LESSON PLANS
DAY 1: “BODY RITUALS OF THE NACIREMA, PART I” (COOPERATIVE)
TOPIC
This lesson is based on an article written by Horace Miner in 1956 (published in American
Anthropologist). The article examines “Nacirema” society, which is actually a look at
our own society (Nacirema is American spelled backward).
DURATION
55 minutes
PURPOSE
One of the most complex objectives in this unit is for students to be able to justify the
importance of studying ancient Egypt. This lesson is the first step in that direction. It is
intended as guided practice for students to begin thinking about a society’s beliefs and
customs, moving them into eventually thinking in comparative terms. It also lays the
groundwork for our extended discussion on day two.
MATERIALS
1. Computer with internet connection and shared display (e.g. smart board)
2. Image projection devise (e.g. Elmo)
3. “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Horace Miner (teacher reference)
American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 58, No. 3. (Jun., 1956), pp. 503-507
4. Group role cards
5. Handout: Body Rituals of the Nacirema (one per student)
6. Handout: Investigating Nacirema Rituals/Beliefs (one per group)
7. Handout: Take 5 Self/Lesson Evaluation (one per student)
MICHIGAN GRADE LEVEL CONTENT EXPECTATIONS
6–H1.4.1 (SS) Describe and use cultural institutions to study an era and a region (political,
economic, religion/belief, science/technology, written language, education, family).
S.DS.06.01 (ELA) Engage in interactive, extended discourse to socially construct meaning
in book clubs, literature circles, partnerships, or other conversational protocols.
OUTCOMES
Examine cultural beliefs/rituals of American society (Content)
Critique themselves as members of a team (Social)
Demonstrate respect for the duties of all members of their workgroups (Social)
Successfully perform the responsibilities of an assigned group role (Social)
Respectfully listen to the ideas of others (Social)
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ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOMES
There are two main methods for assessing how well students met the outcomes of this
lesson. The first is the completed questions on the Nacirema. The second is the group
work self-evaluation sheet, which students will fill out to assess themselves on the social
objectives.
ANTICIPATORY SET
To pique students’ interest, I will write the word Nacirema on the board and tell students
that before we learn about Egyptians we are going to take a look at another society
that practices what some may call “unusual” beliefs and rituals.
INPUT
After the anticipatory set, students are given an overview of the day’s expectations
and activity. Two students are selected to distribute the handouts while I pass out the
role group cards. I will read the body rituals article out loud to all students as they follow
along on their copy. Once read, students will begin working in their cooperative groups
for the rest of the class, which includes time to fill out their individual self-reflection
evaluation. The group questions and the self-evaluations are exit tickets for the day.
GROUP WORK
The room is arranged so that students are grouped for everyday activities. For this
exercise, students will not be rearranged, continuing to work with the students with
whom they are ordinarily grouped. This arrangement will create eight groups of four
students. The groups will be monitored to assess where changes need to be made in
the future. Students will be responsible for performing specific jobs within their group,
which are assigned randomly and will rotate as group work continues in the unit so that
each student has an opportunity to perform different roles/responsibilities:
•
Group Leader—Reads all directions aloud to the group; leads the discussion;
makes sure every voice is heard; and politely reminds group members of their
roles, if necessary.
•
Time Manager—Announces the remaining time at the half-way point;
announces when there are only five minutes left to complete the task; and
politely reminds group members of the time if the discussion moves off of the
learning task.
•
Presenter—Speaks for the group when teacher assistance is necessary; verifies
with group members which part of the work is to be presented; and present the
group’s finished task or ideas with the teacher or class.
•
Recorder—Listens carefully to everything the group discusses relating to the
learning task; writes clearly; compiles group members’ ideas on the learning task
sheet or summarizes the main points of the group’s discussions; and makes sure
that everyone checks the finished work.
If absences make it necessary to re-configure groups into teams of three, one student
will be the time manger and presenter; for teams of five, the fifth student will read over
the recorder’s notes to the rest of the group and make changes as the group decides.
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CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING
I will circulate the room while students are discussing and answering the questions
about the Nacirema, which will allow me to answer student questions, jumpstart
seemingly stagnate discussions, re-direct individuals or groups engaged in off-track
discussions (although I will purposefully watch and wait to give group leaders and/or
time managers the opportunity to get the group on track), and observe team
dynamics.
GUIDED PRACTICE
As I circulate the room addressing and soliciting student responses, I will engage
students in discussions about their answers and ask follow-up questions.
CLOSURE
The lesson closes by asking students to start thinking about how some of the rituals and
beliefs of the Nacirema are the same or different to our own society and whether or not
there are similarities across all human civilizations.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
Students cooperatively use their knowledge to answer the questions based on their
understanding of the Nacirema body rituals. There are metacognitive questions
included on the worksheet, which should prompt discussions among group members
before they record their answers.
ADAPTATION
There are several students with special education needs in this classroom. Many are
reading far below grade level, with a subset requiring physical writing support. There is a
paraprofessional or special education teacher in the room (depending on the hour) to
service the most affected students—all of whom are members of the same cooperative
group—by re-reading aloud the article, explaining the questions, and writing the verbal
responses given by students who struggle with writing impairments.
