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Read Aloud: Chidi Only Likes Blue. Make a color wheel. You can use this blank wheel if you like. In each section of the wheel, write down your notes or draw the items Chidi and Nneka like. Put this page in our African scrapbook.
Read Aloud: The Jungle Grapevine. Make sure you read the Author’s Note at the back of the book!
Music:: Listen to (and dance to, if you like) Kronos Quartet’s Pieces of Africa all day.
Movie for Mom and Dad: Amistad. Must-read reviews.
Older Kids: Read Amos Fortune. There is a sample study guide here, but we probably won’t use it… dinner time discussion should be good enough for this, and maybe a one-page narration. I’m also letting the kids peruse some links:
- His grave, click on the picture to see a close-up
- Amos and his tools — you can print and add to your narration
- More on Amos Fortune or his life, from the Amos Fortune Forum
- Amos Fortune’s Freedom Papers – can also print this out to help illustrate your narration
Today’s Menu
Chicken Stewed in Coconut Milk
Atar Allecha
Tunisian Potato Salad
Rooibos Chocolate Cake
This is my list of what *not* to include in our study. For various reasons.
The White Giraffe
The Slave Dancer
Africa for Kids
The Power of One — ugh. couldn’t even get past the first few pages. I borrowed it because of the high Amazon ratings.
I’ll go ahead and add comments here too about the movies we picked:
Casablanca we saw because I’ve been wondering forever, hearing those quotes all the time — “Here’s looking at you, kid”, “Play it again, Sam”, “We’ll always have Paris”. We didn’t love the movie, though it wasn’t a total waste of time. I like that Bogart’s character was honorable and decided to do the right thing in the end. And the plot twist made things more interesting.
Major disappointment was King Solomon’s Mines — I picked the highest rated one featuring Stewart Granger (unknown to me prior to this), because the book was just so funny that I even chose to read aloud parts of it to the kids and actually let my 11-yo read it, with a stern warning that he was not to make silly jokes about certain anatomical parts referenced in the book. I was hoping the book would at least stay true to the story. It had won awards, apparently because of the authenticity of the setting (real tribes, language, costumes, etc.), but it was not H. Rider Haggard’s story. Adding a romance to it did not help at all. Part of the appeal to me of King Solomon’s Mines, the story, was the masculinity of it. My kids were so looking forward to “beautiful white legs” and the story around that. The humor in the movie was non-existent and we were given, instead, stares and kisses and romantic tension. Blecch. I’m not optimistic, looking at the other options, with Patrick Swayze and Richard Chamberlain. *Someone* has to do this movie again, the *right* way.
How timely (and ironic, but more on that later) that we’re doing our Africa unit study and today is the feast day of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions! I’m keeping it simple (everyone’s still recovering, bad coughs all around) so we’re simply going to read from the Liturgy of the Hours, which includes a portion of the homily delivered by Pope Paul VI at the canonization of these martyrs of Uganda.
Here are some useful links:
Catholic Culture for June 3
Black Martyrs at the National Black Catholic Congress website
from Catholic.org
Amandazi from Catholic Cuisine — but since I’m stocked with African ingredients already we’ll stick with the menu plan for the day — these sound really yummy though
at SQPN
lots of information at the Women for Faith and Family website
found this link at 4real, to jclubcatholic, suitable for younger kids
Our library doesn’t have a copy of African Triumph by Charles Dollen and I didn’t look for it in time to purchase it for today 
.
Ironic that this day is the feast of African martyrs who gave their lives for purity and for the Christian faith, in a month which our African-American president declares LGBT Pride Month. These martyrs died just 125 years ago.
St. Charles Lwanga, pray for us!
From Liturgy of the Hours:
Father,
You have made the blood of the martyrs
the seed of Christians.
May the witness of Saint Charles and his companions
and their loyalty to Christ in the face of torture
inspire countless men and women
to live the Christian faith.
We ask this though our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
- Where did Mogo live?
- What is the mundo-mugo?
- What is the legend of the 9 Kikuyu tribes?
- If you were Kikuyu like Mogo, how would you answer the question, “What is your name?”
- Based on what the author tells about Mogo’s thahu, what are some other possible explanations for Mogo’s problems?
- On page 13, Mogo’s dad wonders if it might have been better had Mogo died. Why did he say that? Do you agree? As Catholics, how do we think of LIFE? Explain differences/similarities.
- What role did Njoki play in helping Mogo overcome his thahu?
- Have you met someone like Njoki in your life?
- What do the Kikuyu believe about old people and death? Clue: see page 18
- What did Mogo do “to make his journey a success”?
- What was Mogo thinking as he made his way through the forest? Why did he think these things?
- Why is “what we have done” as important as “what we have not done”? How would you apply this in your life?
- What does ‘mastering one’s thahu‘ mean?
- What is your favorite part of the whole story and why?
- How can a curse be also a blessing? Give an example.
