C C ELTIC ELEBRATING C ULTURE O UR D RAFT AA TTEEAACCHIHIHINNNGG RREEESSSOOUUURRRCCEE CELEBRATING OUR CELTIC CULTURE: A TEACHING RESOURCE Draft, October 2008 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Nova Scotia Department of Education gratefully acknowledges the following people and organizations for their assistance and feedback in developing this draft resource: Margaret Beaton, Strait Regional School Board Jackie Dunn MacIsaac, Strait Regional School Board Brian MacDonald, Strait Regional School Board Dawn MacDonald-Gillis, Cape Breton–Victoria Regional School Board Frances MacEachen, Office of Gaelic Affairs Eric Favaro, Arts Education Consultant Joe Murphy, St Mary’s University CELEBRATING OUR CELTIC CULTURE: A TEACHING RESOURCE, DRAFT, OCTOBER 2008 III CONTENTS CONTENTS Introduction .........................................................1 Background .....................................................1 Purpose ........................................................1 How to Use This Resource..........................................3 Overview: The Gaels of Nova Scotia.......................................5 Introduction.....................................................5 The Gaelic Language ..............................................5 Celtic Culture....................................................7 Design and Components...............................................11 Rationale ......................................................11 Making Connections .............................................11 Achieving Outcomes in Other Subject Areas . 13 Learning and Teaching in Multi-Grade Settings . 16 Suggestions for Learning and Teaching....................................17 Celtic Regions of the World ........................................17 Gaelic Nova Scotia Today .........................................35 Folklore and Traditions ...........................................46 Language and Communication......................................63 Music and Dance ................................................68 Appendixes .........................................................77 Appendix A: Celtic Colours International Festival . 79 Appendix B: The Feis Movement in Nova Scotia . 93 Bibliography ........................................................97 CELEBRATING OUR CELTIC CULTURE: A TEACHING RESOURCE, DRAFT, OCTOBER 2008 V INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Background While the number of Gaelic speakers has decreased over the past 50 years, recently there has been a revival in the interest to learn the Gaelic language and to understand Celtic culture as it relates to contemporary life in Nova Scotia. For the past number of years the Nova Scotia Department of Education has recognized the need to support Gaelic language and culture in the public school system. In 1997 the first Gaelic Studies curriculum was implemented, and since then courses in the Gaelic language and culture have been available in schools. While these courses and programs have been implemented mostly in Eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, there is a growing interest in schools throughout the province to introduce students to the rich heritage of Gaelic and to develop programs that meet the needs of all students. Through many initiatives supported by the Nova Scotia Department of Education; the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage; and the Office of Gaelic Affairs Nova Scotia students are deepening their awareness and understanding of the Gaelic language and Celtic culture. This teaching resource, Celebrating Our Celtic Culture: A Teaching Resource is intended to provide teachers with suggestions for learning and teaching as they link Celtic culture to other areas of curriculum, including language arts, social studies, and the arts. Purpose This resource builds on connections between Celtic culture and other areas of the curriculum described in Atlantic Canada Framework for Essential Graduation Learnings in Schools. It states the following: Essential Graduation Learnings are statements describing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of all students who graduate from high school. Achievement of the Essential Graduation Learnings will prepare students to continue to learn throughout their lives. These learnings describe the expectations not in terms of individual school subjects but in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed throughout the curriculum. CELEBRATING OUR CELTIC CULTURE: A TEACHING RESOURCE, DRAFT, OCTOBER 2008 1 INTRODUCTION The Essential Graduation Learnings are articulated as follows: • Aesthetic Awareness • Citizenship • Communication • Personal Development • Problem Solving • Technological Competence Celebrating Our Celtic Culture: A Teaching Resource was developed to provide teachers with practical suggestions for integrating the Gaelic language and Celtic culture with other curriculums while providing students with opportunities to achieve the Essential Graduation Learnings. In addition, it is intended to develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for an important aspect of Nova Scotia culture and heritage. The activities presented in this resource are applicable at all grade levels, from primary to grade 12, and can be adapted to suit the age level of the students. These experiences offer students opportunities to • develop and apply their knowledge, skills, talents, and interests in the Gaelic language and Celtic culture • develop their awareness of the contributions of the Gaels to Nova Scotia culture and heritage • plan, implement, and evaluate a cultural celebration that recognizes and values these contributions • explore the connections between the Gaelic language and Celtic culture and other areas of the curriculum, including language arts, social studies, and the arts This resource will also provide ideas for teaching Gaelic 10, 11, and 12 and Gaelic Studies 11. It presents action-oriented projects that students or groups of students may use to enrich their learning in other areas of the curriculum. 2 CELEBRATING OUR CELTIC CULTURE: A TEACHING RESOURCE, DRAFT, OCTOBER 2008 INTRODUCTION How to Use This Resource Teachers are invited to select activities from this resource to assist them in designing learning experiences that • encourage students to engage in the creative, expressive, and responsive processes of language and culture studies • extend students’ understanding of the relationship between the Gaelic language and Celtic culture and life in Nova Scotia today While the first section of this resource provides a brief overview of the history of the Gaels of Nova Scotia, teachers are encouraged to access additional resources to provide their students with a solid understanding of the historical implications of the Gaelic language and Celtic culture. A list of resources is provided at the back of this document. It includes printed materials, websites, multimedia, and Celtic cultural organizations in the province. There are five areas of focus in this resource, including • Celtic regions of the world • Gaelic Nova Scotia today • Folklore and traditions • Language and communication • Music and dance Within each area several topics have been identified, and activities to support each topic are presented. These are generally presented for grades primary–3, 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12. Teachers are invited to select those areas of focus and topics that interest them and their students and to build on the learning that is happening in other areas of the curriculum. While May is designated as Gaelic Awareness Month, the activities in this resource need not be limited to events that take place during that time of the year. For example, many schools plan sports days in June, and as a variation on this idea, they may wish to consider a Highland Games event, combining it with other activities to celebrate Celtic culture. Other schools plan festivities around cultural events. An example of this is the Celtic Colours International Festival, and teachers may wish to develop a unit of study to coincide with these festivals and events. It is important, however, that teachers not consider the ideas in this resource as limited to special events or times of the year. They can be woven throughout the learning during the entire school year. CELEBRATING OUR CELTIC CULTURE: A TEACHING RESOURCE, DRAFT, OCTOBER 2008 3 OVERVIEW: THE GAELS OF NOVA SCOTIA OVERVIEW: THE GAELS OF NOVA SCOTIA Introduction (The following is adapted from Gaelic in Nova Scotia Schools: Questions and Answers, prepared by the Office of Gaelic Affairs, September 2007.) The Gaels of Nova Scotia are a people whose language and culture is grounded in the traditions originating in the peoples, languages, and cultures that span both Gaelic Scotland and Ireland. Having evolved through experiences of life in Canada, Gaels and Gaelic make important contributions to the cultural mosaic of Nova Scotia and Canada and continue to enrich our lives and culture, as evidenced in ongoing celebrations of song, music, dance, storytelling, foods, customs, and art and a renewed interest in genealogy. Gaelic culture is sustained by native speakers of the language and an active learner community, supported throughout the world by an abundance of texts, newspaper and magazine articles, videos and recordings, countless websites, Gaelic- language schools, and international Gaelic celebrations. Strong educational links are being forged between Scotland and “New Scotland,” and links are being forged with Gaelic Ireland. Gaelic’s presence continues to provide significant