It takes a village Lesson 4

Overview: Students will roughly sketch the geographical demands and characteristics of the Khumbu region and culture, as they begin to look at the lives of the yak herders. Housing practices and traditions reflect the many aspects of human environmental interactions studied in geography. These aspects include use of materials, cultural approaches to houses, what various peoples think they need the endeavor to provide for their families and the adaptations of these needs to challenging landscapes. It is in the particular adaptation of resources to environment that the traditional Sherpa dwelling can inspire students with an economic understanding.

Teaching Level

Connection to Oregon Content Standards

Connection to National Geography Standards

Materials

Objectives

Procedure

  1. Begin by adding background for the houses. Cover a bulletin board with butcher paper green for monsoon season or brown for fall or spring, or white for winter. Have this ready before class.
  2. Ask key question: "What work would Sherpa’s do?" "Would they go to school?" "Where?" Using chart paper record student responses, accepting all responses. All charts should be displayed in the classroom.
  3. Star or circle the responses from students on the chart paper which you feel represent what you want students to know about Sherpa culture. Ask students to show these activities on the bulletin board around the village.
  4. Criteria for placement:
    1. Show path or spatial relationship between tasks.
    2. Each group of students should solve all the necessities for life and some fun things.
    3. Show how things get to and leave the village.
    4. Pick a season and relate activities to the weather.
    5. Show how animals are important to your family.
    6. Show Sherpa household economy and priorities (how they get "money" and spend it).
  1. In dialogue "bubble" describe in detail what is happening in different areas of the mural reflecting accurately reflecting facts of Sherpa life as if you were a narrator of a documentary film.
  2. Students will need facts to complete this task. Himalaya: Vanishing Culture gives good background ideas of the life of a family of Yak herders. This can be read together and discussed as a class or provided for individual use depending on the group.
  3. Show students the Tonga painting. Discuss that this painting may be another perspective of a map of the neighborhood. Ask students to make a drawing of their homes and village in context to the Mountains and other Villages that may be nearby.

Concluding the Lesson:

Photograph the frieze. Make color copies for each student. Digital cameras and color printers or color Xerox of photographs would work. Save this for the "topic books".

Extending the Lesson Continue to read stories, view films of the Himalayas or Sherpas. See resources.

Assessing Students Learning

Students can evaluate their work against the criteria which the class or teacher set.

Put dialogue bubbles in "topic books".

Save students’ drawings of village into the "topic book".