The broad objective of this unit is for students to learn that folktales present cultural information and they travel with the storytellers. More specifically, the students will learn that the stories from the Caribbean are stories that traveled across the Atlantic Ocean with people who were taken from Africa and brought to the islands in the Caribbean.
Have a globe, a world map, and a map of the Caribbean available and visible throughout the teaching of the unit. As stories are shared and learned, use these materials to help students visualize and begin to understand the movement of people and their stories. The map of the Caribbean will be used to “pin” the islands as they are introduced through the characters and their locations. The world map can also be used to track and trace the paths of the ships during the slave trade that would leave areas in Africa and arrive at these islands.
Students will learn character trait information in each character/folktale study as each is introduced through several stories and tales. Each study will cover two to three days, allowing enough time to introduce the folktale collection and discuss the ways the characters are depicted through images and descriptions. Students will have an opportunity to explore and practice illustrations of their own with each character study. The characters do not need to be introduced in the order listed below, only that they need to be presented through a variety of stories and visual/descriptive examples.
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Character(s)
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Books We Read
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What We Learned
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Anansi
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Papa Bois
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Mami Wata
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Jumbie
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Lit’mahn Bittyun
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Complete the chart over the course of teaching the unit. Explain the purpose – to keep track of our learning, to be able to compare, to refer to now and later. Read the names of the characters. Ask, “what do you notice about their names?” The students will likely recognize that the names are new and different. This is the opportunity to let the students know that they will be learning about new cultures, along with new words and vocabulary to talk about those interesting cultures.
Activity One: Anansi Stories
Overview: This West African god frequently takes the form of a spider and holds the knowledge of all the folktales and stories; he is cunning and tricky and uses his cunning guile to try to get what he wants. It is thought that Anansi was originally found in stories from the Ashanti and then the Akan people in Ghana, and from there the stories spread through West Africa. During the Atlantic slave trade, the stories crossed the ocean with the slaves through oral tradition. Especially in the Caribbean, Anansi’s cunning ways symbolized resistance to powerful slave owners. Anansi stories (and their variants) are considered “trickster” folktales because the small spider uses his intelligence and trickiness to triumph over larger creatures. Stories such as these are told by elders to pass down knowledge and moral messages to the younger generations. The stories were acted out by storytellers or even sung with dancing and drumming. In the 1950s, people began collecting famous stories and writing them down so that school children in could learn them. Before reading, ask the kids what they know about spiders. Locate Ghana on a world map and trace the slave trade route to the Caribbean. When the kids are listening to the many Anansi stories, ask them to pay attention to the characters, the setting, the plot (events in the story), and the main idea. When the initial problem is presented, pause the story and ask the kids:
What do you think will happen next? What do you think Anansi will do? What do we know about Anansi getting into situations or causing problems?
After gathering the students for the story, use the Haitian storytelling strategy of Krik? Krak! - call and response:
Teacher calls out: Krik? - Do you want to hear a story?
Students respond: Krak! - Yes, we do!
Read Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott – Caldecott Winner
Synopsis: Anansi sets out on a long, difficult journey. Threatened by Fish and Falcon, he is saved from terrible fates by his sons. He tries to decide which of his sons he should reward. Calling upon Nyame, the God of All Things, Anansi solves his predicament. Nyame helps show Anansi how he can reward them all.
Lesson One:
Objective: The students will make personal connections to the text by identifying their strengths and how they could help their families.
Materials List: Map and globe, drawing paper, colored pencils, markers, crayons, and sketching pens
Anansi had six spider sons in the story and each one had a special talent. List the skills on the board or chart paper for students to use. Add a simple illustration or icon-type drawing beside each son’s name for visual reference.
Anansi’s sons and their role in the story:
See Trouble - knew Anansi was in trouble
Road Builder - made a road so they could all go to help him
River Drinker - drank the river to find the fish
Game Skinner - skinned the fish to save Anansi
Stone Thrower - threw the stone to make the Falcon drop Anansi
Cushion - caught Anansi so he would have a soft landing
Facilitate a discussion on how each of the sons’ skills helped in saving Anansi. Ask students to work in pairs and share their own special talents and how they could be used to help their families. Then have students illustrate a picture of them showing how they use that talent to help their family. Ask for volunteers to share their illustrations with the class and see if any other students identified a similar talent in themselves.
Additional texts to include in the Anansi folktale study:
Anansi Does The Impossible!: An Ashanti Tale retold by Verna Aardema.
The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories by Adwoa Badoe and Baba Wagué Diakité.
