Created By

Kara Hisatake

Subjects

English Language Arts

Grade Level

9th, 10th

Duration

90 minutes

Standards

Primary Standards

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Supporting Standards

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

HĀ-BREATH Framework

• HĀ.4.g: Aloha: Share the responsibility for collective work.
• HĀ.6.a: Hawai‘i: Pronounce and understand Hawaiian everyday conversational words.  
• HĀ.6.d: Hawai‘i: Learn and apply Hawaiian traditional world view and knowledge in contemporary settings.

Synopsis

In this lesson, students explore the Hawaiian term aloha ‘āina and learn how it relates to sustainability, review figurative language terms, and use the concept of aloha ‘āina to write their own song or poem.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students brainstorm a definition and personal understanding of aloha ‘āina and its relationship to sustainability.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students review figurative language, identify figurative language in Hawaiian and English song lyrics, and evaluate their effectiveness.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students identify personal action that helps the ecosystem and use figurative language to write a song or poem that captures what aloha ‘āina means to them.

Essential Questions

• What is the importance of aloha ‘āina in the life of our community?
• How can I use figurative language effectively to express my feelings about my relationship with the land?

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Identify and use figurative language.
• Explain the connection between aloha ‘āina and sustainability in Hawai‘i.
• Write a poem or song using figurative language to explain aloha ‘āina and sustainability.

Teacher Slideshow

Student Document

Teacher Answer Key

Inquire

~20 minutes

• Students create a concept map or word web on the board or large poster.

• Students brainstorm words or images they associate with the following questions:

• How would you define aloha?
• How would you define ‘āina?
• What are the connections between them?
• How would you define aloha ‘āina?

• Students write their words or phrases or draw pictures on separate pieces of paper.
• Students make connections between words or ideas. Students may organize the words or images into categories.
• Students tape the pieces of paper to the board or poster to create a concept map or word web for aloha ‘āina. Alternatively, students can make their own mind map in their Student Document.

• Teacher leads a class discussion using the discussion questions from the Teacher Slideshow. For helpful talking points, see the speaker notes in the Teacher Slideshow. Students discuss the following questions:

• Why should we care about aloha ‘āina?
• What is the connection between aloha ‘āina and sustainability? How are they similar or different?
• What is the connection between aloha ‘āina and climate change? How do they affect one another, if at all?
• What is the connection between aloha ‘āina and mālama ‘āina?

• Teacher uses the links in the Teacher Slideshow to show two definitions of the term aloha ‘āina and a video on sustainability as students take notes on their Student Document.

• Teacher should note that aloha ‘āina has two major definitions:

• A sustainable, familial relationship to the land in which humans care for the land as an older sibling and as a steward, and the land nourishes humans in return (see story of Hāloa).
• A patriotic sentiment to protect Hawai‘i against colonialism.

• Students write their own definition of aloha ‘āina in their Student Document and share them with the class. Teacher emphasizes that there is no single definition. Alternatively, students can work together to create a group definition for the class.
• Optional Activity: Teacher asks students whether certain activities are a form of aloha ‘āina. Students use page 2 of their Student Document to explain why or why not.
• Teacher asks students to reflect and writes list on board:

• How do you currently practice aloha ‘āina in your life?
• Examples may include pulling weeds from the backyard, picking up trash or picking up after yourself, working in the lo‘i, gardening, protecting natural resources, planting trees, and eating native or invasive species.

Investigate

~40 minutes

• Teacher uses the Teacher Slideshow to review the figurative language terms: personification, metaphor, hyperbole, allusion, and alliteration. Students take notes on their Student Document. Teacher can choose to include other figurative language terms.
• Optional: Teacher can use a game such as Heads Up to review the terms.

• Teacher writes the terms on index cards, creating enough for each group of students to have a full set of cards with each term.
• To play Heads Up split students into groups of 4-6.
• Each group receives a full set of cards.
• Students take turns holding the stack of cards up to their foreheads so other students in their group can see the term, but they cannot. The other students in the group provide examples of the figurative language term. Teacher can use the following example sentences to explain the game to students:

• The mountain’s arms encircled me, giving me a sense of warmth and security. (Personification)
• He was an elusive and uncontrollable wildfire of a man, alternatively raging and smoldering, sending punishing fumes of smoke downwind. (Metaphor)
• A thousand extinct species returned to their natural habitat could never make up for the loss I felt. (Hyperbole)
• Let’s not have another Red Hill in these islands, and make sure to take care of our water resources. (Allusion)
• The turtle tottered over the sand, tilting tentatively yet tenaciously to lay her eggs. (Alliteration)

• The student holding the cards guesses the term. When they guess the right term, they can put the card down and reveal the next card in the stack.
• After 1 minute, the student’s turn is finished and the stack of cards gets passed to the next student.
• Alternatively, this review game can be turned into charades.

