Eileen M. DeMaio
Lesson # 1
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Learning Objective:
1. Students will view and discuss artwork from the Bambara and Yoruba cultures of West Africa. 2. They will learn a myth or legend that may have inspired these artworks. 3. They will learn some background information on the culture.
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Performance Objective:
After viewing and discussing the artwork and cultures of the Bambara and Yoruba, students will be able to retell a myth or legend about the artwork.
Materials:
Slides, projector, screen, African art books.
Time Period:
1 sixty minute period.
Learning Sequence:
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a. Opener—Begin by introducing the students to the culture of the Bambara. Tell the legend of the Tyi wara and its importance to the culture ( see background information above). Then show the slide of the Tyi wara headpiece from the Yale Art Gallery’s collection (slide #I). Move on to discuss the Yoruba culture. As the “ibeji” slide is shown (slide #2), tell the Folktale of “ How the twins came to the Yoruba”. Discuss the beliefs of the Yoruba in Twins and why they are worshipped. A slide of West Africa should be shown so students can locate where these cultures are from (slide #3).
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b. Student participation—As the slides are shown, students should be asked to describe what they see and answer some questions about the artwork. Ask students to locate the countries that the Bambara and the Yoruba come from on the map of West Africa.
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c. Closure:—After reviewing the above slides, other slides from the Yale collection should be shown. Discuss the role of the mask in African dance and religious beliefs.
Evaluation:
—Can the students identify a sculpture from the Bambara and Yoruba and relate it to a myth or legend from that culture?
Lesson #2
Learning Objective:
—Students will learn that folktales come in many styles and can tell us much about a culture’s spiritual beliefs in their gods and the natural world. They will learn about the beliefs of the Ashanti culture of Ghana by listening to many stories from this culture and will be introduced to “Anansi the spider”, a frequent character in Ashanti folktales.
Performance Objective
:—Students will listen to and discuss many Ashanti folktales. They will be asked to read one of the Anansi stories and will be given the opportunity to illustrate these stories in their own way.
Materials
:—African folktale books which include tales that explain the origins of things many are cited in the student and teacher bibliographies), white drawing paper, crayons, markers or colored pencils.
Time period:
1 sixty minute class.
Learning—Sequence:
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a. Opener—Begin the lesson with a brief discussion of Anansi, who is a main character in many Ashanti tales. Then read and discuss a sampling of other tales that explain phenomena or occurrences in nature or peculiar habits of animals.
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b.Student Performance—1. Choose an Anansi story to read to the class or give the students the opportunity to choose one from a predetermined list of Anansi stories. 2. Pass out drawing paper and crayons so the students may draw a character from the story or illustrate a scene from the plot. 3. Students should be given the chance to retell the tale in their own words.
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c. Closure—Students will share their drawings with the class and tell why they chose to draw that character or scene.
Evaluation
—Was the student able to retell the folktale that they illustrated to their classmates. Does their drawing tell more about the character or story?
Lesson #3
Field trip to the Yale Art Gallery. Be sure to make arrangements ahead of time for a Docent to show you to the African collection. Remember to inform them that your class has been studying African folktales especially tales about the “tyi wara” and “the ibeji”. See if the students can find these two types of sculpture in the collection on their own. Allow extra time to view the rest of the collection.
See Gallery Search worksheet to be completed at the museum (below) (worksheet available in print form)
Lesson #4 and #5
Learning Objective
—Students will learn the significance of the mask to African cultures and how it is used in rituals and ceremonies. They will learn how to make a mask using plaster of paris strips on a form.
Performance Objective
—Students will review and discuss slides shown of other masks in the African collection. Each student will develop their own mask taking care to accentuate certain facial features or base their mask on a certain animal. Each student will decorate their mask in a unique way
Materials
—Slides of masks in the collection, newspaper, water bowls, plaster of paris strips, scissors, black acrylic paint, cowrie shells and beads for decoration. (worksheet available in print form)
Time Period
—2 sixty minute classes
Learning Sequence—
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a. Opener—Review and discussion of slides.
