Native Drums Teacher Downloads
Welcome to the Native Drums Teachers’ Homepage. Canadian Teachers of grades 4-12 classes can find free, downloadable, printable Teachers’ Resource Kits (TRK’s) directly relating to provincial curricula. These materials are usable as is or customizable for printing and use in the classroom, and include lesson plans, reference to background materials, in-class exercises, quizzes, and grading rubrics. We hope you find these materials useful!
Descriptions of Teachers’ Resource Kits
Each block below has links to download or browse the Native Drums Teachers’ Resource Kits.
Myths, Legends, & Stories
Key Concepts
First Peoples’ Cultures / Myths, Legends & Stories / Storytellers & Storytelling / The Drum / Mother Earth / Symbolism: The Circle
Kit Summary
What are oral traditions? How are myths, legends and stories shared? Who are the storytellers and what do they teach us? How should a story be received? What is the difference between a myth, legend & story? What values & beliefs – about the drum and more – are revealed through myths, legends and stories? This Teacher Resource Kit provides the materials to explore these questions and more.
Kit Materials
Part 1: Oral Traditions in First Peoples’ Cultures
Part 2: Actual Myths, Legends & Stories + Questions for Students + Assignment & Grading Rubric
Subject & Grade Areas
Secondary History / Social Studies / Native Studies / English / Music
Poems
Key Concepts
First Peoples’ Cultures / Poetry / Poem About the Drum / Poem About the Flute (Based on a modern Iroquoian myth about the flute) / Poets are from Mohawk & Saddle Lake (Cree) First Nations.
Kit Summary
This Teacher Resource Kit focuses on two incredible, exciting poems: Elderberry Flute Song by Peter Blue Cloud and A Poem (About the Drum) by Lana Whiskeyjack. It includes copies of the poems, questions & class exercises, and a ‘Poetry Brainstorming’ guide to help students in their exploration of poetry.
Kit Materials
Part 1: Poems + Questions/Class Exercises + Poetry Brainstorming Guide
Part 2: Poems by Themselves
Subject & Grade Areas
Secondary: English / Native Studies / Music
The Spirit of the Drum
Dedication
“The spirit of the drum echoes the unity and heartbeat of the Nation, of Mother Earth, and the spiritual world. The call of the drum signifies a gathering of people, a prayer or request for peace or healing.”
– Lana Whiskeyjack, Writer, Native Drums Website
Key Concepts
First Peoples’ Cultures / The Drum / The Significance of the Drum & Drumming / The Drum Spirit / The Symbolism of the Drum: Heartbeat of Mother Earth; Connection to Earth, Spirit World, Community; Life / The Drum & Thanksgiving / The Drum & Healing
Kit Summary
The materials in this kit are meant to draw students into a new level of understanding about the significance of the drum in First Peoples’ cultures. Many of the materials presented here consist of moving personal accounts about the power of the drum in peoples’ own lives. Materials in this Teacher Resource Kit consist of lesson plans, handouts, and questions/activities.
Kit Materials
Lesson 1: The Significance of the Drum – An Introduction
Lesson 2: Interview with MorningStar River Singers, Powwow Drum Group
Lesson 3: Respecting the Drum
Subject & Grade Areas
Secondary History / Social Studies / Native Studies / Music
The Science of Sound
Key Concepts
First Peoples’ Cultures / The Drum / The Science of Music / The Science of Sound / Background Principals Relating to Sound / Vibrations / Waves
Kit Summary
This Teacher Resource Kit consists of several different learning packages, all of which deal with the Science of Sound. Learning packages are small booklets that contain explanations, examples, diagrams, practice questions and answers, all dealing with various principals related to SOUND. Where possible, examples and perspectives from First Peoples’ cultures have been included.
Kit Materials
Background Principals (3 Learning Packages): (1) Mass, Weight, Inertia, Elasticity & Mediums (2) Displacement, Speed, Velocity & Acceleration (3) Force, Work, Pressure & Energy
Vibrations (2 Learning Packages): (1) Periodic Motion, Period, Cycle, Oscillation, Frequency & Amplitude (2) Simple Harmonic Motion, Hooke’s Law, The Law of Conservation of Energy, Damping, Natural Frequency, Phases
Waves (3 Learning Packages): (1) Wave, Pulse, Transverse Wave, Longitudinal Wave, Tension, Crests, Troughs, Condensations, Rarefactions, Sine Wave (2) Universal Wave Equation, Effects of Wavelength & Frequency on Sound, Phases of a Wave, Interference, Resonance (3) Standing Waves, Displacement Nodes, Displacement Antinodes, Pressure Nodes, Pressure Antinodes, String Instrument Example, Wind Instrument Example
Subject & Grade Areas
Secondary Physics
Constructing an Instrument
Key Concepts
First Peoples’ Cultures / The Drum / The Science of Music / The Science of Sound / Background Principals Relating to Sound / Vibrations / Waves
Kit Summary
This Teacher Resource Kit consists of several different learning packages on the construction of Aboriginal instruments, which are a practical demonstration of the principles in 4. The Science of Sound. Where possible, examples and perspectives from First Peoples’ cultures have been included.
Kit Materials
(1) Constructing an Iroquoian Drum (2) Constructing a Wendat Drum (3) Constructing a Cree Drum (4) Constructing Aerophones (5) Constructing an Inuit Drum (6) Constructing a Souian Drum (7) Constructing a Snared Drum (8) Examples of Rattle Construction.
Subject & Grade Areas
Secondary Physics / Social Studies / Native Studies / Music
Journals
Note
Unlike the other Teacher Resource Kits on the Native Drums website, this one is not ‘stand-alone’. Rather, it is intended as a supplementary resource for any teacher currently covering the topic of the Drum in his or her classroom.
Key Concepts
First Peoples’ Cultures / The Drum / Journal Ideas / Supplementary Educational Resource Materials on the Drum in First Peoples’ Cultures
Kit Summary
The materials in this kit consists of thought-provoking excerpts from the Native Drums website, for use as journal topics. The purpose here is not to have students worry about spelling or grammar, but rather to get them thinking about the drum and First Peoples’ cultures in a meaningful way.
Kit Materials
Part 1: List of Excerpts (Journal Ideas) + Instruction for Teachers
Part 2: Twelve individual handouts, each containing one interesting excerpt about the drum in First Peoples’ cultures
Subject & Grade Areas
Secondary History / Social Studies / Native Studies / English
Supplementary Materials
Providing pre-colonial locations of cultures, maps of Canada in English and French as well as maps of individual provinces and territories can be purchased at the following website:
http://www.tribalnationsmaps.com/store/c26/Canadian_Provinces_Maps.html
Educational materials prepared by Indigenous teachers, including Blackfoot (Reg Crowshoe and Geoff Crow Eagle), Cree (Mary Lee), Ojibwe (Lillian Pitawanakat), Mohawk (Tom Porter), and Mi’kmaq (Stephen Augustine), can be found at this website:
Fourdirectionsteachings.com
The following file contains some references to strategies concerning children with disabilities.
The following file provides some context and history of selected significant events in Canadian history.