AFRICAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY: COMPARING CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Overview:
Understanding beliefs, attitudes and lifestyles of people in African countries is sometimes clouded by preconceived notions perpetuated by television and movie stereotypes. These stereotypical images fail to inform the viewer that Africa is a continent made up of more than 55 countries with different cultural practices. As in the U.S., people live in cosmopolitan cities (Dakar, Cairo, Tunis, Abidjan, Lagos, Nairobi, Harare, etc.) and rather provincial villages.
Using African autobiographical literature in the classroom is a means of redrawing the picture in the minds of students. This kind of literature not only assists in redrawing the images but gives first hand impressions of cultural practices. First hand experiences make the learning richer.
The goal of this packet is to provide a place to start, simply that. To assist teachers in the process of providing worthwhile learning experiences for students I have included sample lesson plans. Included, also, is a list of additional autobiographical works for use in the classroom as well as additional resource material to assist in the process.
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN
Stock, Catherine. Where are you going Manyoni? New York: Morrow
Junior Books, l993.
Suggested Grade Level: 1-2
Theme:
A walk to school can open up a whole new
world.
Synopsis:
"Where is Manyoni going. . . past the great
gray baobab tree. . . across the fever tree pan teeming with birds. . . and over
the Krantz above Tobwani dam where thirsty animals drink? Readers will find out
as they follow Manyoni's journey to a place where she loves to be." (from the
cover)
Objectives:
l. To discover, along with Manyoni the world
in which she lives.
2. To learn about a little girl and the area in which she
lives in Zimbabwe.
3. To explore ones own immediate environment and compare
the two.
4. To learn new words.
5. To learn about animals in Zimbabwe.
Activities:
l. Describe the setting using the description
provided in the author's notes.
2. Explore the new word list in the back of
the book by displaying pictures. Have students practice the words so that they
can help you tell the story.
3. Tell the students that they are going on a
journey with a little girl named Manyoni. Read the story to the class being
careful to display the pictures depicting each scene.
4. Have students draw a
map of their journey to school. Students may share those maps with the rest of
the class.
Achebe, Chinua. Chike and the RIVER. Cambridge,UK: Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 1966.
Suggested Grade Level: 3-6
Theme:
A child's desire to explore new horizons can
sometimes lead to trouble. Life in the village is compared with life in the
city.
Synopsis:
In the tradition of Huck Finn, Chike, an
adventurous little boy, goes to live with his uncle who cares very little about
him. Chike encounters many adventures while living in the city with his uncle,
but the one adventure he wants most is to cross the river. When the opportunity
finally comes, Chike encounters the unexpected from which he must grow and
mature.
Objectives:
l. To compare life in an African village with
life in the city.
2. To explore the inquisitive nature of childhood.
Activities:
l. List events that took place in the life of
Chike.
2. Discuss those events in light of village life and city life being
careful to identify the similarities and differences.
3. Discuss how Chike's
inquisitive nature got him into trouble.
4. Develop a timeline chart of
events.
5. Have students write a short paragraph of an adventurous event in
their life. This could be shared in small groups or with the entire class as a
culminating activity.
Johnston, Rhoda Omosunlola. Iyabo of Nigeria. Claremont, CA:
Claremont Graduate School, Alpha Iota Chapter of Pi Lambda Theta,
1973.
Suggested Grade Level: 6-9
Theme:
Nigeria has rich cultural traditions.
Synopsis:
"Iyabo of Nigeria is the life story of a Yoruba
girl in Lagos, Nigeria, born into a middle class family. It traces her childhood
through school days and adolescence to her courtship and marriage. The narrative
describes the lives, traditions and cultural practices of Lagosians."
(Rhoda
Omosunlola Johnston)
Objectives:
l. To explore aspects of Nigerian culture.
2. To learn about how cultural traditions affected a Yoruba girl.
Activities:
l. Divide the class into small groups of 3 to
4 students. Give each group one of the following topics to explore: names,
school, death, christening, home training, courtship, marriage. These sections
are already identified in the book. Additional library research may be
necessary. The goal is to gather information on the Yoruba culture on the topic
assigned.
2. Allow each group the opportunity to report their findings to the
rest of the class.
3. Send groups back to work brainstorming for comparisons
of how the same topics are addressed in their own families being careful to
identify similarities and differences.
4. As a group, develop a chart displaying the different cultural and/or
family practices. Inform students that they will probably end up with more than
two (Yoruba and American) ways of addressing the topic. This is an opportunity
to celebrate diversity within the United States.
5. Bring students back
together for groups to share their findings.
Laye, Camara. The Dark Child. [trans. James Kirkup & Ernest
Jones]. New York: The Noonday Press, 1954.