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b. Student Participation—1. Students will create their own character masks. They may use pencil and paper to sketch ideas. 2. A form must be made out of balled up newspaper that is taped secure with masking tape in the shape of an oval, circle or any other shape (around the size of a football). 3. Everyone must cut about 2 dozen plaster strips approximately 8 inches long. 4. Begin procedure by dipping one strip at a time as needed into a bowl of water to moisten, apply horizontally across the form. Continue until front of form is covered by one layer of plaster. 5. Next repeat step 4 , but apply strips vertically to the form (cut new strips as needed). At this point there should be no newspaper showing through the front of the form. 6. Now cut smaller strips , roll or squish these and apply to form to make features like hair, eyes, eyebrows, nose, ears, mouth, cheeks, and chin. At this point, stop lesson , clean up work area and let form dry thoroughly till next lesson.
(Continue next lesson)
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a. Opener—Discuss how masks were decorated with paint, beads and shells. Refer back to examples observed at the museum.
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b. Student Participation
Plaster should be completely dry before applying any paint and eye slits should be cut with scissors or a knife
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1. Using black paint, cover the entire mask so no white plaster is showing.
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2. When dry, decorate with shells, beads, and yarn. Other colors of paint may be used to bring out certain features(this should be kept to a minimum). Most African masks are primarily black due to the use of wood or stain.
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3. When all decoration is complete, the ball of newspaper may be removed from the back of the mask and the edges can be cut with a scissors to form an even contour shape.
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c. Closure—Students should look over their masks carefully for any missing details. They should check to see if their masks are symmetrical and balanced in design.
Evaluation
—Does the mask show an understanding of the technique used to make it? Was the student able to follow directions? Is the student able to talk about their mask and tell about its characteristics?
Lesson #6
Learning Objective
—Students will learn what an explanatory tale is. They will learn how to take an idea (explaining some natural occurrence or phenomenon or animal habit) and bring it to life as a story by creating characters and scenes and a story.
Performance Objective
—Each student will write their own folktale that explains some natural occurrence or phenomena or habit in animal or humans. They will invent new characters or may choose to borrow some from tales they may already have heard. They will be involved in every aspect of producing a few of the tales into skits.
Materials
—Paper, pencils, their masks should be available to refer to.
Time Period
—1 sixty minute class
Learning Sequence—
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a. Opener—Review the concept of an explanatory tale. Tell the students that they are to create their own folktale which explains why or how something came to be. They may use more modern examples of how nature has changed, giving the change a fictional cause.
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b. Student Participation—Students may work on their own or in pairs to write a clear story based on their ideas.
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c. Closure—Each student or group of students will read or tell their folktale. They will give their tale a title.
Evaluation
—Does the folktale clearly explain some occurrence or phenomena within the natural world.
Lesson #7 and 8
Learning Objective
—Students will learn to work as a group as they take a few of the stories written from lesson #6 and bring them to life in play form. They will learn to respect the ideas and creativity of others by cooperating in the production of these tales.
Performance Objective
—Students will listen to all the tales and then as a group decide on which few to bring to life. This decision should be reached by taking a vote with consideration given to ease of converting the written version into play form. For example; what props and or scenery would need to be made? How many characters are needed? Is the plot and meaning of the tale simple enough for all to understand? What amount of time is needed to rehearse and perform skit?
Materials
—Masks created in lesson #4 and #5, various art materials (paints, large mural paper, cardboard, scissors, tape, glue, old clothing for costumes)
Time Period
—2 sixty minute classes.
Learning Sequence—
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a. Opener—Deciding on which tale or tales to bring into play form (should be limited to no more than three or four if they are short). Each written tale should be reread clearly to the class.
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b. Student Participation—1. After listening to the tales, the class should be divided into smaller groups with each group assigned a certain tale. 2. These small groups will be given time to assign roles, to create simple and minimal props (no backdrops needed), and to rehearse at least twice. Remind students that these tales are not polished performances but merely simple skits used to dramatize an idea. 3. Many of the masks created in the previous art lesson should be used for some of the characters.
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c. Closure—Dramatizing the skits to fellow classmates. Invite another class to come and see the performance.
Evaluation
—Was the occurrence, phenomenon, or habit of nature clear to the audience? Did the students work cooperatively in their groups? Was everyone involved?
(worksheet available in print form)