In their new unit, Grade 7 made some connections to Individuals & Societies. They looked at a variety of human rituals from around the world, from the Maori haka to Balinese tooth-grinding and African mask dances. They learned that we use rituals for a variety of purposes–to welcome strangers, to celebrate holidays, to mark the coming of age, to celebrate the life of a loved one who has passed, or simply to socialize with friends and family.
For their upcoming task, students will play the role of future anthropologists who have discovered a “ritual object” from the year 2019. How and why might this mysterious object have been used? They will build their objects in 3D, then invent–and creatively present–their ritual to the group.
