Bernette A. Mosley-Dozier
Cultural Days:
Objective
Students will be able to sing a song in French and be able to translate it into English.
Materials
Tape of the song or songs to be learned. This may be teacher made, professional or copied from the accompanying tape; lyrics, instrument.
Procedures
Each student will receive a copy of the day’s or week’s song. This is a long term series, so students can either make or decorate music folders. If this plan is part of a social studies class, other songs from other countries and cultures will be taught. If this unit is part of a French class or exploring language class, other French songs will be taught.
Go over the history and phoneticization of the song. The children will repeat the words several times. Everyone will listen to the tape a few times until the tune is familiar. They will next sing with the accompanying instrument.
Evaluation
Performance of the song successfully.
Historical Days
Objectives
Students will understand the difficulties in starting a new government and in starting a new life in a new country.
Materials
Background information on the Haitian Revolution Background on life in Haiti from 1804 until 1980. Background information on the problems of Haitian immigration to the United States.
Procedures
Divide the class into two or more groups. About one half the class will be the Haitians of 1790. This group will further divide into the blacks, mulattoes and whites. They will caucus and strategize to devise a revolution. They will look at all the issues of the day. Stress that this is not a re-enactment of the actual events, but rather, a chance to make the decisions for themselves.
The other half of the class will be Haitians of the 1980’s. They will group together as those who emigrate and those who stay. They will plan what they will face as emigrants and compare it to what they face by staying in Haiti. The students are again cautioned to plan as a real situation, and not to consider this a reenactment.
Evaluation
Each group will report on the problems they encountered, the solutions and the process by which they arrived at their final report. Possible follow up activities would include research reports on characters from the actual events, correspondence with a pen pal in Haiti, or getting information from the World Health Organization, Amnesty International or the Red Cross, about the actual conditions of the country to compare and contrast to conditions for Haitians in this country.
Learning Centers:
Objective
Students will discover what effect religious practices have had on the expectations of the people of Haiti.
Students will create a typical Haitian meal and be able to compare it to the typical American meal.
Students will analyze American attitudes toward immigrants, especially Haitians
Materials
Center I Film strips, tapes, pictures of festivals, background information on voodoo Catholicism and Protestantism in Haiti.
Center II Real or simulated food, calorie charts, nutrition charts, weight and nutrition charts and information.
Center III United States Immigration figures, Articles listed in the bibliography concerning U.S. immigration policies; more recent magazine articles. Questionnaires and teacher made answer board.
Procedures
Students will be divided into three groups. Each group will be given 15-45 minutes at each center. If the centers are very sophisticate, the teacher may decide to spend three days rather than one, on this activity.
Each group will travel from center to center as a group.
Evaluation
Students will come together as a whole class to discuss each group’s reactions, as well as perception of information.
