ANANSI THE
SPIDER
TEACHER RESOURCE PACK FOR TEACHERS WORKING WITH PUPILS IN NURSERY - YEAR 2
A Unicorn Production
ANANSI THE SPIDER Created and directed by Justin Audibert
FROM WED 18 SEP - SUN 27 OCT 2019 FOR PUPILS IN NURSERY - YEAR 2 THE GREATEST TALES EVER SPUN. People say that in a time long, long ago, animals walked on two feet and spoke with words, like we do. And back then it was known by everyone that the cleverest of all the animals in the kingdom was a spider – the infamous Anansi – the original trickster and the master spinner of yarns. But sometimes, Anansi could be a little too clever for his own good… In celebration of Black History Month, these classic West African and Caribbean tales about the spider hoaxster are brought vividly to life here in Artistic Director Justin Audibert’s newest production for the Unicorn.
Duration: 1 hr (approx)
Page 2
TEACHER RESOURCES
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
p. 4
ABOUT THE PLAY MAKING THE PLAY
p. 6 p. 8
INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR JUSTIN AUDIBERT
DRAMA ACTIVITIES
p. 10
SEQUENCE ONE: ANANSI STORIES AND THEIR ORIGINS
p. 11
SEQUENCE TWO: ANANSI THE SPIDER: A TALE FROM THE ASHANTI SEQUENCE THREE: ANANSI AND THE TWO DINNERS
p. 19
SEQUENCE FOUR: HOW SPIDER GOT A BALD HEAD
p. 22
RESOURCES FOR ACTIVITIES
p. 16
p. 24
Page 3
TEACHER RESOURCES
INTRODUCTION This is the resource for teachers bringing pupils to see the Unicorn Theatre’s production of Anansi the Spider in Autumn 2019. The Unicorn production will be a new devised performance of popular Anansi stories, told by three actors. Children will meet the infamous spider trickster, Anansi, and be immersed in this highly physical and visual piece of theatre. The children will sit amongst the action in our studio theatre and see the stories play out all around them. The show will draw on the stories’ West African and Caribbean origins visually and musically, bringing them to life in fresh new versions for children in 2019. The stories follow the adventures of our hero (or anti-hero) as he uses his intelligence, cunning and wit to get whatever it is he wants. He loves food, he loves to win, and he loves outwitting those bigger and more powerful than he is. He doesn’t always get what he wants however, often falling victim to his own weaknesses: greed, laziness, or an overblown sense of his own intelligence and invincibility. But whatever Anansi attempts, he does it with energy, commitment and ingenuity, and it is the force of his personality that people love to see, both when he wins out, and when he loses. ‘I think he is very relatable to young children, because they’re growing and learning and working the world out and as they do, they’re pushing at and exploring boundaries, and that is what Anansi does all the time.’ Justin Audibert, director Playing throughout Black History Month, the production will give teachers and children the opportunity to experience some of these classic, much-loved stories originating in West Africa and the Caribbean. Anansi stories are believed to have begun with the Ashanti in Ghana, West Africa. The character of Anansi stands as a figure in the myths, explaining the spiritual forces holding the world and the universe in balance. Anansi, half-god, half mediating figure connecting the realm of the humans with the gods, would climb up his silver thread to the sky to speak to the supreme god Nyame on behalf of humanity. To the Ashanti, the spider represents wisdom. The stories spread by word of mouth throughout West Africa, part of the rich tradition of oral storytelling. When the people of West Africa were taken as slaves in the 17th century by the European colonial powers, the stories travelled with them to the Islands of the Caribbean, where Anansi evolved to become a more human character: the trickster folk hero we know today. Anansi was an important character for the people who had been enslaved. He represents the underdog who wins out because of his intelligence and keen instincts. The stories embody a spirit of resistance and adaptability; of not giving up in the most difficult circumstances; of finding means to overturn the hierarchy and triumph over his oppressors. Anansi is a small and insignificant spider, but he is also a survivor who is able to win out against the most powerful: the lion, the snake, or the king. ‘...a seemingly innocent spider with secret might.’ E. Zobel Marshall It is his combination of qualities and flaws that make him so funny and engaging. At times he wins Page 4
TEACHER RESOURCES out (as in ‘Anansi and the Snake’), while at other times he is revealed to be much less clever than he thinks (‘Anansi and the Common Sense’). But he always has a plan, and will always at least give it a try to get what he wants. The Anansi stories have continued to travel throughout the world, and although they’re still a favourite for oral storytellers, they have also been written down in countless versions for children. The classroom activities in this pack have been designed to support and extend your pupils’ visit to the theatre and offer ways to pick up on and explore the themes in the play, before and after a visit. They will use drama and storytelling as ways of exploring ideas that are relevant to the play and to support the EYFS framework requirements, particularly through: Communication and language development: giving children opportunities to experience rich language; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and speaking and listening in a range of contexts. Expressive arts and design: enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings. While the activities will not take an objective-led approach, teachers will be able to establish links to the relevant curriculum objectives for their particular year group, and can adapt them for their particular educational setting.
CPD: MON 16 SEPTEMBER, 10AM - 4PM There will be a free teacher CPD day for Anansi the Spider, a chance for teachers to find out more about the show and gain practical experience of the accompanying scheme of work and classroom activities before leading them with a class. For more information or to book your place, email schools@unicorntheatre.com.
The Unicorn Theatre is the UK’s leading professional theatre for young audiences, dedicated to inspiring and invigorating young people of all ages, perspectives and abilities, and empowering them to explore the world – on their own terms – through theatre. Purpose-built for children and based in London, the Unicorn is one of the most prolific producing theatres in the UK, presenting 12 to 15 productions for children of all ages every year, and touring widely across the UK and beyond.
