brining the rain to kapiti plain by verna aardema and illustrated by beatriz vidal we all went on...
TRANSCRIPT
AFRICALITERATURE FOCUS UNIT
EDU 315BY MATT WEBER
Literature Selection Brining the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema and illustrated by
Beatriz Vidal We All Went on Safari: a counting journey through Tanzania by Laurie
Krebs and illustrated by Julia Cairns Swahili Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings Ananse the Spider by S. Harold Collins Africa (Rookie Read about Geography) by Allan Fowler Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight Shadow by Marcia Brown The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi A is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu Rookie Read About the World: Africa by Allan Fowler Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears? by Verna Aardema Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill by Virginia Kroll African Animals ABC by Philippa Alys Browne Short stories on audio CD
Instructional Focus
Students will take part in a thematic unit on Africa and African culture. This unit will integrate all the major areas of study. Students will learn all about the various aspects of Africa and its culture in the following subjects: mathematics, science, social studies, music, art, and physical education.
Students will read a selection of books about Africa and participate in a number of writing activities. Students will also be involved with the other language arts areas (talking, listening, viewing, and visually representing).
Students will understand the physical features of Africa, and its unique culture.
Students will learn about African music and instruments and play some of their fun games and sports. Students will explore their beautiful artwork.
Cont…
Students will learn about African animals and the different topographic features of Africa. Students will learn about the unique clothing, food, and jewelry of Africa. Students will do research of various topics such as countries, vegetation, etc. Students will learn about the metric system and African currency. Students will explore all of these topics and many more.
Language Arts Strategies
Compare/Contrast: Students will compare and contrast aspects of African culture and United States culture.
Activate Background Knowledge: Students will think about what they already know about Africa, what they want to know, and finally what they have learned after the unit.
Connecting and Brainstorming: Students will be able to relate Africa and its culture to the United States customs, traditions, holidays, and culture.
Setting Purposes: Students will decide some main ideas that they want to learn about Africa.
Questioning: Students will expand their knowledge by asking questions about topics or ideas that are not clear or confusing since this is a new and unique culture.
Summarizing: Students will identify the big ideas about Africa that they will remember and take with them for the rest of their lives.
Cont…
Playing with Language: Students will study a new language (Swahili) and also learn about a sign language that Africans use.
Proofreading: Students will check for any grammatical or mechanical errors for their writing assignments.
Language Arts Skills
Print: Students will identify high-frequency words associated with Africa.
Comprehension: Students will be able to identify what are facts and opinions in various African literature. Students will compare and contrast the cultures of Africa and the United States.
Language: Students will use correct grammar and proper paragraph format with all writing assignments.
Reference: Students will make graphs, charts, Venn diagrams, and KWL charts. Students will also read magazines, newspapers, and other reading materials from Africa.
Study: Students will make predictions about books and preview the background information of books and authors. Students will read informational books and other sources to collect information for the various activities throughout the unit.
Grouping Patterns
Individual: Students will read African literature, informational books, newspapers, and magazines. Students will write journal entries, poems, letters, and other papers. Students will earn and spend African currency. All art projects (masks, jewelry, baskets, fans, and clothing). Use KWL charts, Venn diagrams. Unscramble letters of names of African countries, African map with topographic features, and dances.
Small group: small group discussions, physical education safari, Egyptian relay, African countries bean bag toss, African dances, African games and activities, topographic obstacle course, pyramid art project, African instruments for music, topographic features on African map, country paper, African tribes research, measurement conversions, miles calculations, sequential patterns, math safari, buddy reading, peer conferencing
Cont…
Whole class: grand conversations, spelling relay, big African map (fitting countries together on map), comparing of African and United States culture, Venn diagrams, KWL charts and minilessons
Language Arts: Reading Activities
Students will read African magazines and information books
Students will read various books independently, in small groups, and buddy reading
Teacher will read aloud various books while students read along with their own copy of book
Students will read poetry (Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill by Virginia Kroll as an example)
Students will read various reports being done throughout the unit (peer conferencing)
Language Arts: Writing Activities
Students will write in their journals daily about anything from the unit that they liked, disliked, reactions, opinions, things they’ve learned, etc.
