This week the African culture was
examined in “The Deep River: A Story of Ancient Tribal Migration,” by Bessie Head,
“Chike’s School Days” by Chinua Achebe,
“Notes of A Native Son,” by James
Baldwin, and various poetry by Leopold
Senghor including “To New York” and “Letter to a Poet.” Each of these
authors uses the backdrop of the African culture to display the theme of
identity.
We
all want to be a part of something. Who came before us and to whom do we
belong? Who are we rooted to? There is a progression of belonging from the
group identity in “Deep River” (Head), to becoming a more independent person
like Chike (Achebe) and native son (Baldwin), to being on one’s own in New York
(Senghor). Although the characters in these pieces have African ancestry, they
are unique individuals with their own stories. When used, their names matter
and contribute to their identity.
In
order to teach this to students, teachers should lead with small group
discussions addressing:
·
What makes a family (traditional versus modern)?
·
How does one become part of a family (birth,
adoption)?
·
What is a community?
·
How does where we grow up affect us?
·
What hardships have your ancestors faced? How
have they overcome adversity?
·
What does your name mean? (use the internet to
research if the student does not know).
Teachers could go so far as to incorporate genealogy into the
classroom. Students can find out which relatives may have immigrated through Ellis
Island. Students who don’t have documented relatives through Ellis Island
can pick a relative and share that person’s information. With permission
students could order ancestry.com DNA kits to find out their heritage, and then
pick a minor/lesser known ancestral heritage to research. There are plenty of websites
to research genealogy. Have students compile findings into a report for
presentation.
Reference
http://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/ww-norton/2016/the-norton-anthology-of-world- literature_v1-and-v2-custom_ebook_1e.php
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