Multicultural Curriculum - Seventh Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan
“Loo-Wit”
Content/Theme:
Native American Poetry
Grade Level:
Seventh Grade
Textbook Connection:
Literature, Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes, Prentice Hall,
Bronze Level, “Loo-Wit” pg. 752
Benchmarks
• LA.7.2.1.3: The student will locate and analyze the effects of sound, meter,
figurative and descriptive language, graphics (illustrations), and structure (e.g., line
length, fonts, word placement) to communicate mood and meaning in poetry
• LA.7.4.1.2 The student will write a variety of expressive forms (e.g., realistic
fiction, one-act play, suspense story, poetry) that according to the type of writing
employed, incorporate figurative language, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and
appropriate format.
Time: 1-2 Class Periods
Objectives:
• Students will be able to identify aspects of the Cowlitz Native American culture.
• Students will write a free-verse poem in the persona of a Cowlitz Native American.
Teacher Preparation/materials:
• Multicultural Information – Student handout
Activities:
1. Ask students if they can name any volcanoes in the United States. Tell students
about Mount St. Helens in Washington State. Tell students that before reading the
poem, “Loo-Wit,” they are going to learn about a Native American people that
inhabit the Northwest, the Cowlitz.
2. Pair students and ask them to read the information on the Cowlitz. Ask them to
write down four characteristics of the tribe.
3. Use the poem “Loo-Wit” as a read aloud and analyze the poem through the
questions located in the Prentice Hall Series.
4. Have student pairs return to their characteristics of the Cowlitz. Ask them to create
a poem in the persona of a Cowlitz native member. The poem can be free verse,
and incorporate personification similar to “Loo-Wit.” (A review of free verse and
personification are included.)
ESOL Strategies: Background knowledge, Vocabulary in Context, Cooperative Learning
Assessment: Student Participation, Writing Assignment
Resources: http://www.cowlitz.org/
Multicultural Content Information: (See handout)
SOUTHWEST NATIVE AMERICANS
THE COWLITZ
The Native American history of Washington State is deep
and vibrant. The culture in this area is characteristic of
salmon fishing, oral myths and tales with animal themes,
trading, dugout canoes, totem poles, and colorful ceremonies. There are 26 reservations all
through the state, from the Northwest Coast to the tribes east of the Cascade Mountain
range. The Cowlitz are one of these tribes in Washington. They were a unified, organized
group located inland. They valued nature, cooperation and trade, and good relationships
with others. They utilized the rivers and trails to reach other tribes and trade horses,
dried camas and wapato roots, dried berries and meats, hides and furs, and mountain goat
hair, which was used to weave blankets,
The Cowlitz women were revered for their water-tight baskets, with were know as
having more stitches and more beautiful designs than any other baskets. Also, the Cowlitz
eagerly traded goods through games such as bone gambling, horse racing and trading fairs.
They traveled in blunt-nosed canoes, designed to go over rapids and the tree-blocked
Cowlitz River. Their days were occupied by story-telling, picking dried berries in the
mountains, carving, making baskets and mats, dressing skins, sewing clothing and weaving
blankets. Ceremonials occupied their evenings.
One legend of the Cowlitz tells of a fight between the mountains. Mount Rainier had
a disagreement with his two wives, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. Mount St. Helens
became jealous, “blew her top”, and “knocked the head off Mount Rainier.” “Loo-Wit” (lady
of fire) was the name the Cowlitz people gave Mount St. Helens.
In 1800’s, during the United States Indian Acts, the Cowlitz refused to sign away
their rights to their village sites, prairies, fishing places and burial grounds. They
remained on their land and so had no reservation of their own. Later, they were asked to
move temporarily for the promise of land at a later date, but that promise was broken.
After all of the wars, they returned to feeding themselves and making
a successful living on their own. Families once again returned to the
mountains to hunt, pick berries and live in nature and family. Still not
recognized as a tribe in the U.S. government, some Cowlitz
intermarried with other tribes and moved to other tribes’ reservations.
But many remained in Cowlitz country. They have still not been able to
reach agreements of recognition with the United States.
Today, totaling about 1,400, the Cowlitz are scattered, but many
still remain. Few actually live near the Cowlitz River. As a tribe they await owning a location
for their own tribal center and becoming nationally recognized as descendants of the
Cowlitz River’s original inhabitants.
WRITE YOUR OWN POEM
Free verse is one type of poetry. It has no formal rhyme, verse form or
meter. It is usually written in non-rhyming lines/phrases that vary in length.
They may or may not be structured in sentences. Free verse may or may not
be broken into verses/stanzas. Punctuation is sometimes used to create
special emphasis/effect.
Personification is when an author gives nonliving objects (car, cloud, storm)
human qualities (groaned, scattered, slept). Adding meaning to nonliving or
nonhuman objects in this manner is called personification.
"The ancient car groaned into third gear."
"The cloud scattered rain throughout the city."
"The tropical storm slept for two days."
Write a free-verse poem about nature. If you need help, choose a word
from List A and match it with a word from List B or another word that
names an action. Write this word next to the word from List A and
develop your poem from there:
List A
List B
sun
tells
moon
shows
stars
reminds
sky
teaches
sea
listens
stone
remembers
night
brings, guides
mountain
looks, dreams
dawn
dance
Example:
-stone listens
The stone listens carefully to the grass as it grows around it
…… keep it going!!!!!!!