Globalization and Oral Traditions

Overview

This unit of study was developed by a team of literacy specialist from Senegal West Africa and the Mid-West United States. It is designed for elementary, middle school and art education classroom teachers to use in correlation with their Social Studies curriculum. The unit’s objective is to teach the culture of West Africa folktales along with problem solving skills through myths and legends. Through the process of this unit, students will acquire an understanding, appreciation and acceptance of African cultures. Students will identify unique characteristics of African folktales and how it correlates with the stages of Applebee’s Schema. It covers, who, what, when, where, why and how griots used koras and songs to create and communicate history, by utilizing integrated curriculum lesson plans linking music, language arts and social studies.

1. To share how oral tradition, folktales and kora were used to help us learn about life in West Africa.
2. To understand that music is a fundamental part of everyday African way of life.
3. To share how griots were used to communicate the history of Africa
4. To share how students can learn to solve problems in their lives through the analysis of African folktales

Dr. Charmane Echols
Western Michigan University

Artifact Box Name: Globalization: An Introduction
Reference Number: #101660

Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA)
1819 East Milham Avenue
Portage, MI 49002