Students will write poems about Africa after reading Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill by Virginia Kroll
Students will write reports about animals, vegetation, topographic features, and African countries
Students will write African vocabulary words on the word wall throughout the unit
Students will write letters to a student in Africa (possibly turn into a pen pal activity)
Language Arts: Listening Activities
Students will listen to The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi as the teacher reads it aloud each day
Students will listen to CD of short stories being read in class
Students will listen to other students as they present assignments, writings, and projects
Students will listen to African music and instruments Students will listen in small group and whole group grand
conversations Students will listen as teacher talks about different
aspects of Africa
Language Arts: Talking Activities
Students will read aloud written reports, poems, and other assignments
Students will participate in whole class grand conversations discussing different topics of African culture
Students will discuss in small groups the books that are being read in class
Students will present to the class the different artwork that they made during the unit and the reasoning behind some of the designs that they made
Language Arts: Viewing Activities
Students will watch video clips and movies about Africa Students will use internet as a research tool for the
reports and writing assignments that will be assigned and Microsoft Word for typing out reports
Students will view artwork, sculptures, paintings, etc. Students will look at different photographs of African
people, their dress, food, and other aspects of their culture. (students could bring in photos that they found and/or teacher can have photos ready as well)
Students will look at illustrations in books being read to get another perspective on Africa
Language Arts: Visually Representing
Students will draw an African map and draw in major topographic areas and other important features
Students will fit together all the countries of Africa on a big Africa map
Students will create their own pyramids, jewelry, and African masks
Students will design baskets, clothing, and fans Students will create topographic features out of various
materials (playdough, clay, etc.) Students will chart climates and temperatures of different
African areas Students will post photos throughout the unit on the “Wall
of Africa” (a wall in the classroom dedicated completely to Africa)
Mathematics Activities Students will earn fake African currency that replicates what it would
actually look like and have opportunity to spend currency in the class store (talk about currency and compare it to US currency and have them do conversions)
Students will choose a country and using a line graph, graph their population growth over a certain period of time (example: graph population every 10 years for 100 years)
Students will convert basic measurements from the metric system to the English units
Students will construct a sequential pattern of African symbols with a few spots having missing links. Then the other students in the class have to identify the missing links in the pattern.(Discuss African symbols and what they mean)
Students will calculate the amount of miles that are between a chosen state in the US and a country in Africa (example: How many miles between Oregon and Sudan?) They will draw a line from one to the other and use key to measure miles (try to find the fastest path, east or west?)
African math games Chart temperatures of Africa and North Dakota (compare)
Science Activities Students will choose an African animal and research basic facts
about them as a report and present it to the class Students will chart winter temperatures in Africa and in North Dakota
and compare the two areas Students will make out of clay/playdough the different land features
of Africa Students will differentiate between the climates of Africa (choose 3
countries from different regions in Africa and compare them) Students will research different types of vegetation, trees, and
shrubs in Africa and create a report Students will learn about nutrition in Africa and health risks Students will identify the diseases and illnesses common in Africa Students will research a major topographic feature in Africa and write
a few paragraphs about it (connected with the clay land features) Major weather patterns in Africa Study earth (study rocks, volcanoes, lakes, etc.)
Social Studies Activities
Students will fit together all the countries of Africa on a big map as a whole class
Students will identify different African countries by unscrambling letters in envelopes (near the end of unit once students are somewhat familiar with the names)
Students will draw their own African map, drawing in major topographic features and other important features
Students will choose a country to research; they will find basic facts about that country and type it as a report. They will present it to the class.
Students will briefly learn about the Swahili language and its significance. Also, the sign language they use (Ananse the Spider by S. Harold Collins and Swahili Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings)
Students will research various tribes around Africa describing them using pictures and having a few sentences per picture
Cont…
Students will learn about the clothing, jewelry, and food of Africa (bring in samples of all of these). Students will also learn about African holidays and celebrations. Students will compare and contrast all of these aspects to the United States
Students will compare African markets to United States stores
Art Activities
Students will work in groups and create their own pyramids out of different materials that will be available
Students will create (decorate) their own masks (ones used at ceremonies)
Students will make jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces, etc. Students will be given an African basket and create their own
unique pattern on the basket using markers, paint, etc. Students will design own African fan and decorate it Students will learn about various artwork, pottery, sculptures,
and paintings from Africa students will design and decorate their own African clothing (Give background information before starting each project)
Music Activities
Students will listen to African music and make comparisons to United States music using a Venn Diagram
Students will learn about African instruments and play them
Students will learn about ceremonial dances with music and learn what the dance moves stand for
Students will learn about music Africans use during special ceremonies or events
Physical Education Activities
Students will race on teams on a safari around the gymnasium (ride on scooters and have different stations with an African theme)
Students will do an Egyptian relay outside (one station will be a mummy; another will be a pharoah, etc. They must dress up one group member at each station and move on to next station and then one more group member and so forth)
Students will learn how to dance different African dances Students will play various African games and sports activities Students will participate in a topographic obstacle course (climb
mountains, swim in rivers, etc. using different equipment) Spelling relay using African countries as words (two teams line up
in vertical lines and race one another, one student at a time runs up to board and writes one letter and the next person writes next letter until word is complete, team that finishes first gets a point)
Technology
Living Landscapes: Earthscapes - Wild Africa (Movie about African landscapes and animals, etc.)
