THE LENAPE PEOPLE OF MANAHATTA

Lesson 1

Teaching Artist: Evan Harris

This is the first lesson from the New York Stories Course. Students will visit Manhattan, New York to learn about the history, culture, and musical traditions of the Lenape People. Then they will clap a beat to perform alongside the Lenape People.

SUMMARY

OBJECTIVE

  • Students will be able to summarize important information about the Lenape People.

  • Students will be able to clap a steady beat along with Lenape traditional music.

MATERIALS

EXPLORE

  1. Show students a photo of Lower Manhattan (1609) then show Lower Manhattan 2017. Ask: What do you notice or wonder about the two places? How have they changed over time? Tell students they are going to discover the roots of New York and celebrate the many cultures that make up the diverse musical sounds of the city. 

  2. Distribute the New York Stories Travel Diary. Allow students a moment to personalize the diary. Tell students they will use the diary as they travel through New York, drawing and recording important facts about another culture today. 

  3. The students’ first stop is Manhattan where they will learn about the Lenape People. Play the first part of the video New York Stories: The Lenape People of Manahatta [0:00-4:31]. Allow time for students to record facts in their diary through words or drawings. 

LEARN

  1. Introduce the concept of a beat to students. A beat is a steady pulse that you feel in music, like a clock’s tick, and is present in music from every corner of the globe and the music of the Lenape People. The beat is very important in music, and can be compared to our bodies’ heartbeat, as it is a driving force that is omnipresent. Play the second part of the video New York Stories: The Lenape People of Manahatta [4:32-7:05]. 

  2. Divide the students into pairs or small groups to practice keeping a beat by counting aloud as they clap: “1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.”. When students establish this beat, try introducing a different ‘tempo’ (speed of the beat), or a new sound or instrument (see adaptive instrument options above). Multilingual students can clap while counting in another language.

PERFORM+SHARE

  1. Create a one minute video performance. Ask one student to introduce the performance with facts from their Manhattan travels, then have the class perform as an ensemble. Share the video at S’Cool Sounds Padlet. 

  2. Tell students in the next lesson they will visit Chinatown.