- How can a gift also be a loss? Give an example.
- Explain these: “A lone bee perishes.” “One twig cannot make of itself a basket.”
- What was the part you liked the least and why?
- How do you respond to unfairness? What is the best way to respond?
- What did Mogo learn about mothers’ work?
- What did Mogo’s family believe about the “sacred fire”? (see p. 31) Compare/contrast with Catholics’ sanctuary lamp/eternal flame.
- List 5 similes and 5 metaphors taken from pp. 32-35.
- What are the differences between Mogo’s people and the Masai?
- What did Mogo think the message of his dream was?
- What skills did he learn?
- What important life skills should one learn regardless of handicaps/weaknesses?
- Explain: “Soil does not cheat a man.” (p. 50)
- Read Grandfather’s blessing again on p. 51. (Extra credit: use this for copywork.) How is it similar to our blessing prayers?
- Explain: “A hyena robbed of its meal finds another.”
- Narrate the story of the hyena and the mole.
- How is Mogo’s skill set different from yours? Why are they different?
- Mogo’s father tells Mogo that his first earnings should go towards the purchase of a goat or lamb. Compare/contrast with Dad’s/Mom’s teachings about finances.
- What are two ways the Kikuyu people measure time?
- When people cheat you, when you lose, what’s the best attitude to have?
- What did Mogo learn about giving?
- Why was Mama surprised that they were cheerful?
- How can a bad thing be a good thing too? Compare/contrast with Catholic teaching that God can take the bad and make something good out of it.
- What is the “happiest pain” in Mogo’s young life? Have you had a similar experience?
- How had Mogo changed between the time he had his first flute and the time he got his second flute?
A bit more involved thinking:
- List the major characters of the story, with a descriptive phrase about each.
- List some of the differences/similarities between yours and Mogo’s cultures. (e.g., sleeping arrangements, men’s/women’s roles, etc.)
- Make a list of the animals mentioned in the story.
- List some of the Kikuyu’s beliefs that are different from yours.
- List some of the practices of Mogo’s tribe with regards to old people and young children.
Vocabulary:
shambas
thahu
motoriro
riika
Thaai
Mama
Baba
Maita
posho
Ngai
Extra credit: Copy and color the picture on p. 34.
All Ye Lands, pp. 273-278. Take notes and make entries into Book of Centuries/Adventure: Africa scrapbook.
Read Aloud: For You Are A Kenyan Child
Tea Party!!! For an African Princess, from Princess Tea
Continue working on mural/Flora/Fauna.
Read aloud: Beatrice’s Goat. Start a collection box for Heifer International-Uganda.
Play Mancala. Read the Wikipedia entry about it and take notes for the scrapbook. Compare it to our Filipino sungka.
Mom and older kids: Read Our Lady of Kibeho. There are a few sections suitable for copywork.
Mom and Dad: Watch Casablanca.
Continue working on mural/Flora-Fauna pages.
Today’s Menu:
Read Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, pages 243, 270-273. Make entries into Book of Centuries/Adventure: Africa scrapbook.
Read Aloud: Honey… Honey… Lion! by Jan Brett. Print out animals and plants/trees to color. You can either a) make a mural or b) put these in the Flora and Fauna section of our Adventure:Africa scrapbook. Optional activity: Rhythm band instruments.
Mom and Dad and older kids: Watch War Dance.
Todays’ Menu:
Crabmeat, pineapple, and avocado on lettuce, with lime vinaigrette
Sweet Pepper Salad
Pita Bread from Baking with Julia
Pick an African country (we will do at least 3 each) for inclusion in our Adventure: Africa scrapbook. Use flags from Usborne Flags Sticker Book and choose facts and figures to copy. Work on these for the next 3 days.
Read Aloud: Wangari’s Trees of Peace and Planting the Trees of Kenya
Activity 1: Make tree collage with Mom. Inside each tree write your narration of Wangari’s story and number each tree so your narration can be read in order.
Activity 2: Research 3 of the trees Wangari planted and make a page for each of them. Put these in the “Flora and Fauna” section of our Adventure: Africa scrapbook.
Mom and older kids: Read Wangari Maathai’s thoughts on religion, wars and resources. What do you think of her views about the priesthood? Her view of how our world’s resources are managed?
All Ye Lands, pp. 269-273. Take notes and make entries into Book of Centuries/Adventure: Africa scrapbook.
Make Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East and North Africa :
Marrakesh Rice and Lentil Soup, p. 76
Algerian Salad, p. 96
Date Fruit Cup, p. 266
Pita Bread
Mom and Older Kids (15 and up): Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust Discuss at dinner table. Make journal entries into Africa scrapbook.
Read Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, pages 212, 213, 216-217. Make entries into Book of Centuries/youngers into Africa scrapbook.
Read aloud Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. Compare the place where you live to the book’s setting. How does Africa’s climate affect the way people and animals live? Define monsoon and drought. Is this story fiction or non-fiction? Explain.
