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Lesson Plan 4: Language Study (Animals)
Grades 3-6

APPLICATION: Students will have a direct opportunity to practice the Seminole language with native Seminoles at the powwow, or when visiting any Seminole reservation or attraction in the state of Florida. Students should be encouraged to ask native Seminoles about pronunctiation to refine their skills.

PURPOSE: To learn the Miccosukee (Hitchiti) words for some different animals commonly seen in Florida.

INTERESTING FACT RE. SEMINOLE LANGUAGE:

The Seminole Indians have two languages still in use today, neither of which is traditionally written. Muscogee (Creek) and Miccosukee are related but not mutually intelligible. Both languages contain sentence structures and sounds that do not exist in English and are difficult to pronounce using the English language. >P> With some words the two languages seem to mirror each other; and sometimes the two lingos are uncomparable. For example, the English word bread would be pronounced "tak-la-eek-i" in the Muscogee dialect and "pa-les-tee" in Miccosukee. "Dog" is "ef-fa" in Creek, "ee-fe" in Miccosukee. "Cow" is "wa-ka" in Creek "waa-ke" in Miccosukee.

Many Seminoles are fluent in both languages; some only speak one or the other.

PREPARATION:

While the spelling of Seminole words is largely phonetic, pronunctiation and inflection can be difficult to master. If possible, tape a live recording of a native speaker pronouncing the following words:

ee-chodeer
o-paowl
hen-lesquirrel
sho-kepig
laa-lefish
yok-cheturtle
chen-tesnake
ke-hay-kehawk
coo-wah-chobeepanther

If it is not possible to acquire such a tape before the powwow event, practice the words as best as possible, and then clarify pronunctiations at the powwow and make a recording for future practice.

MATERIALS: Guitar (if teacher is proficient), construction paper, scissors, stapler

NOTE: The song may be sung Acappella if guitar is not an option, or with a piano; chords are provided for teachers who do play.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Write all or some of the following animal names up on the board: deer, owl, squirrel, pig, fish, turtle, snake, hawk, panther.
  2. Assign an animal to each child.
  3. Have each child cut a strip of construction paper wide and long enough to make a headband; staple.
  4. Have each child write the decorate the headband for his or her animal. I.e. studens may affix ears, or write and decorate the name of their animal, etc. Students may also choose to be creative beyond thir headbands and create fins for a fish, a snout for a pig, etc.
  5. Have each "animal" stand up in the order they are written on the board, and introduce the Miccosukee word for that animal. Write it on the board, and ask the students to pronounce it as well.
  6. Have each child write the Miccosukee word for their animal on their headbands.
  7. Sing the Animal Song for each animal, first in English:

    GC
    I've got a Deer by the barnyard gate
    GD
    And that little Deer is my playmate
    GC
    And that little deer goes MUNCH MUNCH
    (eating grass, leaves)
    GDG
    Doo-da-lee-doo-doo-doo-da-lee-doo.

  8. Repeat with other animals on board, having each "animal" stand as his/her turn is called, and making the appropriate animal sounds.

  9. Repeat again, this time using the Miccosukee words for each animal.

    That ee-cho says MUNCH MUNCH
    That o-pa says HOO HOO
    That hen-le says CLICK CLICK
    That sho-ke says OINK OINK
    That laa-le says (fish face w/noise)
    That yok-che goes (make turtle swimming motion)
    That chen-te goes SSSSSSSS
    ke-hay-ke hawk
    That coo-wah-chobee says ROAR

    OPTION: If students are shy or do not wish to stand, each clan can be presented with whole-classroom audience participation.

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