During the background phase of the unit the objective is for students to understand where Africa is and how its geographical characteristics affect the people and the stories that were told. The most difficult thing for younger students to understand is that Africa is not one big country but is in fact one of the seven continents. Africa is not one culture or people, but a myriad of peoples and tribes that now live mostly in the modern world with isolated pockets of people living the old ways of generations long ago, still following the old traditions and keeping alive the old beliefs and myths.
In fact Africa is one of the largest land masses on the earth. It covers more than thirty million square kilometers, or almost ¼ of the total land on the earth.1 The terrain is a combination of desert and dry land. Modern Africa has many large cities and metropolitan areas however, years ago the land was inhabited by many different tribes and peoples with different beliefs and customs. These different cultures produced myths that reflected those beliefs. The myths which we encounter today are rooted in a belief system and lifestyle that many African people no longer follow. Yes, there are groups of tribes that still live in the primitive ways, but the majority of African countries are modernized.
In the matter of religion most of Africa now embraces either Islam(North and West Africa, Sudan and Somalia) or Christianity(Central and Southern Africa).2 For Some Africans this change was consensual while in others it was forced. Very few of the countries of Africa retain their devotion to the traditional religion or culture of their ancestors.
The African people and culture have survived in very difficult geographical conditions. A lot of the land is dry desert and wilderness. Most of the inhabitants were nomadic tribes who wandered this hostile territory. The Sahara is the largest of the continent’s deserts. It covers over sixteen million square kilometers. Other deserts include the Kalahari, Namib, Tarkana and Somali. The central part of Africa has tropical forests. It is here that the myriad of exotic animals exists on the continent. From hippos to leopards, chimps and the numerous varieties of birds, reptiles, and fish, the central part of the continents is the picture most of us form in our mind when we think of Africa. The West side of the continent is a Savannah, or grassy plain - sometimes dry and dusty.3
It is from this geography and the culture that sprang from it that the African myths evolved. Living in such a land with such a precarious relationship with nature, the Africans developed a keen respect for all living things and the land itself. That respect is imbedded in their myths, and stories which serve a vastly greater purpose than entertainment. They contain key elements to understanding the culture and its customs and beliefs.