SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM TEACHER LESSON PLANS
Š Savannah African Art Museum Graphic Design Department [Kuba Cloth Credit]
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE MUSEUM.......................... 1 MAP OF AFRICA..................................... 2 LESSON PLANS SCAVENGER HUNT.............................. 3 HISTORY................................................... 5 MATH........................................................ 7 ART............................................................. 9 MUSIC....................................................... 11 GLOSSARY................................................ 13 FLOOR PLANS......................................... 15
CONTACT US PHONE 1 (912) 721 - 7745 EMAIL visit.saam@gmail.com www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org Find and follow us on social media
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WELCOME TO THE SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM is a non profit institution that introduces all audiences to African art and culture. Our mission is to provide engaging experiences that educate and start conversations about the power, diversity, and spirituality of African art. The museum currently holds a collection of over 1,000 objects that originate from West and Central Africa. This collection is a showcase of many African ceremonial and spiritual objects from the 19th and 20th centuries. They are made from various materials such as ceramics, metal, and wood. These objects cover much of the continent of Africa. New works that originate from West and Central Africa are continuously being added to the collection.
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1. Guinea 2. Sierra Leone 3. Liberia 4. Côte d’Ivoire 5. Mali 6. Burkina Faso 7. Ghana 8. Togo 9. Benin 10. Niger 11. Nigeria
17. Republic of the Congo
12. Chad
18. Democratic Republic of the Congo
13. Cameroon
19. Angola
14. Central African Republic
20. Tanzania
15. Equatorial Guinea
21. Kenya
16. Gabon
22. Zimbabwe
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SCAVENGER HUNT The purpose of this activity is for students to find different objects in the museum and connect them through lessons about African folklore and mythology, therefore creating a deeper understanding and connection with the artifacts. The images to the right coincide with the student booklet and are the full images of the objects.
U N D ER S TAN D I NG THE ME ANI NG BEHIN D OBJECT S IMPORTANCE OF ANIMALS A very common thread in African folklore is the inclusion of animals, who are usually there to help other animals or humans solve a problem, or as characters in a fable meant to teach a lesson. To begin, have the students find any depiction of a significant animal (such as a crocodile, hippo, lion, etc.) and explain what important role that animal played in a story.
THE SPIRITS OF THE KONGO Nkisi figures were very important to the Kongo people. They were seen as representative of spirits and usually when there were disagreements the arguing parties, a nganga, would insert a nail or other sharp object into the sculpture as a sort of contract. If either party did not obey the agreement, the spirit within the Nkisi Nkondi figure would punish the ones who did not uphold the agreement. Allow the students to pick one and discuss the functions of the Nkisi Nkondi and the importance of the glass within the sculpture.
FIND THE EGUNGUN WITHIN THE YORUBA TRIBE! Find the Egungun within the museum; they were used for various events which involved connecting with the ancestors by the Yoruba people. Have the students find it and explain the importance of them, how they would be used, what the multiple faces mean, and why they were made of different fabrics.
LOOK FOR SEVERAL MASKS There are also many masks in the museum, and these would be used for anything from celebrations to war preparation. Have the students pick out a mask that stands out to them, and have them explain why.
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HISTORY In this activity, students should to be able to associate artifacts in the museum with their countries and cultures of origin and to be able to relay information learned on the tour or in class about those countries and cultures. Introduce the countries and cultures in class the day preceding the field trip. Explain the geography, government, and economics of each country and culture.
IN- C LASS P LAN AND HOW TO PL AY T HE GAM E IN-CLASS LESSON PLAN BEFORE THE MUSEUM The two countries that are represented in this activity are Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and six tribes between them. During both the in-class lesson and the field trip students must remember facts about each country and tribe. Below are some examples.
NIGERIA Geography: West African. Twice the size of California. 530 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Guinea. Niger and Benue Rivers meet in country. Economy: Command economy; low taxes but low wages, trade is very important. The government is the largest provider of jobs. Government: Presidential democracy; has a president and legislature both voted on by public. Radical religious groups like Boko Haram are allowed to operate freely, jeopardizing the freedoms and rights of citizens. Cultures: Yoruba Igbo
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Geography: Central Africa. Quarter of the size of America. Has 23 miles of coastal borderline. Borders parts of Lake Tanganyika. Economy: Mixed economic system.
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (CONT.) Government: Semi-presidential/ democratic; two heads of state (prime minister and president) and legislature voted on by public. Cultures: Songye Salampusu Yaka Suku
VISIT THE MUSEUM Visit the SAAM and tour the artifacts from the countries/ cultures.
THE MATCHING GAME The museum will have a collection of tiles to play the matching game with. Each pair of tiles has a picture of an artifact in the museum’s collection. Tiles must be set up, face down, in matrices of either squares of rectangles. Children play game one vs. one, taking turns. They have two tries, first to flip over one tile, the other to try and find its match. If the match is successfully found on the second try, then an extra two tries are rewarded. Continue until all tiles are collected by the two students.
POINT SYSTEM Students must go through the tiles they have collected and say which country/culture the artifact pictured is from and then one fact on geography, government, or economics as learned from the class the day before, or one fact learned on the tour. One point is awarded for merely collecting the tile in the game, two points for collecting and also being able to supply fact. The student with the highest number of points wins the game.
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MATH The goal for these activities is to engage children in mathematics practices such as counting and multiplication; train children’s multiplication skills; promote children’s interests in counting and multiplication. By encouraging the children to incorporate the details in the artifacts with multiplication, as well as playing a well known game, the objects become relevant to the children.
I N S TR U CTI ONS AND HOW TO PL AY INTRODUCE THE OBJECTS Introduce the students to the art objects, describing the name, functions, why they were created, etc. as to familiarize the artifacts to the students.
MULTIPLICATION ACTIVITY Give every student a piece of paper with a blank multiplication table. Most historical art objects consist of shells or stones as decoration, and modern art objects consist of repeated geometrical forms. Encourage children to count the number of shells, stones and repeated geometrical forms on these art objects to help them start the mathematics practice. Let the students write down the number of shells or forms on art objects they have counted. They should explore different ways to get to the answer, and then circle the correct answer. The student that has the most amount of correct answers could win a prize.
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MANCALA The object of the game is to capture more stones than your opponent. Tell the student to partner up.
EXPLAIN HOW TO PLAY Flip a coin, or play Rock-PaperScissors to decide who gets to go first. Once that’s been decided, the player grabs all of the stones in a hole on their side and drops them, one by one, in succeeding holes in a counter-clockwise direction. This continues up until the player has run out of stones in their hand. It is then their opponents turn. The opponent then picks up stones near them, and repeats the action.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF MANCALA Whenever a player reaches the end of a row, the player then starts placing the stones in a clockwise direction. Continue to pick up and drop the stones in a clockwise direction until you reach the end of the row again, then move back in a counter-clockwise direction.
WINNING AND STARTING A NEW GAME The turn only ends when the last stone in the hand falls into an empty cup. The game is over when a player empties all of the cups on their side. The winner is determined by whoever has the most stones at the end of the game. Encourage the children to play more than once, and if they lose to think about different strategies that could be used in a new game.
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ART The goal is to engage students in the museum’s objects, gain interest in African culture, understand the purpose and role of African masks in society, and comprehend the symbolic meaning behind different patterns, colors, and materials; to encourage student’s self-expression as they see it through the symbols and elements they choose for their masks.
SY M B O L I C SE LF- PORTRAI T AFRICAN MASKS INTRODUCE THE OBJECTS Introduce the masks that were seen at the museum and discuss what they saw or liked. Engage the children in a discussion about the different colors and patterns that they viewed. Explain the purpose of different masks used in African culture, especially ones on display at the museum. Go over the symbolism behind the colors, patterns, and materials that would be used to create the masks.
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT Introduce the assignment to the students. Each student will be creating their own African masks and select what type of mask they will be making. They should focus on the symbolism behind the colors, patterns, and materials that they will be using for their masks. Encourage the students to create something personal and meaningful to them.
DEMONSTRATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT This is entirely up to you! A 2D drawing, painting, paper cut-out, mixed media and different materials such as beads or shells, or even using clay, Sculpey, or plaster casting to create a 3D mask. Demonstrate how to use the materials, various techniques, etc. Then distribute the materials once the form of media has been chosen.
TIME TO WORK ON PROJECT Encourage students and give advice on how they should handle their materials, if they have trouble choosing colors, patterns, materials, etc. Have the students document their process and ideation of their work.
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PRESENTATION OF WORK AND CRITIQUE After the students have finished creating their masks, present the work to the classroom. Allow each student to talk about their project, the meaning, and symbolism behind why they chose a specific type of mask, the colors, patterns, and materials used for their mask. Encourage students to give constructive critiques to others, while incorporating the language used in the booklet and the elements of art. Analyze the colors, patterns, and materials used for the assignment and how it relates to the information that they learned at the museum, as well as their idea behind the work.
REFLECTION OF WORK After completing their masks and critique, students will reflect on their project, such as the choices they made, the process of the work, the final product and the purpose and importance of masks in African art. Students can recognize what they learned through the process and think about how they might do it differently.
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MUSIC In this activity, engage students in the museum’s artifacts, gain interest and knowledge in African culture, to understand the importance and purpose of music and storytelling, or oral tradition, in African society and to encourage the students to utilize these tools as a way of expressing themselves and connecting with others through teamwork and resourcefulness.
A FR I CAN I N STRU ME NTS AND ORAL T RADIT ION INSTRUMENTS AND STORYTELLING Introduce the instruments that were seen at the museum and discuss with the students which they found the most interesting or exciting. Engage the students in a discussion about the various instruments and their use in African society. Explain the purpose and importance of music and oral tradition in African culture, utilizing the instruments seen in the museum as examples. Go over the symbolism behind the figures, shapes, and materials of the instruments and how they influence their use. Discuss the similarities and differences between African instruments and their function versus instruments that the students may be more used to as well as discuss African oral tradition vs the types of “oral tradition” they know and how they differ.
CREATING THEIR INSTRUMENT AND PERFORMANCE Introduce the assignment to the students. Each student will be creating their own African instrument and in groups attempt to perform an improvised or composed song/ oral tradition that reflects upon their personal stories or life lessons. They should focus on the use of the instruments as well as the symbolism behind the colors, patterns, and materials. Encourage the students to create an instrument that they can connect with and to think about how they could possibly start their own oral tradition.
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MATERIALS AND DEMONSTRATION There are various ways the students could go about collecting their materials. Whether it be outside or through recycled materials that they bring from home, they can use a variety of media and materials such as sticks, wood, boxes, paper, shells, plastic, rubber bands, clay, etc. Demonstrate how to use the materials and various techniques. Allow the students to pick their choice of the above materials in order to make it more personal.
TIME TO WORK AND ACCOMPANYING PERFORMANCES Encourage the students to collaborate and share their stories as well as give advice on how they should handle their materials. Have the students document their use of color and symbolism as well as their accompanying story, poetry or song.
PRESENTATION AND CRITIQUE After the students have finished creating their instruments and performance, allow the students to talk about their project, the meaning, and symbolism behind why they chose that particular instrument and performance. Encourage students to improvise and perform with each other and their various instruments. Allow students to discuss their oral tradition and the symbolism in their instruments, while incorporating the terms used while visiting the museum. Analyze the instruments used for the assignment and how they relate to the information that they learned at the museum, as well as their idea behind the project/performance.
REFLECTION OF THEIR WORK Students can recognize what they learned through the process and think about how they might do it differently. Students will reflect on the work such as why they chose that instrument and how their story can relate to the importance of oral tradition in African music and society.
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GLOSSARY Egungun Refers to the Yoruba masquerades connected with ancestor reverence, or to the ancestors themselves as a collective force. Could also refer to all types of Yoruba masquerades or masked, costumed figures. Mancala man·ca·la A competition between two players in the distribution of pieces (pebbles or stones) into rows of holes or pockets (as in a board) under various rules that permit accumulation of pieces by capture. Nkisi Spirits, or an object that a spirit inhabits. Nganga A term for herbalist or spiritual healer. Could also be a name for a person who possessed the skill to communicate with the Other World. Close up of Mancala board
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Back side of Nkisi figure
TAKE NOTES HERE!
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FLOOR PLANS
First Floor: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso Benin Niger, Nigeria Rotating Themed Exhibition Space
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Second Floor: Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon Democratic Republic of the Congo Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe Video/Media Room
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Photography: Billie Stultz John Villareal University of Georgia Graphic Design: Amelia Meno This activity was created as an educational adjunct by the Department of Art History’s Museum Studies program students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Sterling Jones, Claire Marshall, Amelia Meno, Savannah Ockerbloom, Ardhyn Parks, Jie Zhang Professor James T. Janson