SONG ACTIVITY – Colors of the Wind

by Judy Kuhn

Name: Group: Date: / /

1. Native Americans – the different peoples who lived in North America before Europeans

arrived – had a special relationship with land and nature. Read about this relationship and

discuss the questions.

“[...] the Indians believed that no one could own land. They believed, however, that anyone could

use it. Anyone who wanted to live on a piece of land and grow crops could do so. x

The American Indians lived with nature. They understood the land and the environment. They did

not try to change it. They might grow crops in an area for a few years. Then they would move on.

They would allow the land on which they had farmed to become wild again. x

They might hunt on one area of land for some time, but again they would move on. They hunted

only what they could eat, so populations of animals could continue to increase. The Indians

understood nature and were at peace with it.”

Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/1519967.html (accessed on March 14th, 2018).

a. The first English settlers arrived at the east coast of the United States in the 16th

century. Do you think these colonists’ relationship with nature was similar to

Native Americans’? Why (not)?

b. Do you think the encounter between Native Americans and the English was a

pacific one? Why (not)?

c. Pocahontas was a famous Native American princess who helped English

colonists in the 17th century. Her story was fictionalized in the Disney animated

movie Pocahontas. What do you know about her?

2. There are several elements of the natural world in Colors of the Wind, the theme song of

the animated movie Pocahontas. Work with a partner to ask and answer the questions (the

words in bold will help you understand the song).

Have you ever… Yes, I

have.

No, but I’d

like to.

No, and I

wouldn’t like to.

a. seen a wild animal, such as a wolf or a bobcat, in nature?

b. walked along a trail in a forest?

c. tried berries, or any other wild fruit?

d. walked during a rainstorm?

e. swum in a river?

f. climbed a giant tree, such as a sycamore tree?

g. seen a bird nest?

SONG ACTIVITY – Colors of the Wind

by Judy Kuhn

3. Now ���� listen to the song. Number the lines as you hear them.

a. [ ] “Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest”

b. [ ] “For whether we are white or copper skinned”

c. [ ] “Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon”

d. [ ] “How high will the sycamore grow?”

e. [ ] “The rainstorm and the river are my brothers”

f. [ ] “You can own the Earth and still”

g. [ ] “You think I'm an ignorant savage”

h. [ ] “You think the only people who are people”

i. [ ] “You think you own whatever land you land on”

4. In the song, Pocahontas is questioning John Smith, the English settler she falls in love with.

���� Listen to the song again. Check (����) the words that best complete the sentences about

Smith and the settlers’ attitudes, in the Native American princess’s opinion.

a. “If the savage one is me / How can there be so much that you don't know?”

Pocahontas thinks John Smith is [ ] ignorant | [ ] knowledgeable. s

b. “But I know every rock and tree and creature / Has a life, has a spirit, has a name”

She claims Smith knows [ ] more | [ ] less about nature than her. s c. “You think the only people who are people / Are the people who look and think like you”

She says that Smith feels [ ] inferior | [ ] superior to Native Americans. s d. “Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? / Can you paint with all the colors of the

wind?”

She is questioning if Smith can [ ] appreciate | [ ] destroy nature. s e. “Come roll in all the riches all around you / And for once, never wonder what they're worth”

She is criticizing Smith for being [ ] generous | [ ] greedy. S

s f. “You can own the Earth and still / All you'll own is earth until / You can paint with all the colors of

the wind”

She claims that Smith will only be the true owner of the land if he learns how to

[ ] respect | [ ] explore it.

5. Work in small groups. Read some Native American quotes about nature. Do you agree

with them?

“ Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish

has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money. — Cree proverb ”

“ When a man does a piece of work which is admired by all we say that it is

wonderful; but when we see the changes of day and night, the sun, the moon, and

the stars in the sky, and the changing seasons upon the earth, with their ripening

fruits, anyone must realize that it is the work of someone more powerful than man.

— Chief Standing Bear

”

“ Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents—it was loaned to you

by your children. — Indian proverb ”

Source: https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/for-earth-day-quotable-native-wisdom-about-the-environment (accessed

on March 14th, 2018).

SONG ACTIVITY – Colors of the Wind

by Judy Kuhn

TEACHER’S NOTES

Target audience (age): Ensino Fundamental and Ensino Médio.

Aims: Learn about Native Americans. Expand vocabulary. Develop listening comprehension

skills. Discuss the meanings of a song.

Duration: 50 min.

Organization: teacher-fronted / individual work / group work.

Material: worksheet.

Preparation: Make copies of the worksheet (1 per student). Check the website with the song.

(http://goo.gl/iZkqDf).

Procedure:

Pre-listening (Activities 1 and 2)

• Warm up students by asking What are the people who lived in the Americas before the

Europeans arrived called? How did these people live here? What happened when the

settlers arrived? Listen to students’ ideas.

• Hand out the � worksheets.

• Draw students’ attention to the text and questions in Activity 1. Invite a volunteer to

read the text aloud and clarify vocabulary, if necessary. Carry out the discussion with the

whole class. � Answer(s): personal answers.

Background information:

“Pocahontas (born Matoaka, known as Amonute, c. 1596 – March 1617) was a Native

American woman notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown,

Virginia. Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of a network of

tributary tribal nations […]. In a well-known historical anecdote, she saved the life of a

captive of the Native Americans, the Englishman John Smith, in 1607 by placing her head

upon his own when her father raised his war club to execute him. A large number of

historians doubt the veracity of this story. […]

Numerous places, landmarks, and products in the United States have been named after

Pocahontas. Her story has been romanticized over the years, and she is a subject of art,

literature, and film.”

The animated movie: Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical romantic drama film

produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation […]. Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg,

the film is inspired by the Native American woman Pocahontas, and portrays a fictionalized

account of her historical encounter with Englishman John Smith and the Jamestown settlers

that arrived from the Virginia Company. […] Pocahontas became the first Native American

Disney Princess and the first woman of color to be the lead character in a Disney film.” Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocahontas; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocahontas_(1995_film)

(accessed on March 14th, 2018).

• In Activity 2, ask students if they are familiar with the images. Then organize students

into pairs. Encourage them to take turns to ask and answer the questions. Work with the

pronunciation of the words – it will help students understand them in the song.

Phonetic transcription of some of the items in the activity: wolf /wʊlf/, trail /treɪl/.

Listening (Activities 3 and 4)

• Allow students some time to go through items a. – i. in Activity 3. � Play the song for

students to do the task. Check answers with the whole class. � Answer(s): a. [ 5 ];

b. [ 8 ]; c. [ 4 ]; d. [ 7 ]; e. [ 6 ]; f. [ ]; g.; [ 1 ]; h. [ 3 ]; i. [ 2 ]

• Allow students some time to go through the items in Activity 4, clarifying vocabulary, if

necessary. � Play the song again. Encourage students to pay attention to the lyrics and

do the task as they listen. Check answers. � Answer(s): a. ignorant; b. less; c. superior;

d. appreciate; e. greedy; f. respect.

SONG ACTIVITY – Colors of the Wind

by Judy Kuhn

After listening (Activity 5)

• Organize students into small groups. Read the quotes in Activity 5 with the whole class.

• Allow students some time to discuss the quotes and express their ideas. While they

discuss, � play the song in the background. Walk around the classroom, helping with

vocabulary, if necessary.

• When they are finished, encourage some groups to share their ideas with the class. �

Answer(s): personal answers.

Wrap up activity

• � Play a video with the real story of Pocahontas - https://goo.gl/nEuizp.

Extra

• Have students go online and find other female historical figures – American and Brazilian

– who played important roles in their countries.

• Encourage students to find other songs about men’s relationship with nature