Lesson Plan : What is a griot?
Teacher Name: | C. Ramirez |
Grade: | Grade 7-8 |
Subject: | Social Studies |
Topic: | What is a griot? |
Content: | History/ Social Science Standard WH7.4.5 Describe the importance of written and oral traditions in the transmission of African history and culture |
Goals: | Students will be become familiar with the purpose and importance of the West African griot. |
Objectives: | Students will be able to correctly spell define griot. Students will be able to accurately retell in a paragraph the story of the Battle of Kirina marking the fall of Ghana in 1235 according to a griot. |
Materials: | Textbook- Across the Centuries Supplemental book- Ancient West African Kingdoms Colored pencils- 36 individual sets White paper- 36 sheets Manuscript paper- 36 sheets Map of Africa |
Introduction: | 1. The teacher will call on a few students to tell the story of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad as though it were a real event. 2. The teacher will ask the students if they were ever told stories about history that they remember. |
Development: | 1. The teacher will have the students get the textbooks from the back of the room. 2. The teacher and students will read the definition of griot from p.545 of the textbook Across the Centuries. 3. The teacher will pass out the books Ancient West African Kingdoms. 4. The teacher and students will read page 44 about the role of the griot. 5. After reading together the teacher will ask questions such as: a. Which is more accurate? Written or oral history?Why? b. Why was music sometimes used to accompany the griot? c. Are there any examples of griots today? d. Does music enhance the storytelling? If so, how? e. Why is it important for a griot to have a good memory? f. What would it be like if your favorite song didn't have any music to it? Would you still like it as much? g. Why was the griot so important? 7. The teacher will show the students where Ghana is on the map. 6. The teacher will read aloud dramatizing the traditional West African story of Ouagadou-Bida: The Sacred Serpent from p.44 of Ancient West African Kingdoms |
Practice: | 1. Students will read aloud the story of the Battle of Kirina as told by a griot from p.119 in Across the Centuries. 2. The teacher will go over vocabulary such as: reign heat of the match fix with a gaze victor bellow tale graze vanquished take flight |
Accommodations: | Accomodations will be made according to students' IEPs. |
Checking For Understanding: | 1. Students will write the definition of griot at the top of the manuscript paper provided by the teacher. 2. Students will retell the story of the Battle of Kirina in 1235 according to the griot in a paragraph. |
Closure: | Students will take out their illustrations. As they are doing so the teacher will pass out the colored pencils. The students will color their illustrations and turn them in at the end of the period. Five minutes before the end of the period the teacher will collect the colored pencils and the illustrations. Students will pass both forward. |
Evaluation: | Did the students correctly spell the terms? Is their story accurate? Does it include most of the details in the story? Did they correctly define griot? |
Teacher Reflections: |
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