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LESSON ONE: CU LTURAL REPRESENTATION OF SKELETONS AND BONES FOCUS:

Cultures vary in their beliefs and observances regarding death, the final stage in the life cycle. The human skeleton plays a key cultural symbol of lifes end. This lesson familiarizes students with different cultural perspectives and representations of the skeleton.

OBJECTIVES :

Students will: Recognize the symbolism of the skeleton Examine possible cultural significance of skeletons and bones Delve into the historical background of the significance of skeletons and bones

ACTIVITY 1A: THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN


Teacher should begin a discussion about the significance of skeletons and bones in various cultures. Solicit previous experiences students may have had with death and the ceremonies surrounding the occasion. Introduce Halloween with its origins as well as its Latin-American counterpart, The Day of the Dead or El Da de los Muertos (see Halloween and the Day of the Dead background information sheets).

ACTIVITY 1B: HALLOWEEN VENN DIAGRAMS


Once students have been informed of the origins of Halloween, they will complete a Venn diagram illustrating similarities and differences between the original festivities and the present-day Halloween celebrations (see Halloween Venn Diagram sheet). Further, students may also complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the Latin American celebration, El Da de los Muertos, with ancient and/or modern day Halloween.

ACTIVITY 1C: IN MEMO OF . . . RY


Explain to students that in celebrating El Dia de los Muertos the Hispanic in culture, recognition is given to the occupation of the deceased individual by way of a calaca, a handmade Day of the Dead figurine, to honor the deceased. Students will design either a three-dimensional calaca, or a mask representing the individual (see Dough Recipe sheet). When the dough is dry, add skeletal features with black magic marker. Students will present their models to the class explaining: which person the model represents, the occupation of the individual, and why the student chose this particular person.

ACTIVITY 1D: JOL LY ROGER CROSSWORD PUZZLE


Give each student the Jolly Roger Flag handout. They will read about and discuss the history of the Jolly Roger Flag. After the discussion, students will fill in a crossword puzzle based on the reading and design their own Jolly Roger flags (see Jolly Roger Flag handout and puzzle).
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ACTIVITY 1E: KNUCKLEBONES: A GAME OF SKILL


Give each student a copy of instructions on how to make the Knucklebone game pieces. At least two games can be played with these game pieces. Discuss with the students the origin of the game.

GAME 1:
Knucklebones was a popular game of skill in ancient Greece for both children and adults. The game is very similar to the modern-day game of jacks, except that it is played without a ball. The Greeks used sun-bleached neck vertebrae (for example, the bones from a chicken neck) as the ball and playing pieces for the game. The object of the game is similar to jacks in that each player must toss one bone into the air, pick up the others, and then catch the first bone before it falls, all with one hand. Five to nine bones are used to play the game.

GAME 2:
Knucklebones was also a dice game played with only four bones. These sun-bleached vertebrae were called Knucklebones. The pieces always had four flat sides plus two ends. The best throwwhen each die landed differentlywas called Aphrodite, after the goddess of love and beauty. The worst throwwhen they all landed alikewas called the dog (see Knucklebones: A Game of Skill handout).

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ACTIVITY 1A: THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN - Teacher Information Sheet

