Celebrating Thanks with Indigenous Foods in the General Music Classroom

Abstract

The music curriculum that I have access to is Quaver Music, Essential Elements Music
Curriculum, Share the Music, and Spotlight in Music from Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. It is from
these sources that I will design a unit to reflect our lesson on Indigenous foods. My topic is called Celebrating Thanks with Indigenous Foods in the General Music Classroom. The context encompasses the sacredness of native and traditional foods alongside giving thanks. The grade level is designed for 5th-grade, however grades 3-5th can draw from these lessons in the general music classes. There are currently three 5th-grade classes at my school. The curriculum fits best during the Month of November, because of Native American History Month and the
Thanksgiving holiday. Students will learn about Navajo history, culture, and several traditional
foods and how they are prepared. This curriculum will explore the story of Thanksgiving from a
Native American perspective. The end goal is a Native American musical performance that
highlights Indigenous foods. The curriculum unit has both the Arizona State Standards and the
Dine standards. I hope this curriculum will help to enrich your programs during the yearly school
performances of “Thanksgiving.”