HA‘I MO‘OLELO - TELL YOUR OWN STORY

Unit 4

Overview

KŪpono - To stand for what is right - Social Justice

This unit explores foundational thinking that promotes social justice and helps students identify and stand for what they think is important to care for and passionately protect. The Hawaiian guiding principle of Pono (goodness, moral qualities, excellence, and more) provides a foundation for “how to be.”Kuleana (right, privilege, concern, responsibility and much more) is highlighted to provide the driving force to help students become aware and active concerning social justice issues that impact people and our environment, internationally and locally.

Value #4: Kūpono (Just/Fair)

‘Ōlelo No‘eau 4: Mai kāpae i ke a‘o a ka mākua, aia he ola ma laila.

Translation & Mana’o: Do not set aside the teachings of one’s parents for there is life there.

Living in harmony and respect was an expectation in historical Hawai‘i. This lifestyle of interdependent caring for each other and the environment provides a successful model for today.

According to family practices of one Moloka‘i ‘ohana shared in the book Tales of the Night Rainbow by Pali Jae Lee and Koko Willis, when a child began to speak and was ready to learn about the world he or she was a part of, they were taught the following:

Aloha is being a part of all and all being a part of me.

When there is pain — it is my pain. When there is joy — it is mine also.

I respect all that is as part of the Creator and part of me.

I will not willfully harm anyone or anything.

When food is needed I will take only my need and explain why it is being taken.

The earth, the sky, the sea are mine to care for, to cherish, and to protect.

This is Hawaiian – This is Aloha!

Tales of the Night Rainbow by Pali Jae Lee and Koko Willis

Unit 4 Lessons:

#1: Kū i ka pono no ka honua - To make things right for the world: Students are introduced to the value of Kūpono while they learn about social justice promoted in the Declaration of Universal Human Rights and concerns about child labor harming youngsters worldwide.

#2: Kū i ka pono no Hawai‘i- To make things right for Hawai‘i: A focus on environmental concerns brings the concept of social justice back home and relevant to Hawai‘i.

#3: Nā kuleana o ke kula- Rights and responsibilities of school: Students take a look at what rights and responsibilities come with the opportunity to gain an education; they examine what an emotionally safe environment looks like and they co-create a vision of their school at its best.

#4: Nā kuleana o nā haumāna– Rights and responsibilities of students: A personal perspective of kuleana as a student is the focus of the last lesson in this unit, where students create commitments to support their own education, school, family, and community.

Unit 4

Highlighted Hawai‘i Content Performance Standards

(For GRADES 6, 7 & 8)

Lessons

#1: Kū i ka pono no ka honua - To make things right for the world

#2: Kū i ka pono no Hawai‘i - To make things right for Hawai‘i

#3: Nā kuleana o ke kula - Rights and responsibilities of school

#4: Nā kuleana o nā haumāna - Rights and responsibilities of students

WHAT STUDENTS WILL BE DOING / Lessons
Benchmarks / #1 / #2 / #3 / #4
HEALTH:
Identify choices individuals can make to promote or harm their health / X / X / X
Use effective verbal & non-verbal communication skills / X / X / X / X
Use effective behaviors that communicate care, consideration, and respect of self/others / X / X / X / X
Evaluate personal health strengths and risks to set personal goals / X
LANGUAGE ARTS:
Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety
of text / X / X / X / X
Write in a variety of formats – (I.e.: functional piece to fulfill civic responsibility / X / X / X / X
Select appropriate details and facts to support insights / X / X / X / X
Find out needed information by asking thoughtful questions; conduct interviews / X
Give short prepared oral presentations to inform/persuade / X / X / X
Organize information to create a succinct message / X / X / X / X
Use language that facilitates open communication / X / X / X / X
Integrate facts from research with own experiences to support main ideas / X / X / X
Use appropriate listening strategies / X / X / X / X
Use grade-appropriate online and print sources to research a topic / X
SOCIAL STUDIES
Explain the responsibility of citizens / X / X / X / X
Examine current issues in Hawai‘i / X / X / X
FINE ART
Use art to convey effectively different experiences, ideas, and opinions / X / X / X

UNIT 4: Unit Overview