21st-Century American West
Do cowboys still exist? What is the life of a cowboy like today?
This session looks at the contemporary cattle industry in the US, including the day-to-day life of those involved in cattle care as well as those who participate in the traditional sport of rodeo. We will also consider why a drugstore cowboy may not know anything about cattle care and why a Dallas Cowboy has probably never been near cattle at all. In groups, pupils decide who among them is most like which variety of cowboy/cowgirl and match paper hats to the role, then share why each one fits the hat they got.
Audience: 5-100 pupils
Materials: none
Duration: 45 minutes
Interdisciplinary Theme: Democracy and Citizenship
UGS Competency Goals:
– listen to and understand words and expressions in adapted and authentic texts
– investigate ways of living and traditions in different societies in the English-speaking world and in Norway and reflect on identity and cultural belonging
– express oneself with fluency and coherence with a varied vocabulary and idiomatic expressions adapted to the purpose, recipient and situation
-explore and describe ways of living, ways of thinking, communication patterns and diversity in the English-speaking world
VGS Competency Goals:
– explain the reasoning of others and use and follow up input from others during conversations and discussions on various topics
– express himself or herself in a nuanced and precise manner with fluency and coherence, using idiomatic expressions and varied sentence structures adapted to the purpose, receiver and situation
Native Americans on Screen Today
Native Americans are becoming prominent in American film in the 21st century. Television series such as Rez Dogs and Dark Winds and movies such as Neither Wolf Nor Dog, Frybread Face and Me, and Rez Ball have recently highlighted the talents of young Native American actors. We will talk about how these offerings reflect Native American life today, learn about contemporary Native American actors, and watch film clips from recent series and movies.
Audience: up to 100 pupils
Materials: none
Duration: 45-90 minutes
Interdisciplinary Theme: Democracy and Citizenship
UGS Competency Goals:
– read and listen to English-language factual texts and literature for children and young people and write and talk about the content
– investigate ways of living and traditions in different societies in the English-speaking world and in Norway and reflect on identity and cultural belonging
– explore and reflect on the situation of indigenous peoples in the English-speaking world and in Norway
– explore and describe ways of living, ways of thinking, communication patterns and diversity in the English-speaking world
VGS Competency Goals:
– explore and reflect on diversity and social conditions in the English-speaking world based on historical contexts
– discuss and reflect on form, content and language features and literary devices in different cultural forms of expression from different media in the English-language world, including music, film and gaming
Contemporary American Regional Poets
Who is writing in the US today, and what are they writing about?
This workshop will explore some recent poetry anthologies to consider current topics and the poets who are focusing on them. These topics will include ecology, racism, and immigration, among others; the poets write from the perspectives of both mainstream and minority populations, including Native Americans. Pupils receive poems to read and discuss in groups; in the longer presentation, the group writes a response to share with the class. This workshop can be organized around a specific theme requested in advance by the teacher.
Audience: 5-25 pupils
Materials: paper, pen
Duration: 45-90 minutes
Interdisciplinary Theme: Democracy and Citizenship
UGS Competency Goals:
– listen to and understand words and expressions in adapted and authentic texts
– read and listen to English-language factual texts and literature for children and young people and write and talk about the content
– ask questions and follow up input when talking about various topics adapted to different purposes, recipients and situations
– explore and describe ways of living, ways of thinking, communication patterns and diversity in the English-speaking world
VGS Competency Goals:
– read, discuss and reflect on the content and language features and literary devices in various types of texts, including self-chosen texts
– explore and reflect on diversity and social conditions in the English-speaking world based on historical contexts
Writing With Images: Bringing What You Know to What You See
Ekphrastic writing is the academic term for writing as a response to images or objects a writer sees. We will draw inspiration from The River White by brothers Ken Hada (poet) and Duane Hada (watercolorist), which features paintings of scenes observed along the White River in Missouri and Arkansas during a summer camping trip and the poems inspired by those scenes. Pupils will receive a photo prompt to write about and have an opportunity to share their poems/stories with their groups.
Audience: 5-25 pupils
Materials: paper, pen
Duration: 45-90 minutes
Interdisciplinary Theme: Health and Life Skills
UGS Competency Goals
– read and listen to English-language factual texts and literature for children and young people and write and talk about the content
– write cohesive texts, including multimedia texts, that retell, tell, inquire about and express opinions and interests adapted to the recipient
– write formal and informal texts, including multimedia texts with structure and coherence that describe, narrate and reflect, and are adapted to the purpose, recipient and situation
– explore and present the content of cultural forms of expression from various media in the English-speaking world that are related to one’s own interests
VGS Competency Goals
– express himself or herself in a nuanced and precise manner with fluency and coherence, using idiomatic expressions and varied sentence structures adapted to the purpose, receiver and situation
– write different types of formal and informal texts, including multimedia texts with structure and coherence that describe, discuss, reason and reflect adapted to the purpose, recipient and situation
Looking at Lyrics
Lyrics convey information in a compact and often poetic form. In this workshop, students listen to hit songs to focus on their connections to U.S. history and culture, the American tradition of “tall tales,” and English vocabulary, rhyme, and grammar. They use a series of questions to analyze contemporary pop lyrics for similar references.
Audience: 5-25 students
Materials: pen, paper or laptop
Duration: 45-90 minutes
Interdisciplinary Theme: Democracy and Citizenship
UGS Core Competency Goals:
– listen to and understand words and expressions in varieties of English
– read and communicate content from different types of texts
VGS Core Competency Goals:
– discuss and reflect about form, content and means in English-language cultural expressions from various media, including music, film and games
– read, discuss and reflect about content and means in different types of texts