:Ceremonies
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Approach: Team Level: Year 8 
Focus: Cultural customs and traditions
Resources: 2 sets of 6 information cards; 2 instruction cards 1; 2 pair answer sheets;
1 instruction card 2; 1 team answer sheet

Questions/instructions:

  
In this activity you will be thinking about two different ceremonies that are important to people living in Pacific Islands.

To start off, you will work in pairs. Student 1 and Student 2 will be thinking and talking about the haircutting ceremony of the Cook Islands. Student 3 and Student 4 will be thinking and talking about the ear piercing ceremony in Niue.

You will have some information cards that tell you about the ceremonies. As you study the cards, you are to make a chart which shows the things that are done to get ready for the ceremony, and the things that are done at the ceremony.
Show and read instruction card 1 to students.
Here are your information cards, and here is the paper for making your chart. Write the different things that are done in the boxes on your chart.

Give cards and pair answer sheets to students. Assist with reading if necessary. Allow time. When pairs have finished, collect in information cards.
Ceremonies – Card 1
Make a chart that tells
•
 the main things that are done to get ready for the ceremony.
•
 and the things that are done at the ceremony.
You have about 5 minutes to do this.
Now it’s time for all of you to work as one team. Start off by explaining your chart to the others and me. Explain the things that are done to get ready for the ceremony, and the things that happen at the ceremony.
Allow time.

Now it’s time to think about both of the ceremonies. There are four things you are to talk about.

Show and read instruction card 2 to students.

You can have about five minutes to talk through these questions. Quickly make notes on the things that are the same and the things that are different on these answer sheets. When you are ready, I will ask you to tell me your ideas and answers to the other two things on the instruction card.
Ceremonies – Card 2
Which things about the two ceremonies are the same or similar? Write these on the answer sheet.
Which things about the two ceremonies are different? Write these on the anser sheet.
Discuss why the ceremonies might be very important for the people.
Discuss what might happen if they stopped having these kinds of ceremonies.
Give out team answer sheet. Allow about five minutes. Encourage students to keep their discussions focused on the questions.

Now I’ll ask you the questions, and you can tell me what you think. You can all help to give your answers – not just one or two people all the time.


% responses
2005 (01)
-
y8
1. Why might the ceremonies be very important for the people?
2. What might happen if they stopped having these kinds of ceremonies?  
Involvement:
all members contributed substantially
 
53 (47)
 
one member did not contribute substantially
 
40 (43)
two or more members did not contribute substantially
 
7 (10)
Collaboration in decision-making:
high level of collaboration
 
38 (32)
 
moderate level of collaboration
 
50 (56)
little or no collaboration
 
12 (12)
Social environment in group:
pleasant/encouraging for all
 
88 (88)
 
some harsh moments (e.g. put downs)
 
9 (12)
frequently unpleasant
 
3 (0)
Quality of ideas about why ceremonies are important:
(tradition, recognising growth/maturity, coming of age, communal life, etc.)		      
excellent/very good
 
14 (2)
 
good
 
22 (13)
moderate
 
46 (63)
poor
 
18 (22)
Key similarities between ceremonies:
long preparation period (many months)
 
31 (32)
 
lots of food prepared/brought to ceremony
 
88 (72)
gifts for child
 
77 (87)
prayers
 
63 (68)
greetings from guests to child
 
3 (8)
obvious change in appearance of child
 
8 (5)
ceremonies involve touching head - not normally appropriate
 
0 (3)
 
both sitting in specially decorated place
 
17 (20)
very significant tradition, recognition of growing up
 
17 (17)
Key differences between ceremonies:
gender of child
 
57 (53)
which feature changed (ears vs. hair)
 
70 (60)
mention of invitations for Cook Islands ceremony (hair)
 
27 (30)
table for recording money gifts (Niue - ear piercing)
  
3 (2)
announcement of total money at end of Niue ceremony
 
3 (7)
special head-dress with attached money (Niue - ear piercing)
  
31 (42)
ribbons for each lock of hair (Cook Islands)
 
17 (15)
special chair for girl (Niue - ear piercing)
 
17 (20)
who does main activity (doctor vs. guests)
 
23 (17)
mention that parents will look after gifts for boy until manhood
 
3 (2)
 
mention of boy being kissed
 
19 (23)
feast at ceremony (Cook Islands) vs. food taken away to cook (Niue)
 
33 (32)
special shelter built for feast–boy
 
10 (8)
Overall rating for description of similarities and differences:
excellent/very good
 
3 (2)
 
good
 
35 (28)
moderate
 
41 (47)
poor
 
21 (23)
Total score:
16–28
 
2 (2)
 
13–15
 
14 (5)
10–12
 
21 (26)
7–9
 
35 (34)
4–6
 
24 (31)
0–3
 
4 (2)
Commentary:
Like their year 4 counterparts in the task Birthdays, the year 8 teams generally had little difficulty identifying some similarities and some differences between the two ceremonies but were light on detail. They averaged three similarities and three differences. There was little change in performance between 2001 and 2005.
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