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Show THE NAVAJOS W E S H A L L R E M A I N : U TA H I N D I A N C U R R I C U L U M G U I D E 42 Assesment / Products Completion of coloring sheet Discussion reponses Variations / Extensions Include words from the lesson in vocabulary or spelling tests. Here are some suggestions: culture, education, nation, history, tribe, and symbol. Students can use their knowledge of colors and their symbolic meanings to evaluate the flag of the Navajo Nation and other tribal flags. Have the students do a brief report on Navajo weaving, basketry, or silversmithing. Have them focus on the use of colors in these art forms From oral histories or other sources at www.UtahIndians.org, have students investigate what words or ideas the Navajo associate with colors and how certain facets of Navajo life link to colors. Procedure (cont .) Next tell the students about the Navajos, a nation of Native Americans that have lived in what is now Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona for centuries and continue to be an important part of these states. Explain that the Navajos have special colors that act as symbols in their culture. Based on the information in the teacher materials, explain how the four colors represent different spiritual beliefs, people, and places. Discuss how these colors and spiritual beliefs are also associated with the sacred mountains of the Navajo homeland, the four directions, and certain times of day. Ex-plain that these colors are especially important because they tie the Navajo to their homeland. Give the students the Navajo coloring sheet, and have them complete it either as homework or as an in-class project. When they have completed it, discuss what they have learned about the colors and the Navajos from the coloring sheet. Ask some of the students to share the color they chose for "fam-ily" and tell the class why they selected that color. Tell the students that color is also an important way for Navajo parents to pass their culture on to their children, and that one way to do this is through art. Show them the clips from We Shall Remain: The Navajo or photos of Navajo artwork at www.UtahIndians.org. If time permits, you could also fo-cus specifically on the importance of weaving in Navajo culture using the information from "The Art and Technology of Utah's Five Unique Indian Cultures" lesson plan. Reinforce that this artwork is a beautiful and important part of Navajo life, and of Utah's culture. |