Discussion
/ Rehearsal / Performance
Rituals
I wrote this lesson to support a Fifth-grade Social Studies unit on early
man. But I now use it at various other times during their world history
survey as well. It is based on an activity I learned from Sharon
Grady at the University of Texas.
Discussion
We begin by discussing the concept of ritual. What is it? What
is it for? How do ritual and magic inter-relate? Can we list
some things that early humans might have feared, and that they might have
created rituals to ward off? Can we list some things that early humans
might have needed or desired, and that they might have created rituals
to attract? Why was the Shaman or magic person so often a figure
of great respect in early tribal cultures? What are some rituals
we use today? Using these and other questions I coach my students
to consider the way ritual functions in their own lives and the way it
might have functioned in the lives of ancient man. Today's rituals
(in most familiar religions and cultures) tend to be somewhat nebulous
in purpose--becoming a man, or becoming a Christian, for example, are not
really cut-and-dried events. But some rituals have very specific
purposes. A Native American rain dance, for example, was intended
to cause the specific result of rain. Early people may have had rituals
intended to ward off evil spirits or to placate the dead, but they probably
also had rituals intended to achieve quite specific physical goals--success
in a particular hunt or battle, for example.
Rehearsal
In this project each student works independently. After the discussion,
each student comes up with his or her own original ritual. This may
be a ritual that applies to the life of early humans, or one that applies
to the life of a contemporary student. It may be intended to cause
a specific event--success in the buffalo hunt; an "A" on the math test--or
to achieve a more nebulous goal such as "becoming a man." However,
there
must be a clear, easily expressed purpose for the ritual. Each
student rehearses his or her ritual until it is clear and consistent.
Performance
With the rest of the class serving as audience, each person in turn "performs"
his or her ritual. The class must try to figure out what the specific
purpose of the ritual is. In my classroom this means they raise their
hand and I--not the person performing--call on people one at a time to
guess. Probably in some groups, especially older ones, this would
not be necessary. I usually only take four or five guesses.
If it takes more than that, the chances are that no one will ever come
up with the answer except by chance--a wild guess. In that case I
have the performer explain the ritual. If someone gets the answer,
I coach them to explain how they knew. If no one guesses,
we discuss what was unclear. I am careful, however, to stress that
not all rituals bear their intended functions clearly. When everyone
has had a chance to "perform," the lesson is over. (Often it takes
me more than one class period to finish.)
Matt Buchanan
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E-mail me! matt_buchanan_88@post.harvard.edu