Ananse and the Lizard: A West African Tale retold and illustrated by Pat Cummings.
Anansi and The Box of Stories (On My Own Folklore), adapted by Stephen Krensky.
In The Barefoot Book of Tropical Tales (Barefoot Collection), retold by Raouf Mama, you can read “Anansi and the Guinea Bird,” a tale from Antigua.
African Tales (One World, One Planet) by Gcina Mhlophe
Ananse and the Impossible Quest by Rachel Griffin
Ananse’s Feast: An Ashanti Tale retold by Tololwa M. Molel.
Lesson Two:
Objective: The students will use shapes to make the characters from the story as they create their own pictures and patterns.
Materials List: Pre-cut geometric shapes in various colors, scissors, glue or glue sticks, stencils, and plain white paper
A motif is a decorative design or pattern. Show students how the illustrator used traditional African design motifs to create the pictures in the book. Have students identify the various geometric shapes and symbols they see. Provide students with cut-out geometric shapes or stencils to create their own pattern or picture. Then have students work in groups to identify the shapes and symbols the peers used in their pattern or artwork.
Activity Two: Papa Bois Stories
After gathering the students for the story, again use the Haitian storytelling strategy of Krik? Krak! - call and response:
Teacher calls out: Krik? - Do you want to hear a story?
Students respond: Krak! - Yes, we do!
Read The Talking Mango Tree by A.H. Benjamin
Synopsis: When Peacock discovers a delicious mango tree and wishes to enjoy eating one, to his amazement he is told by the tree that he must first sing. Similarly, Snake and Monkey are also told that they must perform an action if they too wish to eat a mango. Other animals in the wood receive the same information. Eventually, Papa Bois, who is the protector of the animals and the wood, hears this news and is furious. However, upon approaching the mango tree and sounding his horn, when the fruit falls and the leaves blow away, he and the animals discover to their surprise that the culprit is in fact a mongoose who was playing a joke. The story ends with the characters feasting upon the juicy mangoes.
Actions required by the tree to be performed by the animals:
Peacock, sing
Snake, stands on his head
monkey, acrobatics
parrot, dance ballet
wild pig, skip rope
dog, juggle sticks
lizard, recite poetry
ant, do a balancing act with his soldiers
Donkey didn’t think he had talent
Bat, asked Why do trees talk
The Papa Bois arrived and refused to “do something” for the tree. Instead, his action was to use his horn to blow away the leaves and fruit in a mighty puff to reveal the mongoose.
Discuss the following questions with the students before, and after the story: What is a mango tree? Have you ever tasted mango, and did you know that they grow on trees? The animals in this story talk. How did the animals feel when they were asked to perform? What actions did they perform, and did they all earn a mango? How about Donkey and Bat? Make a chart with the students to track each animal and its action.
Lesson One:
Objective: The students will create a horn, like the one Papa Bois uses to help the animals.
Materials List: Map and globe, paper towel tubes, colored paper, glue or glue sticks, and markers
Lead a discussion to talk about how Papa Bois’ horn was helpful. Ask: How does a tool like a horn give someone an advantage? Give each student a paper towel tube and have them create a horn they could use in the manner of Papa Bois. Take the tubes/horns outside to allow them to be like Papa Bois.
Lesson Two:
Objective: The students may perform the actions of one of the animals in the story.
Materials List: objects used by the animal for their actions or items the students choose for their performance
Using the action list the students created, let them choose one to perform as the animals did in the story. They may choose to perform with a partner or on their own. Some students may just want to say or tell the action.
Activity Three: Mama Wati Stories
After gathering the students for the story, again use the Haitian storytelling strategy of Krik? Krak! - call and response:
Teacher calls out: Krik? - Do you want to hear a story?
Students respond: Krak! - Yes, we do!
Read Fatama and Mami Wata’s Secret by Marcelle Mateki Akita
Synopsis: Fatama lives with her family in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She is fascinated by stories about Mami Wata, a water goddess from African legend. The family decides to take a trip to the seashore on the coming Sunday, Fatima’s favorite place. With her great imagination, she tries to discover what Mami Wata looks like and where she can find her. She wonders if she is in puddles, in glasses of water, or the lake near her. She has heard that Mami Wata has long hair and wears beautiful beads. Throughout the story, she asks her mother and father what they know about Mami Wata. When the family finally goes on a trip to the beach, Fatama prepares to meet this famous water spirit. She is disappointed for most of the day and then makes a wish for the goddess to just show her eyes to Fatama. As she walks to the water's edge, there is a sudden movement and Fatama sees two beautiful green eyes looking up at her from the water. Mami Wata says to keep their meeting a secret, which Fatama agrees to do. She heads home with her family, happy that her wish had come true and happily keeping the secret of seeing Mami Wata’s eyes.
