A Flag for Unity and Symbolism

LESSON:

Teacher movement-prep instructions:
For each movement prompt: Move around the room with the students, recognizing individual effort and quality artistic choices. (Keep movement prompts energized and brief, 5-30 second sequences.) Provide a clear intro and strong finish. For example: Give the students four steady counts/beats to move into position. To prepare students for a strong finish, slow down their rhythm, then give them a steady, “3,2,1, and finish.” Remind each student to be aware of their personal space, be respectful of those around them, artistically design ways to use their whole body, and to use the whole area for dance. Positively acknowledge individual and collective creative effort and imaginative ideas. If desired, use this beautiful flute music by R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) Carlos Nakai: Earth Spirit to accompany movement sequences. Demonstrate movement examples, as needed.

Prepare a large movement space in the classroom. Students may begin seated in the space.

Introduction:

Upload and display The Ute Indian Flag slideshow

Slide 1: Blank colored flags waving in the breeze

Teacher: Look at this image. What do you see? (Encourage many responses)

Movement prompt 1: (Optional: provide scarves for each child) Invite the children to visualize how they could use their bodies to represent the shapes, lines, and motions of a flag. Invite students to stand. Introduce brief instructions about using the space. Invite them to show how
they could use their bodies to represent the shapes, lines, and motions of a flag. Finish in a
strong freeze-pose.

Slide 2: Signs and symbols

Teacher: Look at this image. What do you see? (Encourage many responses) What more can you see?

Movement prompt 2: Invite the children to select a sign or symbol. Invite them to close their eyes and visualize what that symbol means. How can they creatively use their bodies to move into a strong fixed-pose to represent that symbol?

Slide 3: Many flags

Teacher: Flags around the world are made of specially selected colors, patterns, shapes, symbols, and ideas. Different flags represent specific people, places, purpose, and ideals. Do you recognize any symbols on these flags? Do you recognize any of these flags?

Slide 4: Original Flag seal of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation (On the Recreation Bldg. gym wall)

Teacher: Look closely at this image. What do you see? (Encourage many responses) What more can you see?

Movement sequence for a small group (prompt 3): Invite 5-10 volunteers to come to the front of the room to create the flag in a tableau. (A tableau is an arts technique in which participants freeze in poses that create a select image.) Each volunteer will choose and represent a different aspect of the flag. When the tableau is complete, invite participants to hold their positions.
Ask each tableau participant to introduce what they chose to represent, and to say what their representative part might be thinking or feeling. For example: “I am one of the 12 eagle tail feathers. I help to keep the eagle steady, balanced, and able to change directions while in flight in the sky.”

Invite participants to return to their places. Direct inquiry to the full class.

Use this Harvard Project Zero thinking routine: See, Think, Wonder

Teacher: As you look at this image, what do you think? (Give time for many responses) What does it make you wonder? (Give time for many responses) What questions arise in your mind? What would you like to know?

Teacher: This is the flag seal of The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation.

Slide 5: Flag and Map

Teacher: The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation is one of the eight, federally-recognized, sovereign nations who live in the state of Utah. Find the dark green land areas on the map. The dark green indicates where their reservation lands are located. The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation is made up of three bands: The White River, Uintah, and Uncompahgre bands. (See: Lesson Vocabulary) Their flag represents the Ute commitment to unity within the three bands and within the tribe. What do you think “commitment to unity” means for the Utes? How many different families, cultures, and backgrounds do we represent in our classroom? What do you think “commitment to unity” means in our class?

Movement prompt 4: Imagine and visualize what our class unity might look and feel like. How can we use dance to create our own representation of unity? Demonstrate movement ideas: Will we come close together, or will we fill the space? Will our combined movements link or connect us? Will we all be on the same or different levels? How can unity include everyone? What movement will you design as a class to represent the idea of unity, to be unified.

Teacher: Begin to move without speaking. Create together a symbol of your unity.

Invite students to hold their final position, and to remember it. (This will become part A of a dance sequence, later in the lesson).

Teacher: How does understanding “commitment to unity” help us understand the Ute people?

Slide 6: Flag symbols and meanings

Teacher: Each part of the flag seal has symbolism and meaning.