Expedition Africa (movie about Africa) Africa Geographic (magazine about African wildlife, plants,
and ecosystem) National Geographic: Africa (magazine) Masks: The Art of Expression by John Mack (book on art) Africa : The Art of a Continent by Tom Phillips (book on art) Africa Adorned by Angela Fisher (book on art) Hands-On Africa: Art Activities for All Ages by Yvonne Y.
Merrill (book on art) http://www.hamillgallery.com/ (African paintings,
sculptures, pottery, etc.)
Cont…
Math Games & Activities from Around the World by Claudia Zaslavsky (math games)
Juba this and Juba that: 100 African-American games for children by Darlene Powell Hopson, Derek S. Hopson, Thomas Clavin (games, activities, and dances)
African Dance by Kariamu Welsh, Elizabeth A. Hanley, Jacques D'Amboise (dances)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFgBhMVgLtg (dancing) http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhSLKQeltrY&feature=related (dancing)
Meeting the Sangomas and Other Short Stories from Africa, Peru, Mexico, and India [Audio CD] by Angeline de Launey
Computer lab will be used to do research for projects and to type out the written reports.
Assessment
Reports will be graded based on a rubric (five-point scoring rubric)
Completion grade for some assignments Participation in music, physical education, and group work Vocabulary tests for all new words throughout the unit 6+1 writing traits will also be used for some writing
assignments Portfolio assessment with checklist for all the assignments
throughout the unit (papers, charts, maps, etc.) Poetry assessment numerical score sheet for poems Art rubric for all artwork
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
L.A. • Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Rookie Read • Grand
conversation about Africa (KWL)
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Watch
video
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Read
magazin-es
• Write letters
• Read Aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Grand
Conver-sation (African reading materials
• Read Aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Poems
about Africa (Jaha and Jamil Went Down Hill)
P.E. African games African games
African games
Math Metric system Metric system
Metric system
Population research
Line graphs (pop.)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
Social Studies
Topographic features
Topographic features
Country research
Country research
African map (fit countries together)
Art Pyramids Pyramids African masks
Music African music
Significance of ceremonial music
Science
Climates Climates (research climates)
Compare Africa and North Dakota
Diseases/il-lnesses
Diseases/il-lnesses
unMonday Tuesday Wednesda
y• Thursda
yFriday
L.A. • Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Read African
Animals ABC• Grand
conversation about African climates
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• present
country facts
• Peer conferenc-ing of writing assignme-nts
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Read
short stories
• Grand conversat-ion about African culture
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Read
short stories
• Present topograp-hic feature
• Small group conversat-ion about African culture
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• View
African photos
P.E. Safari Dances Dances
Math Calculate miles Calculate miles
Sequential patterns
Sequential patterns
currency
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
Social Studies
Swahili Language (Swahili Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings)
Sign language (Ananse the Spider by S. Harold Collins)
African culture (clothing,j-ewelry, food)
African culture (celebration and holidays)
Unscramble letters of African countries
Art Learn about African artwork (show examples)
African artwork
Jewelry
Music Ceremonial dances with music
Ceremonial dances with music
Science
Study earth (study rocks, volcanoes, lakes,etc.)
Study earth (study rocks, volcanoes, lakes,etc.)
Study earth (study rocks, volcanoes, lakes,etc.)
Weather patterns
Weather patterns
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
L.A. • Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Small group
discussion (art & music)
• CD of short stories
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Short
stories (buddy reading)
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Present
vegetati-on reports
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Read
African literature
• Read aloud: The Mzungu Boy
• Journal• Present
artwork over unit
• Video
• Grand conversat-ion (markets and stores
P.E. Egyptian Relay Spelling relay
Topographic obstacle course
Math currency Chart temps.
Math games
Math games
Math games
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
Social Studies
Tribes of Africa Tribes of Africa
Topographic maps
Topographic maps
African markets/US stores
Art Jewelry Baskets Clothing
Music African instruments
African instruments
Science
Discuss Vegetation
Vegetation research
Foods native to Africa
Nutrition Nutrition