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Overview:
Interesting information about people whose lives, customs, and appearance differ greatly from our own can inspire us to portray them in art forms, rather than just to describe them in narratives. The photos and text on the Pygmies of Africa contained in this interdisciplinary lesson should catch the interest of students. Students will use the photos and text resources from sites such as the National Geographic magazine feature Africa MegaFlyover to learn about the culture and lifestyle of these people. They will then use this information to create collages and short poems. Finally, students will share their work and reflect on their own and each others’ interpretations of the African Pygmies.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, language arts, art
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 4: " The Physical and Human Characteristics of Places"
Standard 10: "The Characteristics, Distribution, and Complexity of Earth's Cultural Mosaics"
Standard 12: "The Processes, Patterns, and Functions of Human Settlement"
Time:
Four to six hours
Materials Required:
- Map of Africa for each student
- Computer(s) with Internet access (Note: If Internet access is not available to students in class, use printed copies of the Web site materials listed below under "Development" and "Related Links," and have students do additional research at home or in the library.)
- One copy of "Tribes and People Groups—Pygmies" for each student
- Paste or glue, paper, poster board, pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, and/or watercolors, etc.
- Scissors for each student
Objectives:
Students will
- locate Gabon, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo—where many Pygmy tribes live—on a map of Africa;
- use pictures and printed material to learn about the lifestyle, culture, and physical characteristics of Pygmies; and
- use this geographic material as the subject of written and visual art in poetry and collages.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Have students bring a favorite original poem with them from language arts class, and ask volunteers to share their poems and the reasons they chose them. (Note: If students are not working on poetry, or do not have a favorite, ask them to choose any poem they have read and liked.)
Ask students to choose a new subject—a group of people such as their family, peer group, or club/sports team—and write a short poem describing that group and how it makes them feel to be a part of it. Students may work alone or in groups on this brief assignment. Regardless of their groupings, remind students to consider the feelings and effects of being in a larger group.
Tell students that in this lesson, they will be learning about a unique race of people in Africa, Pygmy tribes such as the Baka, Mbuti, and Babenzélé, and that they will be using information from "Tribes and People Groups—Pygmies", reading informational articles such as those available on the National Geographic magazine feature Africa MegaFlyover, and looking at pictures of these people to learn more about them.
Explain to students that they will be making collages of photos of Pygmies and writing original poetry to accompany their artwork.
Development:
Activity 1:
Distribute copies of a map of Africa and direct students to locate Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Explain that this is the rain forest area of Africa, where there are many pygmy tribes. Discuss the term "pygmy" with students as a general term that refers to many different tribes sharing similar characteristics and lifestyles, but note that groups generally prefer to be referred to by their tribal names, rather than simply as "pygmies."
Instruct students to read the information in Africa Guide's "Tribes and People Groups—Pygmies", and then to look at the photos and read the accompanying material from the following sites:
National Geographic Magazine: Africa MegaFlyover—Charting the Last Wild Places on Earth
Africa's Wild Heart Photo Gallery
Zoom In—More Photos from Megatransect
Zoom In—More Photos from Megatransect III
Nick's Take 2 Congo Encounter
Logging Jobs Benefit Pygmies, but Imperil Their Forest Home
PBS Africa Series: Rainforest People
PBS Africa Series: Rainforest Music
Activity 2:
Assign each student to use what he or she has read and seen at the referenced sites to write a short poem about Pygmies to share with the class. Remind students to think about what it might feel like to be a part of the group about which they are writing.
Activity 3:
Ask each student to make a collage of the photos taken from the sites listed in Activity 1, and other resources or original drawings, incorporating his or her poem into that work. Indicate to students that they will be sharing their poetry and artwork with others in their class and/or school.
Closing:
Have students share their collages with the class and read their poems aloud. Post the artwork and give students time to appreciate each other's work.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Ask students to compare and contrast one another's poetry and collages to see if similar emotions are expressed by the all. If not, have students whose works differ significantly explain how the project made them feel, and why they chose their particular format, colors, and words.
Extending the Lesson:
Ask students to repeat the activities, focusing on different peoples of their own choosing. They might choose American culture they see every day, or perhaps focus on their own family's cultural heritage.
Related Links:
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