Hawaii: A Melting Pot of Many Cultures

Focus on Hawaii will help to highlight Polynesian culture as a non-Western culture. Japanese influence there will also be emphasized. While still keeping the focus on Hawaii, students will lastly be asked to consider how Hawaii has blended the more disparate aspects of American and European culture.

RATIONALE FOR INTEGRATION OF CORE SUBJECTS: As an art project that emphasizes model-building, students will be asked to contstruct physical examples of different aspects of Hawaiian culture. This variety in focus will introduce the student to art forms that are indigenous to the island itself (Art, Music, Dance). Students will also be expected to learn about Hawaii's geographical formation and climate. Since Hawaii has active volcanos, students will be exposed to some introductory information about how volcanoes actually operate (Sciene, Geography). As a way of incorporating environmental and health issues, students will be asked to investigate what happens in a place which experiences volcanic erruption. Does this pose specific health risks? Challenge citizens about how to clean up after the lava has flowed? (Health, Environmental Science). Since the pinapple and sugar plantations have been so central within the Hawaiian economy, students will be asked to think about farming. Does its island formation present certain risks and benefits to the local farmers? (Agricultural Science).

JUSTIFICATION: To use an art project

which brings a distant place up close can be very exciting for fifth graders. To participate in helping to build a collective model of Hawaii would allow students to use many of their talents (or struggle to acquire new ones!) By using the construction of the volcano as the group's center, various different sites can be established in the class' "community village." Additionally, by incorporating some pineapple and sugar plantations within the setting, students will be asked to consider a lifestyle which may be very foreign to urban or even suburban American children. Different students will be asked to cover different aspects of the village. Some students should be encouraged to build civic buildings where legal and governmental affairs take place. Locales where the villagers celebrate should be included. This will help the students consider what sort of music, dance, food and costume native Hawaiians prefer. In an age where landfill is rapidly disappearing some students should be asked to investigate how trash is handled upon an island. Beach life will probably attract some students attention. Here students should be encouraged to consider building "strip-like" buildings which indicate the explosive aspects of heavy tourist trade. Undoubtedly, some student will want to highlight the surf board. Again the student should be encouraged to do a bit of sophisticated research into its origins and development of use.

In order for Hawaii to be u

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