Suggested Grade Level:
9-12
Theme:
Life is generally a spiral: one life event is
connected to another and another, throughout the life cycle from birth to
death.
Synopsis:
"The Dark Child is a memoir of Camara Laye's
youth in the village of Koroussa, French, New Guinea. Laye marvels over his
mother's supernatural powers, his father's distinction as the village goldsmith,
and his own passage into manhood, which is marked by animistic (indigenous)
beliefs and rituals of primeval origin. Eventually, he must choose between this
unique place and the academic success that lures him to distant cities. More
than the autobiography of one boy, this is the universal story of sacred
tradition struggling against the encroachment of a modern world."
(from the
intro. by Phillip Thoby-Marcellin)
Objectives:
l. To identify stages in a person's life
cycle (e.g., birth, off to school, puberty, adolescence post teens, early adult,
middle age, old age, death).
2. To identify the connections of the events in
a person's life as he/she journeys through life.
3. To get a flavor of an
African country's cultural tradition.
Activities:
l. List as many memories you can recall of
events in your life that may or may not have had a major impact on you.
2.
Consider the following questions:
a. What were the major events?
b. How
did each event start?
c. What value did each event represent?
d. How were
the events connected?
3. Share the memories in small groups.
4. Have
students read "The Dark Child" and list the events in the life of the main
character.
5. Identify and discuss cultural traditions that come into play
with the onset of those events.
6. Discuss the following:
a. What impact
did those events have on the main character?
b. What impact might those
events have on you?
c. How did those events prepare the main character for
life?
d. How might the events that occurred in your life guide
and direct
you?
7. Develop a chart comparing the events in your life with the events in
the life of the main character.
8. Share final product with class.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books to Teach:
Abbs, Akosua. ASHANTI BOY:
A STORY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. London: Collins, l959.
Ba, Mariama. SO LONG A LETTER. New Hampshire: Heinemann, l989. Ages 9-12.
Bernheim, Marc and Evelyne. THE DRUMS SPEAK: THE STORIES OF KOFI, A BOY OF WEST AFRICA. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. 1971. Ages 1-6.
Bernheim, Marc and Evelyne. IN AFRICA. New York: Antheneum. l974. Grades 1-6.
Bond, Jean Carey. A IS FOR AFRICA. New York: Franklin Watts. l969. Grades 1-3.
Dangarembga, Tsitsi. NERVOUS CONDITIONS. Washington: The Seal Press. l988. Grades 10-12.
Farmer, Nancy. DO YOU KNOW ME? New York: Orchard Books, 1993. Grades 5-8.
Kroll, Virginia. AFRICA BROTHERS AND SISTERS. New York: Four Winds Press, 1993. Grades 1-6.
Leslau, Charlotte and Wolf. AFRICAN FOLK TALES. New York: Peter Pauper Press. 1970.
Magona, Sindiwe. TO MY CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. New York: Interlink Books. 1994. Grades 7-12.
Margolies, Barbara A. REGEMA'S JOURNEY: A VISIT TO TANZANIA New York: Scholastic, Inc. 1990. Grades 1-6.
Musgrove, Margaret. ASHANTI TO ZULU: AFRICAN TRADITIONS. New York: The Dial Press. 1976. Grades 1-8
Rupert, Janet E. THE AFRICAN MASK. New York: Clarion Books. 1994. Grades 5-8
Thiong'o Ngugi Wa. WEEP NOT, CHILD. New Hampshire: Heinemann. 1964. Grades 8-12.
Resource Books:
Clark, Leon E. THROUGH
AFRICAN EYES. New York: Praeger. 1973. Six volumes of source
readings:
1. COMING OF AGE IN AFRICA: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
2.
FROM TRIBE TO TOWN: PROBLEMS OF ADJUSTMENT
3. AFRICAN PAST AND
THE COMING OF THE EUROPEANS
4. THE COLONIAL EXPERIENCE: AND INSIDE
VIEW
5. THE RISE OF NATIONALISM: FREEDOM REGAINED
6.
NATION-BUILDING: TANZANIA AND THE WORLD
Halliburton, Warren J. AFRICA TODAY: AFRICAN INDUSTRIES. New York:
Crestwood House. 1993. Other volumes include:
l. AFRICA TODAY: CITY AND
VILLAGE LIFE
2. AFRICA TODAY: AFRICAN LANDSCAPE
3.
AFRICA TODAY: AFRICA'S STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
Murphy, E. Jefferson. UNDERSTANDING AFRICA. New York: Thomas Crowell. 1978.
July, 1994
Contact author:
Dennis Williams
Fort Dodge Senior High
School
819 N. 25th St.
Fort Dodge, IA 50501.