Lesson Plan

The Green Corn Ceremony:Creative Writing

Green Corn Ceremony
Grade Level:
Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Subject:
Social Studies
Lesson Duration:
60 Minutes
Thinking Skills:
Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words.

Essential Question

Why was this ceremony important to the Mississippian culture?
Why was everyone role with the ceremony?

Objective

The student will describe the four types of productive resources
b. human (labor)
The student acquires and uses grade-level words to communicate effectively.
a. Reads literary and informational texts and incorporates new words into oral and written
language.
The student uses a variety of strategies to gain meaning from grade-level text.
g. Summarizes text content.
i. Makes connections between texts and/or personal experiences.

Background

The Creek annual Green Corn Ceremony involved all the inhabitants of their village and neighboring villages. After receiving a “role” on an index card, the student will write about the preparation of the festival from his character’s point of view.
 

Preparation

-Index cards labeled:
1 Chief               
 1 High Priest
1 Fire Maker
1 Orator
2-4 Runners
5-8 Men
5-8 Women
4 Warriors
-Paper, pencils
-Copy of attached information sheet

Materials

Download Green Corn Ceremony

Lesson Hook/Preview

The student will describe the four types of productive resources
b. human (labor)
 The student acquires and uses grade-level words to communicate effectively.
a. Reads literary and informational texts and incorporates new words into oral and written
language.
 The student uses a variety of strategies to gain meaning from grade-level text.
g. Summarizes text content.
i. Makes connections between texts and/or personal experiences.
 The student demonstrates competency in the writing process.
a. Captures a reader’s interest by setting a purpose and developing a point of view.
c. Writes text of a length appropriate to address the topic or tell the story.
d. Uses organizational patterns for conveying information (e.g., chronological order, cause
and effect, similarity and difference, questions and answers).
f. Begins to use specific sensory details (e.g., strong verbs, adjectives) to enhance descriptive
effect.
h. Begins to use descriptive adjectives and verbs to communicate setting, character, and plot.
i. Begins to include relevant examples, facts, anecdotes, and details appropriate to the
audience.
n. Publishes by presenting an edited piece of writing to others.
 

Procedure

1. Teacher reads the attached information sheet about the Green Corn Ceremony to the class.
2. Discuss the roles of the villagers and how they were important to the ceremony.
3. Tell students that they will receive an index card telling them what role they will play in the ceremony. They must keep their roles a secret until the assignment is completed.
4. Give out cards, face down.
5. Ask the students to write a creative story about how that “character” will prepare for the Ceremony. Include sights, smells, sounds, feelings, and memories from past Ceremonies.
6. Students will share stories with class.

Contact Information

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Last updated: June 21, 2018