Exploring the Aloha State
BY ELIZABETH SLAWSON
L595
June 4, 2003
The purpose of a Pathfinder is to provide resources for a thematical study of Hawaii for teachers, and students. This will stimulate research through various materials including Internet websites, databases, software, and print resources.
The following Websites have been previewed and selected to reflect the many topics to search the Internet.
Fast Facts:
Quick information on the capital, population, area, government, money, climate, languages, religions of Hawaii.
Get facts about the land, population, government, and history of Hawaii.
Useful to find out more about tourism, which is the basis of Hawaii’s economy even though
Overpopulation is a huge problem.
Hula:
(AUDIO)
Study about the origins of the hula and listen to some of its audio sounds.
Hawaii in Songs:
Listen to beautiful classical and contemporary music from Hawaii. Traditional slack key guitar music (acoustic guitar) and other instruments.
Pronounced lElEOO"Okälä'nE], Liluokalani wrote “Aloha Oe”- “Farewell to Thee”, was the last reigning Hawaiian queen. Much of her remaining life was spent trying to claim property and other losses from the United States federal government.
List of hula instruments
Facts about Hawaiian culture and native instruments.
“ Blue Hawaii”, soundtrack, Elvis Presley
Don Ho “Tiny Bubbles”.
From the movie, “Blue Hawaii” starring Elvis Presley and some say his best. Don Ho,
singer and well known Hawaiian performer.
Island Geography:
See an interactive map of the eight major islands.
Use “ homework helper” and see a map of Hawaii; must have Acrobat Reader.
Illustrated glossary of landforms; defines archipelago as a chain of islands stretching some 1500 miles across the Pacific Ocean.
Allows viewer to see the natural world’s most fascinating places. Provides a three-dimensional QuickTime VR, a plug- included when one downloads the free QuickTime 3 or above.
Defines the maritime borders of the U.S.; includes areas surrounding Hawaii such as American Samoa.
(Visual image)
Satellite images from Satlab over Hawaii and the Pacific as well as current conditions of the ocean surrounding Hawaii.
Hawaiian Literature:
James Michener’s novel, HAWAII (Mass Market Paperback, April l994,) tells the epic story of the islands, starting with the first volcanic tremors announcing the underwater birth of the islands, and continuing to a few years before statehood was achieved.
History, Tradition, and Culture:
Just choose one of the islands and find information on the culture, geography, history, people, plants and animals, government is given.
Most Diverse state –immigration from U.S. China, Japan, Philippines, Korea
(Audio)
Listen to audio clips of Hawaiian vowels and many common words and phrases of the Hawaiian language.
Cultural site; Hawaiians came from Polynesia, thousands of surrounding islands south of Hawaii.
Search this site for Hawaiian related-clothes, weddings, etc.
Photos show a look at Hawaiian festivities and culture.
Learn about the leu that represents the “ flower of welcome” in Hawaii.
Website that tells how to plan for one’s next Hawaiian luau. Recipes are available and along with advice on where to find the best luaus in Hawaii.
Hawaii in Movies:
Sites for location for many movies, not necessarily set in Hawaii. An escape scene for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was filmed in Hawaii there, as were parts of Jurassic Park (1993), and King Kong (1976) and South Pacific, (1958).
Volcanoes:
(Images of Mauna Loa flows as well as other volcanoes)
Information on Mauna Loa, largest volcano on Earth, which takes half of the area of the Island of Hawaii.
National Monuments:
USS Arizona Memorial, located in Honolulu, now lie beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor is a national shrine “ symbolizes American sacrifice and resolve”.
“Remembering Pearl Harbor,” tells about the attack on U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu on December 7, l941. Japanese bombers attacked the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor.
Endangered species:
There are more endangered species in Hawaii than anywhere else in the U.S.
Feral (wild) pigs are probably the biggest threat to Hawaii’s native species because they trample, eat and endanger native plant species.
Humpback whale- named Hawaii’s state marine mammal in l979; Hawaii is the only state that has more ocean mammals than land mammals
Statehood:
Websites provides traditional and postal U.S. State/territory as well as Canadian Provinces. Hawaii’s traditional abbreviations are Hawaii or H.I., and it’s postal is HI.
