We begin a new unit next week, running through and beyond the winter holiday. The Artist & the Artifact explores the cultures of indigenous peoples, focusing on three lines of inquiry:
The things we make reflect our culture and our cultural context
The culture of indigenous people is shaped by their environment (ecology and geography)
The artifacts of indigenous people reflect their culture and cultural context
Students will be asked to select and investigate an indigenous group, exploring their culture, and how that culture is shaped by the environment. They will then search museum collections to identify cultural artifacts, and explore how those artifacts reflect their culture. Students become cultural anthropologists.
In advance, students are encouraged to explore the sites below for an indigenous group to study. A helpful first step might be to select an area of the world to focus on.
http://www.nativeplanet.org/indigenous/ethnicdiversity/indigenous_data.shtml
http://www.care2.com/channels/ecoinfo/cultures
http://worldfocus.org/blog/tag/indigenous-cultures/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indigenous_peoples
http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/bycountry
http://www.indian-cultures.com/
http://www.americanindian.si.edu/searchcollections/peoplescultures.aspx
http://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/beauty_surrounds_us/english/