Teacher: Look again at the subjects and symbols on the Ute Indian Tribe Flag. Select one of them. How could you represent that symbol with movement?

Movement prompt 5: Visualize what your chosen Ute flag symbol might mean. Begin to create and design a representation of your symbol with the motion, shapes, and lines of your body. Begin. Hold a strong final position and remember it. (This will become part B of a dance
sequence, later in the lesson).

Teacher: We all have things that represent us in our individual lives. What are some of the things that represent you? (Answers will vary… Invite students to offer specifics about family, where they live, what they like to do, the foods they eat, favorite colors, talents, etc.)

Movement prompt 6: Invite students to now think of one new symbol, from their own lives, that best represents themselves. Invite them to consider what their chosen symbol means.

Teacher: How would you represent your personal symbol with your body and movement? When the drum starts, begin to create and design your symbol with the motion, shapes, and lines of your body.

Begin movement. Invite students to hold a strong final position and remember it. (This will become part C of a dance sequence, later in the lesson).

Move among the students, recognize interesting and imaginative movement effort and artistry. Tap a few students on the shoulder. Ask each of them to share the symbol they chose for themselves, and why they chose it.

Teacher: You have now created enough movements to build a sequence. Organizing movement into order and pattern is called choreography. We will use our three recent movements and poses, to choreograph this sequence. We will move from one position to another. So, it’s easier to follow, let’s name our class unity movement as Part A. Remember and visualize the movements and positioning you created for class unity.

Write a large letter A on the board. Write ‘class unity’ underneath it.

Teacher: Part B will be the movement representing your chosen symbol on the Ute Flag. Visualize moving into your position that represents a Ute flag symbol.

Write a large letter B on the board. (A B) Write ‘Ute flag symbol’ underneath it.

Teacher: Part C of our dance sequence will be your movement representing a personally meaningful symbol of your life. Picture your movement representing your personal symbol.

Write a large letter C on the board. (A B C) Write ‘my symbol’ underneath it.

Teacher: Each part of the sequence will receive 8 counts for you to thoughtfully move into each new position. Clap your hands along with me as I drum and count out eight beats. That’s how much time you will have for each part – 8 counts for part A, 8 counts for part B, and another 8 counts for part C. Now it’s time for practice. When I begin drumming, please use all eight counts to re-create or refine/adjust your movement into Part A for our class unity. Let’s practice moving into Part A.

(Do the same practice for Part B, and then Part C.)

Teacher: Now, let’s put all the parts together. After Part A, I will pause slightly and begin a new 8-count as you move into each position A, then B, then C. This will be fun. Give your best effort and enjoy. Ready? Begin…

Review instructions as needed for student understanding and readiness.

Movement Sequence A B C: Practice

Call out “A”. Begin drumming for eight counts. Hold a strong final pose. Pause. Call out “B”. Begin drumming for eight counts. Hold a strong final pose. Pause. Call out “C”. Begin drumming for eight counts. Hold a strong final pose. Pause.

Teacher: Now that you’ve reviewed each of the positions. Let’s turn it into a longer choreographed dance. Here is the full sequence we will do together…

Write an ABC sequence/pattern on the board. For example: A B C A C B A, A B A C A B A, or any other combination.

Teacher: Please use all 8 counts to move artistically into position A (class unity.) Then move in a new 8-count into position B (the Ute flag symbol), and then into position C (your own symbol) and continue through the whole sequence. This will be fun. Give your best effort and enjoy. Ready? Begin…

Movement Sequence (whatever sequence you wrote on the board)

Express appreciation and recognition to individual students and the class for their creative efforts and artistry. Invite students to sit down.

Teacher: We’ve had some fun exploring important ideas and symbols with movement. Just like you have created dance from images, the original artist who created the Ute Seal for their flag, specially designed the image to represent sacred and important ideals of his Ute Indian heritage and Tribe. Let’s meet and learn more from Matilda Tapoof, a daughter of the original flag artist, Ferdinand Manning, Jr.