“Make rain” at the dinner table tonight when everyone’s home. Optional activity: Make a rainstick.
Read about the acacia. Draw an acacia tree, including a closeup of its leaves. Write a short description. What does it remind you of? Read why the NBCC chose the acacia tree as its symbol. Pick some scripture verses to go with your drawing and write these in calligraphic script.
Dad and Mom: Coffee from Kenya!
Today’s Menu from Arabesque:
Tamatem Ma’Amrine, p. 58
Spinach Salad with Preserved Lemon and Olives, p. 56
Almond Pastries in Honey Syrup, p. 127
Read DK Eyewitness: Africa. Share what you have learned at the dinner table. Take notes on areas you want to explore further.
Read (older kids): Mogo’s Flute. Study questions here. You can take up to 3 days to answer these questions.
Read aloud: Mama Panya’s Pancakes
Make pancakes with Mom using the recipe in the book.
Writing and Craft: Make the hut pictured in Mama Panya’s Pancakes using shredded construction paper. Write the recipe inside using the list of ingredients and your own words for the instructions.
Avocado and Papaya Salad (Kenya)
avocado
papaya
grapefruit
bibb lettuce
lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Read aloud:: Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book. Weave a vocabulary mat with English words on one side and Kiswahili words on the other. Keep adding to this mat as you learn more words. Alternative activity: Write a story using English and Kiswahili words. Do this on a sheet of plain paper. Cut out (or ask mom to help you do this) the Kiswahili words, leaving a “hinge” so that each can be opened like a door/window. Attach to African design paper (glue all around the cut out words) and write the English words under the Swahili words. This is for the Adventure:Africa scrapbook.
Read (older kids): Listening for Lions
Copywork/Vocabulary/Spelling List:
amoeba
barrister
contagious
dog eared
flounder
gruesome
loutish
retinue
scarce
shamba
Wellingtons
Questions to think about/discuss:
Do you agree with Rachel’s decision not to tell the grandfather the truth? What would you have done similarly/differently?
What do you think was Rachel’s most important character trait? Why?
Share your thoughts about female doctors in the early 1900s.
Watch Africa: The Serengeti.
Make charmoula with Mom for the pork chops.
Cooked Carrot Salad (Morocco)
8 medium-sized carrots, into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 cup water
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteBoil carrots with garlic. Toss with everything else.
Watch Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa
Read aloud Zambia/The Hare’s Revenge and Zimbabwe/The Cat Who Came Indoors in Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales
Read Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. (Reading Rainbow movie link here).
Read I Lost My Tooth in Africa. (Reading Rainbow movie link here).
Pick one of the stories above to narrate and/or illustrate. (Note: My kids did *not* want to narrate any of the above and picked other selections instead.)
Read Kingfisher History Encyclopedia pp. 206-208. Make entries into Book of Centuries.
Todays’ Menu from South of the Sahara:
Orange Lemon Squash p. 17 (beverage)
Rice with Black-eyed Peas p. 71
Cool Okra with Spices p. 91
Yassa Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Onion p. 122
Guava Sorbet with Lime p. 168
History: Read Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, pages 174, 175 and 195. Take notes/Make entries in Book of Centuries.
Listen to Putumayo Kids African Playground. Amazon Link
Lyrics here: http://www.putumayo.com/en/pdf/Lyrics_AP.pdf
Additional activities here: http://www.putumayo.com/en/pdf/African_Playground_Guide.pdf
Visit the Vatican Museums’ Ethnological Missionary Museum online.
read aloud:
Mpipidi and the Motlopi Tree (Botswana) and Mmutla and Phiri (Botswana) in Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales.
Make harissa from The Vegetarian Table: North Africa
Today’s Menu:
Cheese Mantecaos (Algeria)
Chou-Fleur Et Courgettes en Salade (Algeria)
Aubergine a l’Ail (Tunisia)
Matisha Mahsheeva (Morocco)
Tmar M’Hammar Bi Loozo Met’hoon
These are resources I didn’t find in our local library. I’ve gone ahead and requested that they purchase these, so hopefully I’ll be able to read them one day soon. Make good use of your library’s “suggest this purchase” page! These are food-related books but I’m sure I’ll be adding more.
Geography: Print out this map of Africa. Label the following:
- major bodies of water
- Equator
- major land forms
Fill out this chart and discuss. Additional discussion questions can be found here.
Craft: Choose a mask to print out and cut..
History: Read Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, pp. 164-167. Take notes/Make entries in Book of Centuries.
Read-aloud:Lesotho and Swaziland and their accompanying stories in African Tales. Narrate.
Today’s Menu:
from The African Kitchen
Elephant Foot Bread
Carrot and Pineapple Juice
Grilled Sweet Potato with Ginger and Lime Dressing
Muththawin (Garlic Meatballs) from From the Lands of Figs and Olives
