This lesson plan will compare and contrast Ghanaian and African American Trickster Folktales.

Students will examine the lives of children in contemporary Ghana, and will learn about schools they attend.

Students will examine the roles of women in contemporary Ghana, including but not exclusive to family, arts and literature, politics, and economy. 

Students will explore an overview of contemporary Ghana with images presented in a digital alphabet book written in verse. They will draw conclusions, adjust misconceptions, and dive deeper into Ghanaian culture in grade level appropriate ways.

This lesson focuses on the Ghanaian style of drumming and dance called Kpanlogo and how it gained its popularity.

Students will look closely and carefully at images of the Ackland Art Museum’s Ntan Drum and consider how the imagery on the object communicates Asante proverbs.

Students will examine the roles of women in contemporary Senegal, including but not exclusive to family and economy.

Students will explore traditional folklore of Senegal, and make connections to familiar traditional folktales and to Griots.

Students will explore images from in and around Dakar, drawing conclusions, adjusting misconceptions, and diving deeper into Senegalese culture in grade level appropriate ways.

In these lessons, students will learn about Griots’ traditional storytelling and about the stories of Anansi, the trickster spider from West Africa.