Slide 7: Play video…Ferdinand Manning Jr. & Matilda Tapoof’s introductory video

Interesting note: Ferdinand Manning Jr. was the oldest living Ute, age 94, at the time of his passing. Learn more about the artist Ferdinand Manning Jr. from his obituary.

Teacher: In 1991, the original flag seal was updated by Robert Colorow, a Northern Ute Graphic Artist. This is the flag that is used now.

Slide 9: Updated Ute Flag and seal

Class Reflections: Select from the following questions and this Harvard Project Zero
Thinking Routine: I Used to Think... Now I think…

• Connect the thinking routine with what students learned about the Ute flag, after seeing it first and making their own ideas of what it meant.
• How does artwork, like flags, exhibited inside and outside of schools (such as in museums, galleries, virtual spaces, and other venues) contribute to a community?
• What did you learn about yourself during the movement sequences? How did you feel about that? What would you do the same? What would you do differently?
• What did you see or experience today that you really liked?
• How did you, as an artist, go through the creative process of coming up with ideas for movements, and/or drawing your flag?

Extension: Visual Arts Activity

Teacher: Inspired by the Ute flag creation, we each get to create our own mini flag, and will create a class poster by bringing together our own meaningful and personal symbols, colors, and images.

ACTIVITY: Paper Squares, Personal Flag, Class Poster

See sample image: https://schoolbox.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/class-quilt.jpg 

Teacher: Each of you will create your own flag square to contribute to our class display. As you prepare your design, think about colors, shapes, lines, and a personal symbol that could best represent you. Each of your squares must incorporate the following elements:

Slide 10: Five Principles of Good Flag Design

Instructions: (See materials and prep listed toward the end of the lesson docx.) 

• Pass out 4x4 cardstock squares, drawing tools, and glue sticks.
• Put the flag-backing poster board where it can be easily seen and accessed by all students.
• If desired, create your own flag square and share it with the class. Explain why you created what you did. Then glue it in position on the poster board.
• Allow sufficient time for students to complete their design square.
• When they’re finished with their own squares, invite students to have a pair-share conversation with another student, explaining what their flag represents.
• Then invite students to glue their square into position on the class display board.
• Some early finishers may enjoy creating additional “full class or school” motto, date/year, mascot, etc. squares to complete the full flag template. Otherwise, determine a fast-finisher activity, allowing slow finishers time..

• Retell the histories of key people and events connected to state symbols, landmarks, and essential documents (Ferdinand Manning Jr. of the Ute Indian Tribe).
• Identify the achievements of significant Native Americans and explain their importance.
• Design, explore, improvise, express meaning, refine, and reflect on artistic ideas, feelings, and images with movement.
• Complete and refine dance works with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Move safely in general space through a range of activities and group formations while maintaining personal space.
• Synthesize and relate knowledge from personal and collaborative experience to make and receive art. Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
• Observe a work of visual art asking questions for discussion, then describe and express through movement something of interest about the artwork.
• Brainstorm multiple approaches to an art or design problem and make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity.
• Relate artistic skills, ideas, and work with personal meaning and external context.
• Compare and contrast cultural uses of artwork from different times and places.
• Collaborate, express, converse, and listen to ideas, integrate and evaluate information from various sources, use media and visual displays as well as language and grammar strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt to context and task.
• Initiate and build on a conversation through multiple exchanges while using appropriate tone and body language.

This lesson can be used to meet standards in many grades and subject areas. We will highlight one grade’s standards to give an example of application.

SOCIAL STUDIES GRADE 2:

• Standard 2.1.4: Retell the histories of key people and events connected to state and national symbols, landmarks, and essential documents (for example, Ferdinand Manning Jr.).
• Standard 2.1.5: Identify the achievements of significant Americans, including those from local and other diverse perspectives, and explain their importance.

