Today we will watch a DVD on Raven Tales. Please read Fisher, pages 49-51 to explore the importance of “Story Telling” among the Aboriginal Communities.
Here is an introductory note for the Raven Tales that I have copied from the following website: http://www.raventales.ca/?p=46
Raven Tales is the multiple (20 and counting) award-winning series of 13, half-hour, CGI (Computer-Generated Imaging) animated television/film programs, targeted at school-age children and their families. Starring Dr. Evan Adams of Smoke Signals fame, winner of the AIFF Best Actor Award, Raven Tales features Native American folklore developed to appeal to a broad international audience in a contemporary, humorous and entertaining way.
Raven Tales concentrates on the wild and funny adventures of Raven, the most powerful, and one might add, trickiest troublemaker of Native American folklore.
Here is an introductory note for the Raven Tales that I have copied from the following website: http://www.raventales.ca/?p=46
Raven Tales is the multiple (20 and counting) award-winning series of 13, half-hour, CGI (Computer-Generated Imaging) animated television/film programs, targeted at school-age children and their families. Starring Dr. Evan Adams of Smoke Signals fame, winner of the AIFF Best Actor Award, Raven Tales features Native American folklore developed to appeal to a broad international audience in a contemporary, humorous and entertaining way.
Raven Tales concentrates on the wild and funny adventures of Raven, the most powerful, and one might add, trickiest troublemaker of Native American folklore.
The Raven Tales, like the Simpsons, centers its humor on the interactions of its re-occurring ensemble cast. The three principal characters, Raven, Eagle and Frog, anchor the show and provide familiar faces and humorous antics that feature widely in each episode. Along with the principle characters are a cast of humans, their children and a group of mythological creatures whose foibles and flaws give our heroes plenty to worry about. And with 10,000 years of market research to support them, these stories are surefire hits with any audience!
The pilot episode, How Raven Stole the Sun, has been adapted from a popular Haida myth, but has elements of Salish and Kwakiutl, while others episodes have been adapted from Cree, Cherokee, Lakota, Navajo, Nisgaa and other Native American stories from all across North America.
Raven Tales: How Raven Stole the Sun is proud to be the first computer animated film production directed, designed and co-produced by an Aboriginally-owned and operated production company. In addition, the cast, music and sound design are all by Aboriginal talent.
Raven Tales Production Corp. was founded in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia for the expressed purpose of creating high quality computer animated productions featuring Native American stories and talent.
Welcome to the world of Raven Tales!
APPROPRIATENESS TO EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION
The pilot episode, How Raven Stole the Sun, has been adapted from a popular Haida myth, but has elements of Salish and Kwakiutl, while others episodes have been adapted from Cree, Cherokee, Lakota, Navajo, Nisgaa and other Native American stories from all across North America.
Raven Tales: How Raven Stole the Sun is proud to be the first computer animated film production directed, designed and co-produced by an Aboriginally-owned and operated production company. In addition, the cast, music and sound design are all by Aboriginal talent.
Raven Tales Production Corp. was founded in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia for the expressed purpose of creating high quality computer animated productions featuring Native American stories and talent.
Welcome to the world of Raven Tales!
APPROPRIATENESS TO EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION
With its wide entertainment and educational appeal, the co-development of books and reader guides as well as interactive educational games, Raven Tales meets all the general requirements for educational television.
In addition the National Science Foundation, National Geographic, Harcourt books, the Joseph Campbell Foundation and The National Film Board of Canada have all served as consultants for both story and design to make sure Raven Tales remains appealing to children and contain relevant lessons for both children and families.
In addition the National Science Foundation, National Geographic, Harcourt books, the Joseph Campbell Foundation and The National Film Board of Canada have all served as consultants for both story and design to make sure Raven Tales remains appealing to children and contain relevant lessons for both children and families.
And finally, Raven Tales is the only series of its kind, a series based on Aborignal Folklore featuring an all-aboriginal cast and produced by a majority Aboriginally-owned Production Company. The Raven Tales stories are told by a team that has been vetted by tribal consuls and heredity chiefs. Raven Tales has already demonstrated its wide appeal and quality as educational entertainment in a number of markets.
EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT
EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT
To fulfill its mission to educate as well as entertain, Raven Tales is designed for integration into an existing Literacy and History Program. Raven Tales will ultimately feature an interactive and textbook reading program to compliment and enhance the existing media program experience. Currently schools Canada wide are already using the Raven Tales pilot program as a key component of both their Native Studies and Literacy program at elementary levels. A study sponsored by the University of British Columbia First Nations Education program is currently researching the impact of a Raven Tales centered curriculum on both First Nations students as well as general students. So far the results are very promising.
Multicultural media and literature like Raven Tales, has been shown to help children to understand their world and consequently, to better know themselves. Research projects, as the one outlined below, have shown how important it is for children to see themselves in books and other media that represent their cultural experience, including use of folklore and characters unique to their cultural heritage. In turn, it has also been demonstrated that children who are exposed to materials from cultures other than their own have show a higher comprehension and retention rate. In addition, multicultural literature and media provides kids with a window on the world and helps them understand their place in it.
Currently the National Endowment for the Humanities recognizes the advantages of Multicultural Literacy programs and has a recommended reading list that includes texts written by key Raven Tales personnel.
The overall design of Raven Tales Literacy program follows the fundamentals established by the Multicultural Literacy Program (MLP), a three year project funded by FIRST (Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teachers) of the U. S. Department of Education, which was designed to address the needs of the changing racial and cultural demographics of school districts. The program used a inclusive approach to reading/writing instruction, integrating multicultural literature and media into the existing reading program to increase reading achievement and engagement.
The philosophy of the program is based on research findings that indicate incorporating the students’ culture into the school program constitutes a significant predictor of academic success (Cummins, 1986; Campos and Keatinge, 1984) and can positively influence reading comprehension (Lipson, 1983: Mason & Au, 1990; Steffenson, Joag-Dev, & Anderson, 1979). The study also relied on studies that showed that predominantly Anglo children also showed increased reading skills when multicultural literature and media was integrated into a comprehensive program.
Note: It is believed that the introduction of novel and culturally distinctive materials produce a renewed interest in reading for students who are otherwise jaded by the familiar.
The Multicultural Literacy Program uses multicultural literature and media to implement process-oriented reading and writing instruction designed to increase academic achievement for students of color as well as both heighten cultural awareness of all students and help reignite an interest in reading. (Diamond & Moore, 1992).
Additional educational consultants include Dr. Linc Kesler and Dr. Marie Batistte.
Question to Explore:
Multicultural media and literature like Raven Tales, has been shown to help children to understand their world and consequently, to better know themselves. Research projects, as the one outlined below, have shown how important it is for children to see themselves in books and other media that represent their cultural experience, including use of folklore and characters unique to their cultural heritage. In turn, it has also been demonstrated that children who are exposed to materials from cultures other than their own have show a higher comprehension and retention rate. In addition, multicultural literature and media provides kids with a window on the world and helps them understand their place in it.
Currently the National Endowment for the Humanities recognizes the advantages of Multicultural Literacy programs and has a recommended reading list that includes texts written by key Raven Tales personnel.
The overall design of Raven Tales Literacy program follows the fundamentals established by the Multicultural Literacy Program (MLP), a three year project funded by FIRST (Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teachers) of the U. S. Department of Education, which was designed to address the needs of the changing racial and cultural demographics of school districts. The program used a inclusive approach to reading/writing instruction, integrating multicultural literature and media into the existing reading program to increase reading achievement and engagement.
The philosophy of the program is based on research findings that indicate incorporating the students’ culture into the school program constitutes a significant predictor of academic success (Cummins, 1986; Campos and Keatinge, 1984) and can positively influence reading comprehension (Lipson, 1983: Mason & Au, 1990; Steffenson, Joag-Dev, & Anderson, 1979). The study also relied on studies that showed that predominantly Anglo children also showed increased reading skills when multicultural literature and media was integrated into a comprehensive program.
Note: It is believed that the introduction of novel and culturally distinctive materials produce a renewed interest in reading for students who are otherwise jaded by the familiar.
The Multicultural Literacy Program uses multicultural literature and media to implement process-oriented reading and writing instruction designed to increase academic achievement for students of color as well as both heighten cultural awareness of all students and help reignite an interest in reading. (Diamond & Moore, 1992).
Additional educational consultants include Dr. Linc Kesler and Dr. Marie Batistte.
Question to Explore:
Discuss a Native American Tale that you have explored and comment on the importance of story telling among the aboriginal people to promote spirituality.
