Classroom Activities
Activity One: What Are the Characteristics of a Trickster?
Objective: Students will identify the character traits of Anansi, the spider by completing a character chart.
Georgia Performance Standards: ELA3R3, ELA4R3, and ELA5R3
Materials: Collection of Anansi tales, chart paper, markers, character chart, handout on character traits
Mini-lesson: Check for prior knowledge by asking students if they have ever heard about Anansi, the spider. Provide background information on animal trickster tales and Anansi, the spider. Tell students that Anansi is sometimes called Anansi, the trickster. Ask students why they think Anansi is called a trickster. Write their responses on chart paper. Let the students know that Anansi demonstrated many qualities in the animal trickster tales. Inform them that another word for qualities is characteristics. Write the definition of the word characteristics on chart paper. Next distribute a handout on character traits for students to use for a word bank. Next give students a purpose for reading the Anansi tales. Advise the students to think about Anansi's characteristics as they read the animal trickster tales..
Student Work Period: Students will read Anansi tales in their assigned small groups. After students read the tales, they will discuss the characteristics Anansi demonstrated in the tales. Students will complete the character chart.
Sharing: A student from each group will identify the characteristic that Anansi demonstrated in the stories they read. The teacher will write the responses from each group on chart paper.
Activity Two: How Do You Tell a Story?
Objective: Students will recall, interpret, and summarize information in order to retell a West African folktale.
Georgia Performance Standards: ELA3R2 and ELA3LSV1
Materials: Collection of West African folktales
Mini-lesson: Use the KWL chart to introduce storytelling. Provide background information on traditional African storytelling and the role of the storyteller. Retell a West African folktale using creative storytelling techniques. Use gestures, facial expressions, body movements, and appropriate voices to represent different characters. Provide opportunities for the students to participate in the retelling of the tale..
Student Work Period: Students will read their favorite folktale. Students will work in small groups as they practice retelling their favorite folktale.
Sharing: Students will retell an African folktale in front of an audience.
Activity Three: What is the Narrative Structure of Film?
Objective: Students will analyze the narrative structure of a film by answering who, what, where, how questions.
Georgia Performance Standards: ELA3R2 and ELA3LSV1
Materials: Film, Abouna, student journals
Mini-lesson: Before viewing the film, Abouna, provide background information of storytelling in African films. Discuss the importance of films in the African culture. Explain to students how stories are constructed. Tell the students that the narrative structure of film includes characters, action, and consequences. Give the students a purpose for watching the film, Abouna. Inform them to pay attention to how the story is told and what the story is about. Write questions on the board to help students discuss the narrative structure of the film. Write on the board: What event begins the story? Who are the main characters? What conflicts do they face? How is the major conflict in the story set up? How do the characters face the conflicts? How is the major conflict resolved?
Student Work Period: Once students have viewed the film, divide the students into small groups to discuss and answer the questions. Students will take notes and write responses to the questions in their journals.
Sharing: Students will share their responses to the questions.
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