Africa Unit Presentations and Field Trip Ideas

For the culminating activity for our four part hands-on unit on Africa, make African dishes and present on famous people relevant to Africa. Also included is where we went for field trips during this unit. My lessons are geared toward 4th-5th grade level children and their siblings. These are lessons I created to do with a weekly homeschool co-op. We meet each week for 2 1/2 hours and have 33 children between the ages of 1-13. Use these fun lessons with your class, family, or homeschool co-op group!

Each family should bring an African main dish and either a side dish or dessert to share. You may select a recipe to try from the region related to the person your children are presenting on, or you can select any African recipe. Below are some links to African recipes to get you started:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/World-Cuisine/Africa/Main.aspx

http://www.africaguide.com/cooking.htm

http://www.food.com/recipes/african

http://www.world-recipes.info/africa-african/

If you'd like to attempt a really neat sugar cookie map of Africa, you can see a picture at http://st.typepad.com/2008jeffjourney/food_and_drink/. (Scroll down to "Edible Africa.")

Each child will present on a famous person/place of Africa. We will not be able to cover these during co-op, so your family will teach us about these people and places. You may dress up as the person/people, show pictures or drawings of them, display a poster board or lapbook, make a shoebox diorama, display a PowerPoint presentation, or any other means you think would be helpful in your presentation. Each presentation should last between 3-7 minutes.

Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt

Augustine of Hippo

Cleopatra

Mansa Musa

King Dom Affonso I (also known as Mvemba a Nzinga)

Mary Slessor

Barbary Pirates

Shaka Zulu

Cecil Rhodes

David Livingstone

Albert Schweitzer

Suez Canal

Jane Goodall

Over the summer we visited Houston and went to the Museum of Fine Arts (free admission each Thursday) at which they had a large display of gold and art from Africa, the Museum of Natural Science (free admission each Tuesday after 2pm) where they have various displays of stuffed African animals along with numerous shells and gemstones from Africa, the Menil Collection Art Museum (always free) where they have numerous African artifacts and pieces of African art, and an African grocery store.

While studying our unit on Africa, we visited our local zoo where we focused on observing the animals from Africa. I told our children to pretend they were on an African safari, so they brought along binoculars and got to take photographs. We also went to our local art museum, which has a display of items from Africa, and also our local Museum of Natural History, which has a gorgeous display of many butterflies from Africa.

Dramatize the mummification process, carve clay cartouches, eat a Tuareg-style meal, act out an Ashanti tale, dramatize the historic gold and salt trades centered in Ghana, paint watercolor paintings of the animals of the Congo, make Nigerian-style tie-dye shirts, hunt like a Pygmy and act out the Pygmy Honey Dance, enjoy an Ethiopian-style feast, create Zulu shields, and more in this fun 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa!

• North Africa Lesson - This is part 1 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. This week's focus is North Africa. Dramatize the mummification process, carve clay cartouches, eat a Tuareg-style meal, make Moroccan Khobz, hold a Moroccan Berber fantasia and more!
• Western Africa Lesson - This is part 2 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. Act out an Ashanti tale, dramatize the historic gold and salt trades centered in Ghana, mold Ashanti gold weights out of clay, attempt to carry baskets and babies in the Ghanaian fashion, and more!
• West and Central Africa Lesson - This is part 3 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. Make watercolor paintings of the animals of the Congo, taste Nigerian chin chin, fufu, and Ground Nut Soup, make Nigerian-style tie-dye shirts, hunt like a Pygmy and act out the Pygmy Honey Dance, and more!
• East and South Africa Lesson - This is part 4 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. Enjoy an Ethiopian-style feast, create Zulu shields, make Masai necklaces and attempt Masai-style spear throwing, and more!
• Africa Unit Presentations and Field Trip Ideas - For the culminating activity for our 4 part hands-on unit on Africa, make African dishes and present on famous people relevant to Africa. Also included is where we went for field trips during this unit.
• Fun, FREE Hands-On Unit Studies - Over the years I have posted over 35 science and social-studies based unit studies, compromised of more than 170 lessons. The unit studies include the Human Body, Simple Machines, Earth Science, Medieval Period, American Revolution, Pioneer Life, Countries of the World, and many more! For each lesson I have included activities (with photos), our favorite books and YouTube video clips, lapbook links, and other resources.

Would you like to teach this way every day?

Konos Curriculum

I use Konos Curriculum as a springboard from which to plan my lessons. It's a wonderful curriculum and was created by moms with active children!

Konos Home School Mentor

If you're new to homeschooling or in need of some fresh guidance, I highly recommend Konos' HomeSchoolMentor.com program! Watch videos on-line of what to do each day and how to teach it in this great hands-on format!