Knowledge Stream Lesson Title: Ancient SwahiliLesson
Grade level(s): 6-8
Author and School: Anita Price, Lake Middle School, Millbury, Ohio
Date: 3/27/11
Lesson Summary: Students in grades 6-8 will analyze and compare the cultural practices and products of the ancient Swahili of East Africa.
Materials Needed:
A. Knowledge Stream video clip: Jeffrey Fleisher, The Archeology of the Ancient Swahili of East Africa, October 22, 2010, Clip 1 (approximately 25 minutes)
B.Swahili language use website
C.Computers
D.Ancient Swahili websites:
A Brief History of the Swahili Language
The Kamusi Project
Swahili Gallery
Africanet: Zimbabwe History
zimbabwe/history.htm
Africanet: Zimbabwe Home Page
zimbabwe/default.htm
Africa: South of the Sahara
Africa: South of the Sahara
E.Ancient Swahili books:
Bessire,Mark.Great Zimbabwe (First Book). FranklinWatts,New
York,NY; 1998.
• Feelings,Muriel L. Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book. Dial
Books for Young Readers,NewYork,NY; 1992.
• Haskins, James. Count YourWay Through Africa. Carolrhoda Books,
Minneapolis,MN; 1989.Teaches kids to count to ten in Swahili.
• Johnston,Deborah Smith. “Great Zimbabwe:An African City.”
Calliope Magazine:World History for Young People. Cities of the
Past issue,May/June, 1996. Calliope also devoted an entire issue to
“Ancient Nubia,”Nov/Dec, 1996. Back issues available from
Cobblestone Publishing, Peterborough,NH.
• Mallows,Wifrid. The Mystery of Great Zimbabwe:A New Solution.
W.W.Norton,NewYork,NY; 1984.
• Wilson,Thomas H. City States of the Swahili Coast. FranklinWatts,
NewYork,NY; 1998.
• Empires and Kingdoms of Sub-Saharan Africa. Teachers’
Curriculum Institute, Palo Alto, CA; 1993.
Standards:
Social Studies: cultural practice and products of societies
Lesson Implementation ______
Engage: (5minutes) Introduce students to the Ancient Swahili by listening to the language or teach your students some common phrases from the Swahili language, use the website (Click on words in blue and they will import into audio-player program such as iTunes)
Explore: (25 minutes)Then have students view the video clip from Knowledge Stream, Jeffrey Fleisher, The Archeology of the Ancient Swahili of East Africa, October 22, 2010, Clip 1
Explain: (20 minutes) Students will create a collage of images depicting cultural practices and products from the ancient Swahili culture as shown in the video and by accessing websites and books. Students will compile their collage onto a tri-fold board.
Evaluate: (20 minutes) Students will go on an ancient civilization tour examining each other’s tri-fold boards and discussing the cultural products and practices that students chose to highlight on their projects. The teacher should walk around evaluating tri-fold boards on content and visual display.
.
Extend: Students will find another ancient civilization and compare it to the ancient Swahili.
Students will create a poster or slideshow highlighting the comparisons between the ancient civilizations. Some possible ancient civilizations: Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese, Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs