Perceptions of Africa

 

THIS PAGE IS NOT YET COMPLETE. FURTHER DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF SUMMER 2009.
However if you are interested in any of the activities please contact us and we may be able to provide you with some of the images or information.

Perceptions of Africa is an Oxfam-funded project undertaken by Harambee, in collaboration with four local schools, between August 2007 – September 2008. Additional funding was granted by EEDEN (Global Thinking), the East of England Development Education Network.

The aims of the project were to inform and reformulate children’s and teachers’ perceptions of Africa towards a more balanced view of the realities and complexities of the African Continent, through developing a ‘Perceptions of Africa’ learning support package for primary schools (Key Stage 2). The Learning Support Package is based on:

  • three methodologies to encourage critical-thinking skills

  • information about these methodologies: where to gain access to or training in them

  • related resources to use in this work, i.e. a resources box

  • suggestions and resources for Afro-centric classroom activities

The project entailed three continuing professional development (CPD) sessions for teachers that introduced a number of specific activities to support the teachers in the project. The CPD sessions were:

  1. Use of Images, Maps and Artefacts

  2. Open Space for Dialogue and Enquiry

  3. Visual Thinking/Mind Mapping techniques with FutureMind

On this page you can download ready-to-use classroom activities, printable images and other resources.

 

Classrooms Activities

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Did You Know That

This group activity was designed to expand children’s knowledge in the areas of science, industry and technology in Africa which is one of the weakest areas of knowledge and understanding. Children read brief fact sheets and then put the facts in their own words to another group.

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Complete A Map Of Africa

A useful benchmarking tool to start with. Either individually or in groups children (also useful for teachers to do) draw a map of the African continent and then continue to add layers of details such as country names, geographical features etc.

The activity can be repeated at the end of the term/year to see how knowledge has changed.

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Flip Flotsam (DVD & related resources)

Based on the East coast of Kenya this is a fabulous DVD resource which can be used on varying levels between KS1-4. It links to the curriculum in many ways (literacy, geography, R.E., art, D & T, science (environmental issues), business and enterprise and would be a wonderful way to enhance a school partnership with Kenya. Harambee has developed a whole box of related resources to complement the film which is available on loan.

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Reel Lives (DVD & related resources)

This film produced by Music for Change is set in Sierra Leone and is a great resource for exploring diversity within a single country. In particular it is useful for developing children’s understanding of diversity in poverty and wealth and exploring their perceptions of these concepts.

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Where in theWorld?

A benchmarking activity based around images to stimulate children’s awareness of the sheer diversity of the African continent. Images from around the continent are shown to children on the smartboard (whole class) or as laminated pictures to pass around (groupwork). They are asked to make suggestions as to where the photos are from.

Download: Where In The World classroom pack 3.5MB PDF

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Draw a child...

During the CPD sessions in the project some teachers felt this exercise was inappropriate due to the sensitive nature or potential for offence. Teachers should decide for themselves whether they feel this exercise is suitable for the population of their classes.

For benchmarking purposes children are asked to draw a picture of an African child and set the child in context through adding layers of detail. This activity would work well if complemented with the Faces of Africa collection showing positive images of children and families from different African countries emphasising the ethnic diversity within Africa.

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Beyond The Picture

A useful exercise for measuring children’s existing perceptions of Africa and for developing visual literacy skills. The short activity uses cropped images to gauge pupil’s interpretations of what they see and encourage them to begin to “see differently”.

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Objects And Artefacts: What is it?/ What's Missing/What does it tell us?

Plenty of ideas for exploiting the use of objects and artefacts in the classroom in more challenging and innovative ways.

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Diamond Ranking

 

In groups pupils arrange 9 images of different areas of African life in a diamond form according to how “typical” or representative they think they are. This activity can be done as either a benchmarking or a challenging exercise.

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Mind-mapping

A variety of mind-mapping exercises which can be used to benchmark or expand pupils’ perceptions of the African continent.The mind-mapping techniques included:

  • Twenty Questions
  • Add a Caption
  • Word Association
  • What Questions Come To Mind
  • Bubble and Cluster
  • Verbal Tennis
  • Stick-em-up
  • Keypoint Journal