DANCE, GRADE 2:

• Strand: CREATE (2.D.CR.) Students will conceptualize, generate, develop and organize artistic ideas and work. They will complete and refine dance works (Standards 2.D.CR.1-4).
• Standard 2.D.CR.2: Explore movement inspired by a variety of stimuli.
• Standard 2.D.CR.3: Express an idea, feeling, or image while improvising a dance that has a beginning, middle, and end.
• Standard 2.D.CR.4: Reflect on movement choices and change movement through guided improvisational experiences or short remembered sequences.
• Strand: PERFORM (2.D.P.) Students will analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for performance. They will develop techniques and concepts to refine artistic work and express meaning through the presentation of dance works (Standards 2.D.P.1-7).
• Standard 2.D.P.1: Move safely in general space through a range of activities and group formations while maintaining personal space.
• Standard 2.D.P.3: Move body parts one at a time and in a variety of combinations.
• Standard 2.D.P.4: Demonstrate clear pathways and intent when performing locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
• Standard 2.D.P.5: Identify and demonstrate contrasts in tempo and rhythm through movement.
• Standard 2.D.P.6: Demonstrate a variety of movement qualities while dancing.
• Strand: CONNECT (2.D.CO.) Students will synthesize and relate knowledge from personal and collaborative experience to make and receive art. They will relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding(Standards 2.D.CO.1-2).
• Standard 2.D.CO.1: Observe a work of visual art asking questions for discussion, then describe and express through movement something of interest about the artwork.

VISUAL ART, GRADE 2

• Strand: CREATE (2.V.CR.) Students will generate artistic work by conceptualizing, organizing, and completing their artistic ideas. They will refine original work through persistence, reflection and evaluation (Standards 2.V.CR.1-5).
• Standard 2.V.CR.1: Brainstorm multiple approaches to an art or design problem, and make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity.
• Standard 2.V.CR.2: Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interest in a work of art or design.
• Strand: CONNECT (2.V.CO.) Students will relate artistic skills, ideas, and work with personal meaning and external context (Standards 2.V.CO.1-2).
• Standard 2.V.CO.1: Create works of art about events in home, school, or community life.
• Standard 2.V.CO.2: Compare and contrast cultural uses of artwork from different times and places.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADE 2:

• Speaking and Listening (2.SL) Students will learn to collaborate, express and listen to ideas, integrate and evaluate information from various sources, use media and visual displays as well as language and grammar strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt to context and task.
• Standard 2.SL.1: Participate effectively in a range of conversations with various partners, using age-appropriate vocabulary on topics and texts.
  • Initiate and build on a conversation through multiple exchanges while using appropriate tone and body language.
  • Seek other's opinions or thoughts and identify other's perspectives.
• Standard 2.SL.2: Speak clearly and audibly while asking and answering questions about a topic and key details.
• Standard 2.SL.3: Use age-appropriate language, grammar, volume, and clear pronunciation when speaking or presenting.

• White board and marker
• Handheld drum used to accompany movement sequences.
• Classroom dance and movement space (move desks to room perimeter)
• If desired, use this beautiful flute music by R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) Carlos Nakai: Earth Spirit to accompany movement sequences.
• Optional: scarves for each child
• Familiarize yourself with the Lesson Vocabulary
• Upload and display: The Ute Indian Flag Slideshow
• Upload video: https://byu.box.com/s/iuf1ute7mpf23dt8im39z2chhqkt1kz6
• For Paper Squares Flag Activity
  • Poster board 22 x 28 prepped with traced 4 inch squares for student placement, fill in center/extra unused spaces with class name, teacher, school, etc. motto…pre-mounted to the board…creating a pattern
  • 30: 4x4” cut, blank white cardstock squares (To be illustrated and mounted on the poster board: Width: 5 student squares, Length: 6 student squares length
  • glue, glue stick
  • drawing tools: pastels, colored pencils, crayon, ruler
• Become familiar with these Harvard Project Zero thinking routines: See, Think, Wonder and I Used to Think... Now I think…

• https://www.uen.org/americanindian/tribes/ute-uintah.shtml 
• https://www.utetribe.com/ 
• https://indian.utah.gov/ute-indian-tribe-of-the-uintah-ouray-reservation/ 
• Utah History to Go - Ute Indians
• Utah Division of Indian Affairs - Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
• We Shall Remain the Ute
• Ute Bulletin
• Utah American Indian Digital Archive - Ute

This lesson was created thanks to a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums

• The original Ute Seal, created by Ferdinand Manning Jr. Photo used by permission from Matilda Tapoof.