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4th Grade  Project 4 weeks

Who I Am: Kuleana, Culture, and Me

Aulia A
Updated
MU:Cr3.2.4.a
VA:Cn10.1.4a
MU:Cn10.1.4.a
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.5
VA:Cr1.2.4a
+ 5 more
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Purpose

Students will explore how language, knowledge, experiences, and values shape identity, beginning with Manu Boyd’s story of his journey as a kumu hula. They will create identity storybooks, self-portrait cards, portable portfolios, culturally connected artwork, and personal music that communicates expressive intent. Through shared goal-setting, peer feedback, reflection, and revision, students will connect their creative choices to who they are and what they care about. The experience culminates in an Aloha Identity Gallery Walk where students present their portfolios and music to classmates, families, and kūpuna and respond to visitors’ questions and kind notes.

Learning goals

Students will draw on Manu Boyd’s journey as a kumu hula to examine how Hawaiian language, cultural knowledge, and lived experiences shape identity and belonging. They will collaboratively plan and create a two-page identity storybook, self-portrait cards, and a portable portfolio using purposeful artwork, photos, labeled artifacts, captions, and reflection prompts. Students will create and present a short personal musical piece, explaining how their interests, skills, and expressive choices connect to what they care about. During the Aloha Identity Gallery Walk, students will use visual displays and audio recordings to communicate clearly, respond empathetically, reflect on feedback, and share their work with classmates, families, and kūpuna.

Standards
  • [National Core Arts Standards] MU:Cr3.2.4.a - Present the final version of personal created music to others, and explain connection to expressive intent.
  • [National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cn10.1.4a - Create works of art that reflect community cultural traditions.
  • [National Core Arts Standards] MU:Cn10.1.4.a - Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.5 - Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
  • [National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cr1.2.4a - Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the makers.
Competencies
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
  • Self Directed Learning - Students use teacher and peer feedback and self-reflection to monitor and direct their own learning while building self knowledge both in and out of the classroom.

Products

Students create a two-page identity storybook featuring their language, knowledge, experiences, and what they care about, informed by Manu Boyd’s journey and community cultural traditions. They produce self-portrait cards with caption strips and reflection prompts for visitors to browse and respond to. Each student assembles a portable identity portfolio folder with photos, drawings, labeled artifacts, captions, and an audio recording of original music, including a brief explanation of its expressive intent. Students present these products at the Aloha Identity Gallery Walk and collect kind notes from classmates, families, and kūpuna.

Launch

Students listen to Manu Boyd share his journey as a kumu hula, noticing how Hawaiian language, music, knowledge, and experiences shape his identity and creative choices. Before the story, they co-create respectful listening agreements; afterward, they record a word, image, or sound that connects the story to their own lives. In small circles, students share their connections, listen with empathy, and add questions or insights to a class identity map. Close by introducing the essential question and inviting students to select one personal story, artifact, or cultural connection they may explore in their identity portfolios.

Exhibition

Host an Aloha Identity Gallery Walk for classmates, families, and kūpuna. Display identity storybooks on gallery shelves, arrange self-portrait cards and reflection prompts on tables, and have students share their portable portfolios with visitors. Students can add a short original music recording to their display and explain how its sound expresses their language, knowledge, experiences, and values. Visitors ask questions and leave kind notes describing what they learned about each student’s identity and cultural connections.