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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-OGBO : Sharing Life in an African Village
Students read OGBO: Sharing Life in an African Village by Ifcoma Onyefulu. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of Nigerian culture. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social...
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Halloween Art Lessons: Explore the Mystery of Masks
Halloween art projects take a mysterious turn as students discover the mystery and magic behind mask traditions around the world
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Paper Sculpture Headdress
Students examine African masks and headdresses, and create their own.
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Sundiata, Mali’s Lion King
Students investigate the history of Mali. In this African cultures lesson, students research the impact of Sundiata Keita as king of Mali, recognize the significance of historical Malian festivals, and create character masks to be worn...
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The Arts of Sub Saharan Africa
Students research Sub-Saharan African art and the regions it comes from. In this African art lesson plan, students discuss art and compare the tribal and ceremonial art and what it is used for.
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Folktale through African Art
Students study folktales and other stories from West Africa. By hearing and reading these stories they explore many new cultural and religious beliefs, such as spirits inhabiting nature and possessing special powers. Once the students...
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Language Arts: Conversing with an Object
Young scholars sharpen their creative writing skills by writing dialogues with unfamiliar objects while visiting local museums. They select an object in the museum, such as a painting, and create conversations between the people or...
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Nasco Color Sculpt Mask Making
Students study the various masks made in African, Japanese, and Ancient Egyptian cultures and discuss the funtion of these masks in each society. They create a mask from one of these cultures using a molding technique.
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Using West African Gold Weights and African Masks as a Way of Communication
Eighth graders discuss how communication, or lack thereof, can have either a favorable or detrimental effect on a community. They study and interpret proverbs as a means of teaching a lesson. Finally they discuss symbolism and design a...
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Celebrating Ancestors
Students participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
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African Art and Culture Lesson 3
Students explore African storytelling and the use of masks in telling stories in Africa. They create their own masks to represent characters in a story told to the class.
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Clay Magic Pots
Fifth graders create clay artwork that resembles African and Egyptian monolithic sculptures. In this visual arts lesson, 5th graders are shown examples of monolithic and figural sculpture from Egyptian and African cultures, then they...
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African Safari
Sixth graders gain an appreciation for the different cultures that inhabit the Earth by focusing on the people of Africa
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Climate and Cultures of Africa
Students gain an understanding of the relationship between climate and culture in the sub- Saharan Africa. Students will complete short exercises pertaining to the various cultures of Africa and the climate in which they live....
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Doll Making
Students discuss folktales and read Tiger and The Big Wind, listening for animal characters for later discussion. In this language arts lesson plan, students complete a T chart on characters and make a doll for one either chosen or...
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Bamana Chi Wara Headdresses
Students create African headdresses out of styrofoam blocks and black paint using information gathered from the Bamana Chi Wara style of headdresses. This Art lesson can be adapted for many different levels.
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Teacher Lesson Plans: Africa
Students explore Africa. In this cultural studies activity, students go on safari, create African masks, or have an African party after they have researched the people, geography, and culture of the continent.
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What Masks Reveal
Students explore the cultural significance of masks by investigating the role they play in ceremonies and on special occasions in societies from widely separated regions of the world.
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Baga Drum
Students draw and design a musical instrument that incorporates a human figure or animal. In this musical lesson plan, students will discover the differences between African drums. This lesson plan is designed for elementary, middle,...
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Granary Door Dogon, Mali
Learners explore a creation myth. In this visual arts instructional activity, students discuss the Dogon creation myth and the design and make refrigerator magnets in the style of Dogan granary doors. The design of the magnets should...
K12 Reader
Proper Adjectives
Introduce your class to proper adjectives while reinforcing proper nouns. For this quick exercise, learners find the proper noun in each sentence and find the matching proper adjective in the provided word bank.
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Facial Tattoos or Face Painting
Learners use a grid-like method to create a life-size self-portrait from a 3X5 black and white photo. They explore the different customs and rituals surrounding face painting from ancient through modern civilizations. Students create a...
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Impact on Your Essence
Learners are introduced to the use of symbolism and how it can change one's view of a piece of art. Using a piece of art, they view it as if they were the artist and create a symbol that accompanies it. They discuss the impact of two-...