Lesson One:
Objective: The students will use the information from the story to create a picture of Mami Wata.
Materials List: Map and globe, drawing paper, colored pencils, markers, crayons, sketching pens
Ask what Fatama’s wish was throughout the story (to see Mami Wata). Discuss why nobody can describe exactly what she looks like but just what they have heard about her. Have the students draw their version of what they think Mami Wata might look like. They can think about the characteristics mentioned in the story: long hair, colorful beads, a human body with a fishtail like a mermaid, and chalk-colored skin. Students can share their work and explain their designs to the class or in small groups.
Lesson Two:
Objective: The students will design a colorful bead and shell necklace that Mami Wata may wear.
Materials List: shells, beads, string, yarn, and ribbon
Students will use the materials to make a necklace they envision Mami Wata wearing as the protector of the sea.
Activity Four: Bacoo and Jumbie Stories
After gathering the students for the story, use the Haitian storytelling strategy of Krik? Krak! - call and response:
Teacher calls out: Krik? - Do you want to hear a story?
Students respond: Krak! - Yes, we do!
Read Looking for a Jumbie by Tracie Baptiste
Synopsis: “I’m looking for a jumbie. I’m going to find a scary one.” This chant serves as an anchor throughout Naya’s adventure to find jumbies. Naya is a young Black girl with her hair in a high ponytail and with large dark eyes and is determined to prove to her Mama that jumbies are real. Jumbies are described in an introductory letter to readers as creatures from Caribbean stories much like fairies or trolls who hide and play tricks on humans. As explained in the front matter, “Jumbies are often in scary stories told to frighten children into staying inside after dark, but jumbies can also be helpful.” The author brings the retelling of Haitian-inspired folklore with the main character of Naya as a fierce, fearless, female who has adventures around her island to find the illusive jumbies. Along the way, Naya hears a voice whisper from the leaves and meets her first creature who is invited to help Naya on her search. Each new creature she meets tells her jumbies aren’t real, but maybe the voices she hears are in fact the jumbies and that they are surprisingly helpful.
Lesson One:
Objective: The students will recognize repeated language and phrases as they listen to the story.
Choral Reading. The sing-song nature of the refrain “We’re looking for a jumbie. We’re going to find a scary one” is a perfect invitation for the voices of young readers to join in during the read-aloud. This refrain is also an opportunity to incorporate physical movements or small gestures to make the story even more memorable and interactive. Invite students to help think of gestures that match the spirit of going on an adventure, looking for a jumbie, and finding a scary one. Use Looking for a Jumbie as a repeated read-aloud to invite more student participation with each reading.
Lesson Two:
Objective: The students will collaborate on a writing piece as a class and/or in small groups.
Materials List: large chart paper, student writing paper, small booklets
“We’re Looking for a ____” Books. The refrain “We’re looking for a jumbie. We’re going to find a scary one” can be used for collaborative writing. Pair the two books Looking for a Jumbie with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. Invite students to create their own “We’re looking for a ____. We’re going to find a ___ one” stories, inspired by Baptiste and Rosen. This is an opportunity for shared writing to gather ideas from the class or interactive writing where share the pen with students as they compose ideas. Possibly extend this exercise into a partner or independent writing for students to create their own “We’re looking for a ___” books that they later read or perform for classmates or families.
Activity Five: Comparing Lil’Mahn Bittyun and Rapunzel Stories
After gathering the students for the story, use the Haitian storytelling strategy of Krik? Krak! - call and response:
Teacher calls out: Krik? - Do you want to hear a story?
Students respond: Krak! - Yes, we do!
Read The Girl Who Spun Gold by Virginia Hamilton and
Create the following chart to track the information from each story.
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Story
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Characters
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Setting
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Problem
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Solution
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The Girl Who Spun Gold
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Rumpelstiltskin
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Lesson One:
Objective: The students will compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. They will use drawing and writing to show their learning.
Materials: Map and globe, chart paper, markers, colored pencils, student copies of the graphic organizer
Lesson Two:
Objective: The students will compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. They will use drawing and writing to show their learning.
Materials: Map and globe, chart paper, markers, colored pencils, student copies of the graphic organizer
Repeat this activity using the following stories:
Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace
Rapunzel retold by Paul O. Zelinsky
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Story
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Characters
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Setting
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Problem
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Solution
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Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel
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Rapunzel
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