first thing that must take place is the history about the first Thanksgiving in America.

My students should know why this Thanksgiving was so important to the English and the

Indians and why it is studied and placed into our history books. Once we cover the

history about the first Thanksgiving it is then we can go more in-depth and talk about

why the English were so thankful to have this fest in America and why the Indians were

welcomed to join them at the fest.

Thanksgiving is not just about food and enjoying a great fest, but through this lesson you

can learn why the first fest was a great thing to be thankful for. This should start another

lesson within this lesson on what we are thankful for in our lives. As a teacher this will

help me to become closer to my students by hearing some of their struggles that they may

have had and why they are thankful for the lesson or things that may have come from the

experiences through those struggles. The students might want to express the people who

are in their life that they are thankful for and all that they have done for them throughout

their life. This lesson gives the students a chance to reflect and realize that through all of

their life’s struggles they still have a lot to be thankful for.

The next thing that I would have my students do is examine what they noticed about the

Thanksgiving fest and the people in the story. They will begin to see that how the women

were the cooks, the men were the hunters, and how we only see the English and the

Indians in this story. As their teacher I will help guide them in understanding why things

were like this during that time period. Then I can have the students compare and contrast

how our life today is different and the same from the people back then. We can do this by

using a ven diagram. Students will be able to see how things have evolved throughout

history and how we have come a long way since that time.

I like for my students to have an input on what will happen in the classroom. As their

teacher I will make the final say so, but it is nice to take their opinions into consideration

as well. It makes the students feel more involved in what is going on in their learning and

they have some type of say in their class. I do this by opening the floor for any questions,

comments, concerns, or suggestions about the lesson and the play. I would see if my

students would like to sign up for parts in the play or would they prefer if I gave them a

part. The floor would then open up for a class vote in which I would take their opinion in

this situation and base my decision on their vote. I don’t want to force my students into

taking a part that they are not comfortable doing. The goal of this pageant is to retell an

important story in history and to learn from the Thanksgiving fest. I would give my

suggestions to the group as well and allow the students to take my suggestions into

consideration.

Since Jose want to be narrator but has some issues with his English not being to great I

would work with him. I would allow him to read the story out loud to me first and tell

him were he is having some problems. Then I would allow him to listen to me read the

story to him out loud slowly so that he can hear the correct pronunciation of the words

and how the story should be read with the pauses, different expressions, and tone that

goes with the story. If he would like I can make a recording of the story in my voice that

he can take home and listen to as he reads along until he can catch on himself. Everyday I

would encourage him practice at home and in front of the class when we run through the

script each day. I believe that practice make perfect. He will eventually catch on and we

will have a great narrator for our play. With my help, encouragement, and most

importantly me believing in Jose will bust his self-esteem.

With Lakesha gone from class so much due to the debate team I would explain to her that

I would like to give her a small part that I feel will be great for her. With her missing so

much class and rehearsals it will not affect her in anyway. She is smart enough to learn

her part quickly and to jump in when she is there, and it not make such a big deal during

rehearsals.

I would also explain to my students that I would prefer if they stick with the gender

stereotypes of the people in those times. Even though times have changed we are telling

the story about what went on in that time during that Thanksgiving. At that time women

were in the kitchen and men were the hunters. When it comes to the fest I would ask my

three Navajo students how would they feel about being the Indians and the Caucasian

students how they would feel about being the English? We can also add some of the

African Americans as Indians as well since Indians were brown in complexion as well.

Turkey was not apart of the original fest. They had duck, which I am sure my Vietnamese

students have had before. Once I have guided the students to the right direction in the

casting area I will allow them to come one by one to tell me what part they would like to

sign up for.

Ultimately, I want to make this a great experience for all of my students. I want them to

learn about the first Thanksgiving and what it truly meant to these people. Lastly I want

my students to feel an appreciation for what they have in life and why they can have

something to be thankful for.