Teacher's Guide for FACES ^® Samoans

• Samoan facts: www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ws.html
• Flag of Western Samoa: http://155.187.10.12/images/flags/nation/western-samoa.gif
• Samoa Visitors""' Bureau: www1.visitsamoa.ws/come.htm

• Relating prior knowledge to the reading
• Vocabulary Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Writing

archipelago * breadfruit * clan * colony * coral * coral reef * invertebrate * longboat * Polynesian * taro

Pre-reading: Distribute copies of FACES ^® Samoans to students in your class. Start the discussion by asking: Where in the world are the Samoan Islands? Ask students to turn to pages 4 - 5 to look at the maps.

Help students locate Independent Samoa and American Samoa on a world map and on a globe. Talk about the islands""' relationship to where you are, to the West Coast of the United States, to Hawaii, and to New Zealand. Note that on many maps and globes, the Samoan Islands are just little specks.

Discuss with the students how American Samoa became a territory of the United States. American Samoa is also the only American territory located south of the equator.

Begin a KWL chart about Samoa.

What We KNOW about Samoa It""'s warm Tropical climate The land is surrounded by water Located in Pacific Ocean

What We WONDER about Samoa What languages do people speak? What foods do people eat? What kinds of things grow there?

What We LEARNED about Samoa

Pre-reading: Invite students to find the following Samoan words and terms in this issue of FACES ^®:

aiga * fa""'a Samoa * fautasi * lavalava * matai * Pago Pago * puletasi * sa * suafa""'i * tapa * tatau * umu

Pronunciation Tip: The letter "g" makes the "ng" sound. The city Pago Pago is pronounced PANG-go PANG-go.

Students can learn some common Samoan terms and count to ten in Samoan by looking at page 17. They can then create an illustrated dictionary of selected Samoan words.

You can learn more Samoan words and pronunciations by visiting a language web site: www.ipacific.com/samoa/speak.html.

Ask students to read about coral reefs, some of which are more than 150,000 years old. As a class, discuss what kinds of dangers might threaten coral reefs. Encourage students to discuss what they know about conservation. Some people call coral reefs the "rain forest of the ocean." Have students use their prior knowledge about rain forest conservation to try to think of ways to help coral reefs.

Invite students to design posters that educate people about coral reefs, their amazing life, and how they need to be protected.

Students can learn more online about coral reefs and the National Park of American Samoa: www.eparks.org/marine_and_coastal/coral_reefs/

Pre-reading / Prior Knowledge: Lead a class discussion on "coming of age" rituals. Ask students what they already know about coming of age rituals or traditions in various cultures (bat mitzvah, bar mitzvah, quinceanera, or any other rituals). Ask:

• Are there any rituals in your own family? These could be informal or formal (a party for each sixteen-year-old relative; a charm bracelet on a 10^th birthday).
• Are there any special ages that have significance in American society? (e.g. 16 for driving, 18 for voting, 35 for U.S. president)
• Do these ages give you privileges? Responsibilities? Insight?

After Reading: Lead a follow-up discussion about coming-of-age rituals. Encourage students to talk about how they felt while reading about the Tatau.

Ask students to write three days""' of journal entries about the Tatau. Students can take on the role of being a friend or relative of a boy who is receiving the Tatau. Encourage them to use any time leading up to the Tatau, the day of the ritual, or the days following.

Reading: Ask students to read the article "Holidays Galore" independently. Divide students into four groups. Assign each group a three-month season (e.g. January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December). Each group can make a "Samoan Islands Celebrations Calendar." Ask the students to include American Samoa holidays (same as U.S. holidays) as well as traditional Samoan holidays and celebrations.

Every culture has a story tradition. People throughout the world have used stories to celebrate, to mourn, to teach, and to try to understand nature and people. Invite students to read the Samoan myth "The Story of Two Brothers."

After they""'ve read the story, ask students:

• What makes this a myth?
• What do you think may have inspired a Samoan storyteller to first make up this myth?
• What natural events may have inspired this story?
• What might happen if the brothers were still fighting right now?

Ask for volunteers to stage an interpretation of The Two Brothers. Roles would include Matafao, Pioa, the Father, and a narrator. Others might want to help with scenery or with posters to advertise the play.

Pre-reading / Prior Knowledge: Ask if students have heard of a poet and writer named Robert Louis Stevenson. You may want to tell them a bit about the author, who was one of the first to write from a child""'s point of view. Read a few poems that students might remember from their younger years, such as "The Swing" or any others from a Child""'s Garden of Verses.

Ask students if they""'ve heard of stories with titles like Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. How about a book filled with pirates, adventures, and an arch-villain named Long John Silver called Treasure Island?

Now that you have their attention, invite students to read the article on Stevenson!

After Reading: Students may be interested in reading Treasure Island ""- a great book for literature circles. Those who have read it may wish to revisit the story now that they know more about Pacific island life and the author. A teaching guide (www.dreamcatchers.net/treasure) is available online.

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Updated: 7/23/08 06:22 pm
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