Welcome! The Black Hills Playhouse is honored to have been invited to create a pilot project which integrates theatre and Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings (OSEU)  curriculum to strengthen communities. We have been guided by existing OSEU lessons and materials created by a number of people and organizations such as the Technology in Education (TIE) WoLakota Project, MUVE, the Kennedy Center, the Lakota Language Consortium, the South Dakota Arts Council, and by Starr Chief Eagle (Sicangu Lakota). We are grateful for conversations and assistance from Whitnee Thorpe and Sharla Steever of Black Hills Special Services, and educators Chris & Deborah Bordeaux.

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Our goals are to engage schools and communities in project-based learning so that educators can introduce their students to the creativity and joy of the arts and enhance exposure to Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings. Each session will introduce your students to a wide range of arts information as well as Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings. Students have the opportunity to explore theatre from many different angles including storytelling, movement, and visual art with items they receive in an individual supply kit.

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For your convenience and quick reference, we've compiled a list of comprehensive PDFs for the entire project below in red. Further down, you'll find the session videos broken down by activity.  

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The Oceti Sakowin + Dakota Players Theatre Experience is designed to introduce students to a wide range of theatrical skills through the lens of OSEU. Artists work in individual classrooms using videos and presentations to teach OSEU curriculum developed by Dakota Players with the generous support of other OSEU partners

In-person sessions include:

• Consultation with teachers in advance of residency regarding how/when curriculum will be used in the classroom

• Artists who come to your community to work with students in the classroom

• In-person and video-guided lessons

• Student activity worksheets (pdf format)

• Reflection journal prompt sheets (pdf format)

• Supply kit for each student to be used for hands-on craft activities

Depending on budget, Dakota Players could invite in other professional Native artists to round out the experience (visual artists, musicians, dancers, designers).

Thank you for all you do as educators for our children and for bringing us to your community. We hope you have fun with the Oceti Sakowin & Dakota Players Theatre Experience!

• Teacher Lesson Outlines

• Project Overview Matrix

• South Dakota State Content Standards - Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings

• Pinterest Board of examples & reference images