Rationale
My excitement for writing a curriculum unit on African storytelling elevated while attending a seminar on "Storytelling around the Globe" at Yale University. The resources and expertise provided by Professor Dudley Andrew allowed me to create a unique unit, engrossing 3rd-5th grade students with West African films and folktales. This curriculum unit is designed to enhance students' knowledge and appreciation of traditional storytelling in West Africa. I will include background information on traditional African storytelling, storytelling in African film, and the role of the storyteller. The literary focus for this unit will be animal trickster tales, since they are the most popular among the folktales. The trickster tales include an animal trickster with human habits, beliefs, and weaknesses. African storytelling will come alive, as students view three films, Abouna, Keita: The Heritage of the Griot, and Wend Kuuni. My curriculum unit will challenge students to think about how stories are constructed with powerful characters and dynamic plots.
I teach African American students at a title one school, located in southeast DeKalb County in Georgia. These students have diverse learning needs and ways of learning. Some of the students have developed negative attitudes about reading because they have difficulty reading at grade level or reading fluently. I want to make reading an enjoyable opportunity, rather than a complicated task. African folktales will captivate students' interest in reading and storytelling. Students will be motivated to read West African folktales, since they are amusing, fascinating, and appealing. There are distinctive narrative elements of African folktales that make them ideal for beginning storytellers. The narrative elements include: a short opening, generalized setting, trickster characters, and plots that move quickly to a satisfying or surprising ending. The oral language and dramatic activities in this unit will enthrall students' interest in reading and storytelling.
My students are searching for their cultural roots. By reading and listening to African folktales they will acquire a sense of the history, values, and traditions of the African culture. As students analyze African folktales they will make connections to their cultural heritage. These folktales will teach principles of morality and provide students with a sense of identity. Students will learn valuable lessons about life.
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