Halloween
For most ancient cultures, the beginning of Autumn signified the start of natures dying season; it was the end of the harvest. The timing of our modern-day celebration of Halloween is no different. It is a time of reflection about those who have passed away. Over the past three-thousand years, Halloween has had many names and various pastoral and agricultural people have celebrated the end of the harvest in different ways. However, our present-day Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic feast of the dead: Samhain (sau-in). This makes Halloween one of our oldest holidays. The Celtic regions of Great Britain and Northern France celebrated the close of the harvest, the Eve of Winter, and the start of the Celtic New Year, on October 31 and November 1. By this time of year, the last of the crops have been brought in and the cattle and sheep have been herded into the valleys for the winter, and the Samhain would begin. The Celts believed that during the nighttime hours between these two days, there was a crack in time when good and evil spirits were able to visit the living. Celtic tribes would light bonfires to scare away the evil spirits and light the way for the good spirits so that they may visit with their friends and relatives. After the Roman conquest of Great Britain and the other regions inhabited by Celtic peoples, the Samhain was combined with the Roman celebration in honor of Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees, which took place on November 1. Then in the 9th Century (835 AD), the Roman Catholic Church designated November 1st as a church holiday to honor all canonized and unknown saints. Originally, this day was known as the Feast of All Saints, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later, the Christian church would make November 2nd a holy day, the Feast of All Souls, to honor those people who passed away in the faith. These two days were celebrated with bonfires (bone fires), parades, and people dressed in a variety of costumes and masks. Over time, these days became known as All Saints Day and All Souls Day with the preceding night being referred to as All Hallows Eve the night when all unsaved souls came out to harass the living. The origin of the present-day term, Trick or Treat! may be found in the Middle Ages. Since good and evil spirits were believed to come out during the night, people would leave an offering of food and drink on the doorstep. In this way, homeowners hoped to obtain the blessings of good spirits and chase away the evil spirits. People, usually dressed in costumes of saints angels and devils would go from house to house imitating the spirits and begging for treats. If no food or drink was offered by the homeowner, then a practical joke, a trick, was played on them. During the 18th
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century, children would beg for sweet soul cakes in return for saying prayers for the dead this was the treat. For those people who did not offer the treat, a trick would be played on them. The custom of Halloween was brought to America by Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1700s. Halloween parties evolved where people, dressed in costumes, would gather together to dance and play parlor games such as Bobbing for Apples. Beggars would still go door-to-door asking for treats to benefit children and the poor; and practical jokes seemed to be limited to removing gates, soaping windows, and switching shop signs. But times have changed! From the early 1900s through the mid-1960s was the Golden Age of Halloween. American industry produced a wide variety of party accessories that were displayed and used during the celebration. Over this 60-year period, Halloween costumes were no longer restricted to devils and angels, but expanded to include goofy characters, popular cultural figures, and wacky vegetable shapes. After World War II, the Japanese flooded the market with a cornucopia of Halloween products. However, Halloween activities have changed. Due to American social influences, the rise of satanic cults, and Hollywoods sinister characters possessed with evil, Americans have become fascinated with gore and death. All of this has manifested itself into many destructive Halloween trends. In the 1960s, pre-Halloween pranks turned into vandalism in some parts of the United States, with some people breaking windows and destroying property. In the 1970s, nationwide reports of candy being loaded with pins and razor blades permeated the airwaves. During the 80s and 90s, Halloween vandalism escalated to include arson, or the deliberate setting of fires, which destroyed private property and businesses. Today, a safe and sane Halloween is being sought. Many Halloween decorations are fluffy and cute. Parents take their children to malls for Trick-or-Treating, and private parties have become the norm. Yes, the mystical spirits of the Celts are gone, yet Halloween still survives as a harvest season holiday and a magical time for children.

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ACTIVITY 1A: THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN Student Background Information Sheet

Halloween
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, started as a Celtic celebration. It began with a feast to celebrate the Eve of Winter, October 31, and the start of the Celtic New Year on November 1. The nighttime hours were viewed as a crack-in-time when good and evil spirits were able to visit the living. Celtic tribes would light bonfires to scare away the evil spirits. After the Roman conquest of Great Britain and the other regions inhabited by Celtic peoples, the Roman celebration of Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees, which took place on November 1, was combined with the Celtic feast. Then in the 9th century, the Roman Catholic Church designated November 1st as the Feast of All Saints, for canonized and unknown saints, and November 2nd as the Feast of All Souls for those who had passed away in the faith. Over time these two days became known as All Saints Day and All Souls Day with the preceding night being referred to as All Hallows Eve, the night when all unsaved souls came out to harass the living. The origin of the present-day term Trick or Treat may be found in the Late Middle Ages when children would go a-souling. Children would beg for sweet soul cakes in return for saying prayers for the dead this was the treat. For those who did not offer a treat, the children would play a trick on them. The custom of Halloween was brought to America by Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1700s. It has evolved into a fun-loving celebration centered around children.

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ACTIVITY 1A: THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS Background Information Sheet

EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS


November 1st, All Saints Day, and November 2nd, All Souls Day, are celebrated in Latin America differently than in the United States. This festival is perhaps the most fascinating Latin American holiday. In Mexico, this two-day fiesta is called El Da de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead, and it had its beginnings in pre-Colombian Mexico. Parts of The Day of the Dead traditions date back to the Aztecs who celebrated the harvest while paying homage to their ancestors. With the introduction of Christianity, the Aztec feast days were moved to coincide with the Christian feast days. These two days can be compared to our Halloween in three ways: (1) they both have their roots in ancient cultures, (2) they both celebrate the end of the harvest and (3) they both utilize symbols of death. In Mexico, El Da de los Muertos celebration is one that embodies the primary elements of the Mexican psyche: religion, mores (values and traditions), cultures, customs, and philosophy. To Mexicans, death and the dead were a part of everyday life. Death is not something to be feared; it is not viewed as the end of our existence, but as the beginning of eternal life. This is a time for remembering the dead with church services, prayers, and the lighting of candles forming a crucial part of the celebration. After all, The Day of the Dead is a holy day. El Da de los Muertos is the time of year when the spirits of deceased loved ones return to their homes. This return is the cause of great merrymaking and jubilation. Parades are staged in which people masquerading as skeletons carry coffins through the streets. Children will often run through the streets with jack-o-lanterns begging for pennies from observers. Trees are decorated with lanterns in order to guide the dead back to their homes. Popular toys for children include skulls, coffins, and calacas (clay figurines of the dead). Food such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and sugar-candy skulls with peoples names on them are also popular. This custom of providing food for the dead is important; food is placed at the gravesite of the deceased, on the family altar at home, and in the churches. The celebration of The Day of the Dead begins with the preparation of an altar. This altar may be at the home or at the gravesite of the dearly departed or both. Most families will visit the cemetery, clean the gravesite of their loved ones, and set up an altar with a cross of cempazuchitl (marigold) flowers. All-night prayer vigils are not uncommon. At the home, there would be two altars one for children and the other for adults. An altar to a child would contain such offerings as hot chocolate and sweet cakes, glasses of water, dishes of salt, white candles and flowers, and toys. For an altar to one or more adults, the candles and
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flowers would be yellow. There would also be candy skulls, sticks of sugar cane, and pan de muerto. Other items on the altar would be photographs of the deceased, some cherished objects, and dishes of their favorite food and drink. Every altar always has a candle for those who have no one to remember them. The offering of food, like the offering of flowers, is a symbol of love and respect. However, the dead do not eat the food in the conventional sense. They absorb the foods essence. Many Latin American cultures believe that the food will be a source of strength for the deceased as it is for the living. After the dead have eaten their fill and left the home or gravesite, then the food is taken to a relatives or neighbors home and shared with everyone. In this way, the living have given to the dead, and the dead have given to the living.

Source: The Days of the Dead: Mexicos Festival of Communion with the Departed by Rosalind Rosoff Beimber, San Francisco, CA, 1991.

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ACTIVITY 1B: HALLOWEEN VENN DIAGRAMS

HALLOWEEN VENN DIAGRAM


On the Venn diagram below compare and contrast present-day Halloween celebrations with the original festivities of ancient times.

Halloween - Ancient Times

Halloween - Modern Times

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HALLOWEEN and EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS VENN DIAGRAM


Compare and contrast the Latin American celebration, El Da de los Muertos, with ancient- and/or modern-day Halloween.

Halloween

El Da de los Muertos

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ACTIVITY 1C: IN MEMORY OF ...

HOW TO MAKE CALACAS


You will need enough dough mixture for the entire class. (See dough recipe below.) Provide waxed paper to protect the student desks. Have black markers or black tempra paint for adding features to the dried sculpture. Give each student a handful of dough. Each should receive enough dough for them to shape a figure 3" to 3 1/2" tall. Tell the students to roll and shape the dough into the likeness of a human body. Perhaps they should have someone in mind as they shape the sculptures to coincide with the story about the use of calacas during the Day of the Dead. Allow the student figurines to dry overnight. Then let students draw skeletal features on their figures.

 PLAY DOUGH RECIPE


ugh dough for 25 should make eno sted . The ingredients li s 3" to 3 1/2" tall to make a calaca students ite flour 4 cups plain wh 1/4 cup of salt ng powder 1 teaspoon baki 2 cups water oking oil 2 tablespoons co

mixing bowl dients in a large the ingre 1. Combine all of until well mixed. d until smooth. d paper and knea on waxe 2. Place mixture until needed. aled plastic bags in se 3. Store mixture

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ACTIVITY 1D: JOLLY ROGER

Background Information Sheet THE JOLLY ROGER


The Jolly Roger, also known as Black Jack or The Banner of Death, was invented by Caribbean pirates around 1700. Its intended purpose was to frighten their intended victim into surrendering. Until then, pirates flew whatever countrys flag would get them the closest to their prey. By the 1720s, the black flag with its white symbols was common with the pirates of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Every pirate crew had a unique flag. The human skull, or deaths head, was a common theme, but others symbols on the Jolly Roger meant death, violence, and limited time. When a pirate ship spotted its intended victim, a typical scenario went like this. First, the pirate ship would fly the flag of a non-threatening country until they were close enough to bombard their prey; this was known as flying false colors. Next, they would raise the Jolly Roger. This flag was intended to frighten the victim and also give them a chance to surrender. If this offer was refused, the pirates would raise a red flag, symbolizing blood, which meant no quarter death to all. The skull and crossbones was a common European symbol of death. It was carved into gravestones of the 17th century. Pirates capitalized on this symbol, but other symbols were used. For example, Edward (Blackbeard) Teach had a white skeleton holding a spear pointed to a red heart. Bartholomew (Black Bart) Roberts flag portrayed a human body with a cutlass standing on two skulls. This symbolized the governors of Barbados and Martinique, with the initials ABH (A Barbadians Head) and AMH (A Martinicans Head) under each skull. No one really knows the origin of the term Jolly Roger. Some people believe that the term is derived from French buccaneers who referred to the red flag as joli rouge (beautiful red). Others believe that the Jolly Roger is derived from an Indian pirate named Ali Rajah, which British sailors pronounced Olly Roger. And a third version says that the name Jolly Roger probably came from the English word roger referring to a begging vagabond or to the devil (Old Roger). Whatever its origin, this flag was intended to strike fear in the hearts of those who saw it on the high seas.