• Students watch The Vitals 808’s “Hō‘ā” music video and take notes in their Student Document about what they notice.
• Students think-pair-share the questions in the Teacher Slideshow. The questions are also listed in the Student Document.

Inspire

~30 minutes

• Students return to their definition of aloha ‘āina and generate a list of personal practices of aloha ‘āina on their Student Document. Students aim to have at least ten practices on their list.
• Students rank personal practices one, two, or three by considering the question: How well does your personal aloha ‘āina action help to maintain Hawai‘i’s natural ecosystem or build island sustainability and resilience to climate change?

• 1 = maintains ecosystem well
• 2 = maintains ecosystem somewhat
• 3 = harms ecosystem

• Students create their own song or poem using figurative language, with the goal of inspiring others to put aloha ‘āina into action. Students use their lists to brainstorm ideas.
• All songs or poems for this assignment must include and will be assessed on the following:

• 10-15 lines
• 4 out of the 5 figurative language terms practiced
• The student’s own definitions of aloha ‘āina and sustainability
• The student’s own practice of aloha ‘āina and sustainability
• A call to action to aloha ‘āina

• Students can choose to include phrases in their home languages.
• Students share their songs or poems in groups. Each group chooses the song or poem that most effectively conveys aloha ‘āina through figurative language. Each group reads the chosen song or poem out loud to the class.
• Optional Activity: Students create a video to showcase their song or poem using local photos or video footage. Students can practice aloha ‘āina and see it visually.
• Student poems may be submitted to the student newspaper or literary magazine, or displayed in the classroom.

Positives

• This lesson aligns with Hawai'i's Nā Hopena A‘o HĀ-BREATH Framework.
• This lesson can be used as a standalone, used as part of a poetry or personal narrative unit, or as part of a lesson in the literature of Hawai‘i, Hawaiian Studies, or history.
• Students are given a voice and create their own steps to affirm sustainable actions and good practices.
• Students connect the Hawaiian language, values, and worldview to the foundations of why climate change is important.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should have a basic understanding of poetry and figurative language.
• Students should have a basic understanding of aloha and ‘āina or sustainability and its relationship to climate change.
• Teacher should watch the music video before starting the lesson.
• Teacher could create their own list of school-appropriate land or sustainability songs for the lesson choice.

Differentiation

• This lesson is easy to pair with the lesson Deforestation Odes and Elegies.
• Teacher can replace The Vitals 808’s “Hō‘ā” music video with other songs or poems that address land or sustainability in Hawai‘i or elsewhere. Some examples include the following:

• Prince Ea’s "Dear Future Generations: Sorry" (poem)
• The Green’s "My Hawai‘i" (song)
• Brandy Nālani McDougall’s "Water Remembers" (poem)
• Craig Santos Perez’s "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Glacier” or “Good Fossil Fuels" (poem)
• Craig Santos Perez’s "Rings of Fire" (poem)
• Craig Santos Perez’s "From 'understory'" (poem)
• Ada Limón’s "Requiem for a Nest" (poem)
• List of climate change songs from The Nature Conservancy Note: Billie Eilish’s song has some disturbing images, and Common’s song has bleeped profanity.

• This lesson can be adapted for higher grades or levels with discussions on other language or literary devices including oxymoron,  juxtaposition, synecdoche, or rhyme schemes.
• Students can extend their learning into music by creating their own melody, writing new lyrics into an existing song, or considering components of tonality and rhythm.
• Students can further explore the definitions of aloha ‘āina through Hawai‘i TED talks, comparing and contrasting how this term is defined.
• Students can explore the song’s allusion to Kaulana Nā Pua, a resistance song about refusing the annexation of the islands and instead being satisfied with eating stones. Comparison or further analysis of the connections can be made.
• This lesson can be turned into a portfolio assignment in which students write different poems embodying different actions of local sustainability.
• Teachers can deepen their understanding of aloha ‘āina with Hawai‘i Public Radio’s extended series on aloha ‘āina.