LITERACY & SOCIAL SCIENCE

1st Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 2 Unit Plan

THEME: Culture, Dignity, and Identity CONCEPT: Lessons from Africa - African and African American Families, Traditions and Lifestyles A Rich Tradition: Appreciating the role of family and cultural traditions CONTENT TOPIC: Exploring African and African American family structures and traditions through fiction and nonfiction texts UNIT TITLE: Family and Cultural Traditions
Unit Topic: Exploring African and African American Traditions Unit Description: Students will explore the tradition of storytelling in African and African American cultures. They will
learn that the folktales told by the Griots (African storytellers) have a moral, involve elements of nature, teach history and provide entertainment for the listeners. At the end of the unit, students will work in small groups to give a storytelling performance, which includes all the elements used by Griots.

Key Themes: Storytelling, Kwanzaa, Music Length: 4 weeks Enduring Understandings

Students will understand that history is passed down from generation to generation orally in many cultures. Students will understand that folktales have a central life-long message. How do culture and identity influence who we are? How do time, culture and history influence works of art and/or the advancement of science and technology? What can I do to positively impact my community? How can I figure out the central message of a story?

Essential Questions

Common Core State Standards Primary Secondary

Primary: Standards Assessed RL.1.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. W.1.5. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. SL.1.2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. Secondary: Standards Addressed RF 1.4, RF 1.2, RF 1.1, RF 1.3, SL 1.1a, SL 1.1c, SL 1.6, L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.4, L 1.5

Cognitive Skills

Reading, Writing, and Citing Textual Evidence Reading, Speaking, and Listening Search for information from words and/or pictures in a text Discuss information that is important to understanding the central message of the story Express opinions using evidence from the story to support ideas

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LITERACY & SOCIAL SCIENCE

1st Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 2 Unit Plan
Writing, Speaking and Listening Tell and then retell stories in chronological order Attempt unknown words through sound analysis Discuss the story/text with peers

Content

Building Knowledge through Texts Storytelling Folktales Morale/ Central Message Kwanzaa Diagnostic (Pre-Assessment) Teacher will ask students to retell a story then identify the central message in a graphic organizer (story map). Formative Assessments Teacher will use anecdotal notes, questioning, and group discussion responses to assess students throughout the unit. Teacher could also use a student created graphic organizers (story map) following the reading of folktales. Summative Performance Assessment Students will work in small groups to retell the folktale of their choice. Students will be assessed on incorporation of storytelling elements, ability to retell the story in sequential order and ability to identify the morale/central message.

Assessments (D) Diagnostic (F) Formative (S) Summative

Texts/ Resources

Texts

A Culture of Respect, by Jawanza Kunjufu Africa Dream, by Eloise Greenfield African Folktales, by Dover Thrift A Story, A Story by Gail E. Haley Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott Anansi and the Talking Melon by Eric A. Kimmel Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel Anansi and the Magic Stick by Eric A. Kimmel Anansi and the Box of Stories: A West African Folktale by Stephan Krensky Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales and True Tales by Virginia Hamilton Kwanzaa, by Dana Meachen Rau The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton Why Mosquitos Buzz in Peoples Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema

Professional Texts Speaking Out: Storytelling and Creative Drama for Children by Jack Zopes Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music by Thomas A. Hale Read-Aloud African American Stories: 40 selections from the Worlds Best Loved Stories for Parent and child to Share by Susan Kantor Resources Websites African Storytellers Website

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LITERACY & SOCIAL SCIENCE

1st Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 2 Unit Plan
http://www.africa.mrdonn.org/griots.html Performances IROKO Storytelling Performance www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxyE1iBGobQ African Childrens Festival Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK9VyeAVtLM Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom (Storytelling and animation) www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwJmVBCLh90 Book a Storyteller in Chicago The Chicago Association of Black Storytellers www.aseblackstorytellers.org Folktales A Story, A Story (animated book) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7U08B7TY8&list=PLO_dvuuV0wleieJf45bwtpbrG2Nj NfNWb Anansi Goes to Lunch (animated story) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAvwycSgr8g Anansi and the Pot of Beans (animated story) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sau3E2LEfcI Anansi and Turtle Go to Dinner (animated story) http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=Ugi5KYfQO-0 Stories to Grow By (variety of online books) http://www.storiestogrowby.com/choose.html Kwanzaa Kwanza PowerPoint http://multicultural.mrdonn.org/AfricanAm.html Info on African Drums http://www.dancedrummer.com/trad.html Kwanzaa Photos http://www.history.com/topics/kwanzaa-history/photos#kwanzaa History of Kwanzaa video http://www.history.com/topics/kwanzaa-history/videos#history-of-kwanzaa Music

Multicultural Childrens Songs & Folk Dances, by E. Jenkins and Kimbo CDs

Learning Activities

Week One Students will learn about the African tradition of storytelling. They will explore the role of an African Griot and how the stories they told have a moral, involve elements of nature, teach history and provide entertainment for the listener. Week Two Students will be introduced to Anansi the spider. Anansi is considered to be the god of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most

Differentiated Strategies for Varied Learning Profiles

Teacher should create storytelling anchor chart for students to refer back to throughout the unit.

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LITERACY & SOCIAL SCIENCE

1st Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 2 Unit Plan
important characters of West African and Carribean Folklore. Students will focus on understanding the central message in the story and using evidence in the text to support their ideas. Week Three The African American holiday of Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and also celebrated in the Western African Diaspora in other nations of the Americas. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. Kwanzaa has seven core principles. Students will learn how people use storytelling to pass down history of their culture from generation to generation. The African American holiday of Kwanzaa will be used as an example of this practice. Students will learn about the seven principles of Kwanzaa as well as explore their contributions to their family and community. Week Four Students will become storytellers. Students will work in small groups to tell a folktale of their choice. They will include storytelling elements in their presentations such as music, costumes, dancing, props and audience participation. Extension- The presentations could be performed for classmates, during a family night or school assembly. Teacher Notes If the school has a music or dance teacher, consider having his/her teach the music or dance unit concurrently or before this unit. Teachers can use multiple ways to introduce folktales such an oral retelling, online animated version or copies of the text.

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