Call It Courage - A Guide

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry

 

I. Setting - The story took place in Polynesia.

 

Learn more about Polynesia:

A Map of Polynesia Which island groups are part of Polynesia? (Can you name four or more?)

Polynesian Migration and Map of Polynesian Settlement: Where did the Polynesians settle?

Voyaging Stories Learn more about the legends and stories passed down from generation to generation about the great voyages across the Pacific.

The name Polynesia comes from the Greek roots "poly-" which means many, and "nesos" which means islands. Micronesia means "small islands" and Melanesia means "dark islands".

 

Were there really "Eaters-of-Men"?

Cannibalism and human sacrifice were found in primitive tribes of Polynesians and Melanesians. See a group of Melanesia hunters from the Dani tribe with their weapons. Also see their wooden idols, similar to those in our story. Other Polynesians had stone carvings, like these of the Easter Islands, and these stone figures also of the Easter Islands.

Polynesian warriors (reenacted)

What happened to the Polynesians when the explorers from Europe and North America arrived in the late 18th century?

Polynesian culture was threatened by European diseases and the social/political turmoil [conflict] brought about by the two cultures' encounters [coming together]. The Europeans first discovered the Polynesian Islands in the late 18th century (the late 1700s). But within a century, the Polynesian culture as it had existed was almost gone. The Polynesian race, in isolation from any other societies for thousands of years, had no immunity to such diseases as the common cold, chicken pox, and other diseases brought by the Europeans. These diseases were not serious to the Europeans, but were deadly to the Polynesians. The Polynesian population declined and this accelerated [sped up] the loss of traditional culture. Much traditional knowledge was soon lost due to the deaths of the learned men and women in these societies. Finally, a strict and brutal Christianization [making them become Christians and giving up their own gods] was imposed [forced] upon the remaining populations from early to mid-19th century (early to mid-1800s) whose ancient culture they sought to extinguish. Although much of the traditional Polynesian culture has disappeared, a lot was recorded in historical sources written and illustrated by interested Europeans in the late 18th century, and later by converted Polynesians in the 19th century. Also those islands less visited by the Europeans were somewhat spared the terrible destruction and culture shock mentioned above. [Condensed and adapted from Polynesian History]

A Lagoon and a High Island

Lagoon of a high island, Hawaii

 

Global Travel Co.

A modern skin diver swimming near the coral in Hawaii.

Coral Quiz:

1. Coral reefs are limestone formations made out of:

2. Stony corals reproduce

3. Corals can be described as

4. Where do coral reefs develop?

 

Color the Pictures of Sea Animals - See the animals that live in or near the coral reefs. (Animal Printouts from EnchantedLearning.com)

Extra Credit Activity: From U.S.G.S (Geological Society). Make models from patterns shown on the following websites. Print them from the website and make them out of paper using scissors and paste.

 

Polynesian Sailing Canoes

From "The Spirit of 'Ohana (Family) and the Polynesian Voyagers" (Polynesian Voyaging Society) Image: "Departure" from Peter Buck's Vikings of the Pacific

 

Learn More About It: Polynesian Voyaging Society has teacher resources (video clips, maps, lesson plans, and on-line visuals, etc.) Especially see these paintings: "Life Aboard a Canoe" "Polynesian Migration"

 

Learn More About Polynesian Culture -

San Francisco's Polynesian cultural group -

Hawaiian Legends -

Go to Part Two: Foods of the Polynesians (Plants)

Go to Part Three: Animals from the Story