RUBRIC
Students are held personally and collectively accountable for their participation. First,
students are asked to think about their performance during the group work and decide
if they have done their best, done well, or could work on a particular area. They will rate
themselves on the following four statements:
1. I contributed ideas to our discussions and answers.
2. I completed my individual job.
3. I listened respectfully to all ideas presented.
4. I listened to all of the presentations.
Students record their ratings under “Part 1” on the group/lesson evaluation sheet. All
members of each group receive the same grade for the lesson (√+, √, or √-), based on
the percentage and thoroughness of the Nacirema question sheet.
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WORK SAMPLE—STUDENT GROUP ROLE CARDS
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WORK SAMPLE—HANDOUT: BODY RITUAL OF THE NACIREMA
Body Rituals of the Nacirema
by Horace Mitchell Miner
adapted by Mrs. Becker
The modern anthropologist has become so familiar with the diverse ways in
which different people behave in similar situations he is rarely surprised by even the
strangest customs. Nevertheless, the magical beliefs and practices of the Nacirema
are so unusually strange that it seems useful to describe them as an example of the
extremes of human behavior.
Professor Linton first introduced the Nacirema to anthropologists twenty years
ago, but the culture of this people is still very poorly understood. They are a group
living in the territory between the Cree people, the Yaqui and Tarahumare. Little is
known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east.
According to Nacirema myth, their nation was originated by a culture hero,
Notgnihsaw a great warrior with wooden teeth.
Nacirema culture is devoted to economic pursuits and ritual activity. The focus
of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which are major
concerns for the people. Many of the Nacirema’s traditions are based on preserving
bodily health and youth.
The basic belief of the culture is that the human body is ugly and that it naturally
becomes weak and filled with disease. However it is believed that people can avoid
these evils by using magic potions and rituals. Every household has one or more shrines
devoted to such rituals. Very powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in
their houses and, in fact, houses are said to be better if they have more shrines. Most
houses are constructed from wood and plaster, but shrine rooms are walled with
expensive stone. Shrine rituals are not family ceremonies, they are private and secret.
Rituals are normally only discussed with children; they are too personal to be discussed
with other adults.
The main focus of the shrine is a box or chest which is built into the wall. Many
charms and magical potions are kept in this chest and the natives believe that without
these things they would not be able to live. The charms and potions are received
mainly through powerful medicine men. As such, medicine men are very highly
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regarded in Nacirema society. After providing a potion, medicine men must be
rewarded with gifts of great value. Medicine men practice their craft in a latipsoh.
Upon entering the latipsoh, Naciremas are sometimes required to strip naked. Those
who do not respond favorably to the potions of the medicine men often undergo a
latipsoh temple ceremony. These ceremonies can be so harsh on a person’s body
that those who enter the latipsoh never recover; sometime the ceremony ends up
killing them. If the ceremony is successful, Naciremas are required to provide a gift of
great value when they leave the temple.
Beneath the charm-box is a small bowl. Each day every member of the family
enters the shrine room, bows his head before the charm-box, and goes through a
religious cleansing ceremony. The holy waters are received from the Water Temple of
the community.
Another daily body ritual performed by most everyone includes a mouth-rite.
This ritual involves a practice which may seem horrible. It has been reported that it
consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, with certain magical
ointments, and then moving the bundle in a series of gestures.
Approximately twice a year the Nacirema will journey to the holy mouth man. There
they will undergo a ritual whereby the holy mouth man may scrape or stick the person
with a number of sharp instruments often causing pain and blood. Such traditions
show that the Nacirema may value and even enjoy bodily pain (this theory is supported
by another Nacirema tradition involving scraping the surface of the skin). Similar to the
medicine man, the holy mouth man is part of Nacirema society’s upper class.
Our review of the ritual life of the Nacirema has certainly shown them to be a
people who believe a great deal in magic, and it is hard to understand how they have
managed to survive so long.
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WORK SAMPLE—HANDOUT: NACARIEMA CIVILIZATION QUESTIONS
Investigating Nacirema
Rituals/Beliefs
1) Why is it useful to study the Nacirema civilization?
2) Where do Nacrimeas live and where did they come from?
3) What is the basic focus of Nacirema society? Do you agree with these beliefs? Why?
4) Describe the Nacirema shrine. Do we have anything like this in our culture? Explain
your answer.
5) Describe the job of the holy mouth man. Why do you think the Naciremas visit him?
6) What are your general feelings about the Nacirema civilization? Would you like to live
in this society? Explain your answer.
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WORK SAMPLE—HANDOUT: GROUP EVALUATION & LESSON REFLECTION
Name: _________________________________________________
Date: ___________________________________
Class/Hour: _______________
GROUP WORK EVALUATION & LESSON REFLECTION
Part 1
Write down the name of the person doing the following jobs (if your group did not have
a particular job, write “N/A” in the space provided).
Group Leader ______________________________________________
Time Manger _______________________________________________
Recorder ___________________________________________________
Presenter ___________________________________________________
Place a check mark in the box that you believe most accurately describes how you
performed during the cooperative activity.
Best
Job
Self-Evaluation
Good
Job
Could
work on it
I contributed ideas to our discussions and answers.
I completed my individual job.
I listened respectfully to all ideas presented.
I made my best effort to make connections.
Part 2
Name and explain at least one important thing from this lesson that you learned (not
including the spelling of words).
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Write one question you have about ancient Egyptians.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
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