Hawaii first petitioned Congress for statehood in l903, but it wasn’t until l959 that Congress voted to admit Hawaii as the 50th state.
Beaches:
Check out Poipu Beach Park where one may see green sea turtles in the clear-blue Pacific.
See the beaches, nature, people, and other points of interest for this tropical paradise.
Food:
Recipes for Hawaiian dishes, Internet Island Fruit Salad or
Pineapple Cream Cheese Pie
Plan a luau-menus include Oven Kalua Pig or Chicken Luau accompanied with Poi which is a thick paste pounded from the root of a taro plant; it is eaten with fingers.
Water sports such as canoeing, swimming, surfing are popular. Surfing was invented in Hawaii.
Databases:
example, geography resources that led to…
Any U.S. state can be clicked on to show capital cities, state birds, songs, nicknames, and other relevant facts to each state. State flags are pictures.
Shows color landform maps of the U.S.A. and view of the Hawaii’s islands.
List of ecyostems/biomeHawaii's Living Treasures - explore the flora and fauna of our 50th state.
Student- created entry in the Thinkquest.org libraries
Educational Resource Information Center-database search to social studies topic, which linked to
Website from the Library of Congress mainly for elementary and middle school students.
SOFTWARE:
“Neighborhood Map Machine 2.0”,
Grades 1-5; this software helps strengthen social studies skills by creating maps for countries or states. Facilitates important map and geography skills specifically for first through third grade. Described as a hands-on program; students create maps of their own neighborhoods, communities etc.
245 Neighborhood MapMachine 2.0, Tom Snyder Productions
250 2.0
260 Watertown Mass., 1997
300 CDRom and Teacher Guide
4XX Neighborhood Map Machine 2.0
5XXHands on program for creating a variety of maps
6XX Map Skills/ Social Studies/Geography
“Mapmaker’s toolkit, grades 4-12”,
CD-Rom and teacher’s guide allows students to explore over 450 maps of the world.Included are theme maps that cover key events and issues in U.S. History.
Students can customize and print current and historical maps.
245 Mapmakers Toolkit/Tom Synder Productions
260 Tom Snyder Productions/Watertown, Mass., 1999
300 CD Rom and Teacher Guide
4XX Mapmakers Toolkit
5XX Kit customizes and prints current and historical maps of countries, continents, and state maps
6XX MapSkills/Social Studies/Geography
*For fun“Lilo and Stitch Hawaii, Hawaiian Adventure”, Disney Game;
Play an arcade type game as students learn the value of being a good citizen. Emphasizes the true meaning of“ Ohana” (Hawaiian for family); Mostly entertainment and not recommended for entertainment.
E-books:
Interesting, related non-fiction and fiction sources for children
McAuliffe, Emily, HAWAII FACTS AND SYMBOLS, Hilltop Books, Minnesota, 2000.
Gives information about the state of Hawaii, its nickname, motto, and emblems.
Osborn, Mary Pope, Sal Murdocca, HIGH TIDE IN HAWAII, Random House, New York; 2003.
Adventures of Magic Tree House characters, Jack and Annie who are taken to Hawaii to search for Morgan. Characters save island community from a tidal wave. Fiction, fun, fantasy. 4-8 yrs
Salisbury, Graham, UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN, Delacorte Press, New York 1994.
Historical fiction based on a young boy’s life whose life changes for his Japanese familyin Hawaii after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
Slepian, Jan,THE BROCCOLI TAPES,New York: Philomel Books, l988.
Sara reports her experiences by tape back to her sixth grade class in Boston about her stay in Hawaii. She details her adoption of a wildcat, friendship with a troubled Hawaiian boy and death of her grandmother.
CONCLUSION:
Earlier in the year, the students were challenged to read for points. Those points were turned into miles with the hope of landing in Hawaii so that they could celebrate in Hawaiian style. After the unit is over, students will celebrate a Hawaiian Day, which they will participate in games, wear Hawaiian clothes, and eat Hawaiian food. This day will be celebrated at a prearranged date sometime during the school year.