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ACTIVITY 1D: JOLLY ROGER FLAG


After reading the background information on the Jolly Roger, students will design their own unique Jolly Roger. What you will need: Black butcher paper approximately 16"X40" for each student or black construction paper Plain white paper Scissors Pencil Glue Copy of skull-and-crossbones and other flag patterns 1. Using a pencil, have the students draw an enlarged copy of the skull-and-crossbones pattern onto the plain white paper. 2. Using the scissors, have the students cut out the skull and crossbones. 3. Remember, each pirate crew had their own unique flag you may arrange your flag in a unique fashion and add other pirate symbols. 4. Glue the white skull and crossbones onto the black paper, along with your other symbols, if any.

SKULL AND CROSSBONES

OTHER PIRATE SYMBOLS

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ACTIVITY 1D: JOLLY ROGER

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

1 3 4

8 9 10 11

12

CLUES
ACROSS 1. A death symbol on a pirate flag may be a ____ heart. 4. Another name for the United Kingdom is Great ____. 5. Large island off SE coast of Africa. 8. A ____ supports the body and provides a framework. 10. A pirates main weapon of defense was a ____. 12. One is given limited ____ to surrender ones treasure to the pirates. DOWN 1. Another name for a pirate. 2. Sands running through an hour ____ signifies that time is running out or getting short. 3. Blackbeard was a ____ by profession. 6. A symbol of death was a skull and ____bones or swords. 7. Outrage, fury. 8. Deaths Head. 9. Jolly ____. 11. Demise or deceased.

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ACTIVITY 1D: JOLLY ROGER

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWER KEY

1 3

B U C C

E
4

E B A

D R R

I I

N T

G L A S S I
7

P I R

N V I O

M
8

A S K U L L

D K

A T E

G L

A N E E R S

S T

C R S

O N
9

R O G E R R
11

L D E A
12

10

E N C I M E

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ACTIVITY 1E: KNUCKLEBONES A GAME OF SKILL

BACKGROUND PAGE AND GAME RULES


KNUCKLEBONES A GAME OF SKILL
Materials you will need: Cooked chicken or turkey neck Small pebbles or pea gravel An empty can Laundry bleach

To Make Your Knucklebones


1. Boil the chicken or turkey neck until the meat easily comes off the bone. 2. Pull off the meat and separate the bones from each other at the natural joints. 3. Rinse the bones. 4. Put the bones in the can and cover them with bleach. Place the can in a ventilated area (outside) and allow the bones to soak overnight. 5. Wash and dry the bones. Use up to ten of them. 6. Chicken neck bones tend to be very light in weight. Glue a pebble or piece of pea gravel inside each of them before using them.

To Play The Game


1. To determine which player will go first, each one will take turns tossing all the bones at once to see how many he or she can catch on the back of his or her hand before they fall. The player who catches the most bones goes first. 2. To begin the game, toss all of the bones onto a smooth, flat surface such as the floor or a table. 3. Toss one bone into the air. With that same hand, pick up one of the bones lying on the floor. Catch the bone that was tossed into the air before it falls to the floor. 4. Continue to toss and pick up bones one by one. Put them aside until all have been gathered. 5. Toss and pick up bones by twos, then threes, and so on, until you toss and gather all the bones at once. If the tossed bone falls before you complete your move, you lose your turn and the next player goes. Whichever player picks up all of the bones first wins.

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From: Ancient Greece by Susan Purdy and Cass R. Sandah. Franklin Watts: New York, 1982.
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Resources Used in Unit 12, Lesson One, Cultural Representations of Skeletons and Bones Child Education, Learning Through Play: A Pirate Project, Jan 1, 1995, Vol. 72 No. 1, Page 24. Lincoln, Margarette, The Pirates Handbook, New York, Cobblehill Books, 1995. Wright, Rachel, Pirates: Facts, Things to Make, Activities, New York, Franklin Watts, Inc. 1991. Beimler, Rosalind R., The Days of the Dead /Los Das de Muertos, San Francisco, Ca., 1991. World Wide Web Sites Jolly Roger http://www.dreamcatchers.net/treasure/jolly_roger.html Jolly Roger http://www.inkyfingers.com/pyrates/flags/ Pirates http://www.piratesinfo.com/ The Pirate Flag http://www.ebs.hw.ac.uk/EDC/CAC/pirates/life.htm Dia De Los Muertos http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/ Dia De Los Muertos http://www.holidays.net/halloween/muertos.htm Halloween http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm Halloween http://www.holidays.net/halloween/story/htm

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