Pirogues across the curriculum from Louisiana Voices
Funding for this educational website project was provided
by the Louisiana Division of the Arts, and the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Use the online essay, "Louisiana Boatbuilding:
An Unfathomed Fortune," by C. Ray Brassieur, and
the virtual exhibit the Louisiana Folklife Photo Gallery.
Social Studies: Ask students to research
these questions using the online Louisiana Voices resources:
What is
the history of the pirogue? Was this a Native American
craft? Is it still in use? Why is this boat indigenous
to Louisiana? Who still makes and uses it? What boats
are made in your region? Compare traditional Louisiana
boats with those of another state or country. Why do
boats differ from place to place? Take a look at this
pirogue and Lafitte skiff to get you started: Boat
1 - A Pirogue, Boat 2 - A Lafitte Skiff
Math: Discuss how a pirogue boat builder calculates
his task. What proportions are consistent in each pirogue
since all cypress logs differ in size? With students,
find the model pirogue in the online Louisiana Folklife
Photo Gallery and compute the ratio of a working boat
compared with a model boat using a calculator. Display
results in a spreadsheet.
Visual Art: With students, study the proportions of
a pirogue or model pirogue online or through other
sources. They can make their own from clay or use a
software drawing program to draw a pirogue. Play recordings
of South Louisiana traditional musicians while working
(for example, "Louisiana Cajun Music from the
Southwest Prairies," Vols. 1 and 2, Rounder CD
6001 & 6002).
Music and Movement: Play a recording by South Louisiana
traditional musicians and ask students to create a
pantomime incorporating music and the movements of
a pirogue builder or someone using a pirogue in a bayou
(for example,'Tit galop pour Mamou, by Steve Riley).
Students may also research Southwest Louisiana music
and dance traditions.
Science and Ecology: Use the following questions to
prompt research on cypress. What are the physical properties
of cypress that make it ideal for building a pirogue?
Where does cypress grow? Is it among endangered tree
species? Why does a pirogue float? Students may also
research the ecology of Louisiana swamps where cypress
grow and draw a picture using a software drawing program
or build a diorama using flora and fauna of the swamps.
Research can include interviews of people who work
in the swamps to explore how ecology and folklife relate.
Adapting the Educator's Guide
The material in this guide is public domain, so please
use and adapt these units to suit your needs. Just
note that some rubrics require licensing as indicated.
All we ask is that you acknowledge the source and
indicate that funding was provided by the Louisiana
Division of the Arts, and the National Endowment
for the Arts.
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