Page 5
TEACHER RESOURCES
ABOUT THE PLAY The Unicorn Theatre’s production of Anansi the Spider will launch the theatre’s autumn term with an immersive theatrical experience, made up of some of Artistic Director Justin Audibert’s favourite Anansi stories. One of the stories to be adapted for the stage is ‘Anansi and the Common Sense’, in which Anansi decides he wants all the common sense for himself, realising that if he owns all the wisdom in the world, he will be at a great advantage. He goes around the island collecting common sense from all of those who have it, and stores it in a gourd. However, worried that others might get their hands on his common sense, he decides to hide the gourd at the top of a very tall tree. He straps the gourd onto his front and starts to climb, but with the gourd tied to him he can barely climb up the tree; his arms and legs struggle to reach the trunk or the branches. As he struggles up the tree, a child watches from below, and calls out to Anansi asking if it would be easier if he tied the gourd to his back, leaving his arms and legs free to climb. This stops Anansi in his tracks, and as he tries to move the gourd around his body it falls to the ground and cracks open. All the common sense pours out and is redistributed across the land (though the amount of sense which each person receives varies). Another favourite story likely to be included in the production is ‘Anansi and the Two Parties’, in which Anansi can’t choose which of two parties to go to and ends up making it to neither. Anansi loves parties, and he particularly enjoys dancing as he thinks he’s very good at it. He is invited to two parties on the same day: one on one side of the island at West Village, the other at East Village. He hears that there will be lots of delicious food at the parties - fried chicken, plantain and coconut cake at one, and lobster, pepper soup and dumplings and chocolate ice cream at the other. Some might call Anansi greedy, but he says he just enjoys good food. The next day Anansi sets off with his two children, Kuma and Kwek, all dressed up in their party clothes. But when they arrive at the crossroads, with one direction signposted West Village and the other East Village, Anansi cannot decide which one to go to first. Crucially, he doesn’t know which will be serving food first. Thinking that he has found a solution, Anansi decides to send his children on to the parties ahead of him; one to the West and one to the East. But each child will take a rope with them and they are instructed that when the food is being served, they are to pull on the rope, which Anansi has secured around his waist, letting him know to head to that particular party. The children set off and have a wonderful time at each of the parties, dancing and having fun. Then when the food is announced, each one pulls hard on the rope to give the signal to their father. But the food arrives at both parties simultaneously, and so both children pull on the rope at the same time. At the crossroads, Anansi cannot move, as each rope tied around his waist pulls tight, holding him exactly in the centre. Page 6
TEACHER RESOURCES When the parties end, the children return to the crossroads and find Anansi, who is tired and hungry. And where the ropes have been pulled tight around him has made Anansi’s waist extra thin, and his body has puffed out either side. And this is how Anansi looks to this day. The Unicorn production will bring these inventive and surprising stories to life in our studio theatre. The children will sit amongst the set and the actors as Anansi’s world comes to life around them: the village, the bush and the parties at West and East village. These stories are full of life, humour and character and this will be a great piece of storytelling for younger children.
Page 7
TEACHER RESOURCES
MAKING THE PLAY
INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR JUSTIN AUDIBERT WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PROGRAMME AND DIRECT THE ANANSI STORIES FOR THIS AGE GROUP? I’ve always been fascinated since I was a little boy by the character of Anansi. He’s inquisitive, he’s confident and he’s smart, but he knows he’s smart and sometimes gets his comeuppance because of that. I guess I think he is very relatable to young children, because they’re growing and learning and working the world out and as they do, they’re pushing at and exploring boundaries, and that is what Anansi does all the time.
WHAT PERSONALLY CONNECTS WITH YOU IN THE STORIES? These stories were told to me at relatives’ houses when I was a small boy, and I remember my friends also really enjoying being told them when they were recounted. Somehow, the character of Anansi just remained really vivid to me. I think it’s something to do with the fact that he’s morally ambiguous; sometimes he does the right thing and sometimes he doesn’t, and I suppose that level of complexity is, in many ways, more interesting than simple fairytale morality.
DO YOU THINK THE STORIES ARE TRYING TO TEACH A LESSON OR A MORAL, OR ARE THEY JUST GOOD STORIES? I would say that there’s a thread of a kind of wry scepticism running through the stories. Anansi is always looking to take shortcuts to either more knowledge, like in ‘Anansi and the Common Sense’, more praise, like in ‘Anansi and the Three Kings’, or more food, like in ‘Anansi and the Two Parties’. And I suppose the bottom line is that these schemes don’t tend to pay off. At the same time, when something really dangerous or harmful is about to happen, somehow he finds a way of using his wits to come out unscathed; so his quick wit is seen as beneficial sometimes. I think it’s interesting that the stories show how character traits can be useful in one context, but problematic in another.
WHAT MAKES ANANSI STORIES RELEVANT FOR CHILDREN IN 2019? I think that there will be children with West African or Caribbean heritage who will be really engaged to see stories from their homes come to life in front of them, and there will be children who will be introduced for the first time to an exciting new character and world. We at the Unicorn want to reflect the different cultures that are found in London, and this feels like a really exciting way of doing that.
DO YOU FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO REMAIN TRUE TO THE ORIGINS OF THE STORIES? We are retelling stories that are part of an oral tradition. They have changed and evolved with each generation which discovers and tells them. There is no such thing as authorship or the writer’s intent, so that leaves us free as artists to reinterpret them so that they speak to today, and to today’s Page 8
TEACHER RESOURCES audience. At the same time, we want to make sure we are representing the heritage of these stories culturally, with the world of our sound and design.
WHICH STORIES MIGHT YOU INCLUDE IN THE PERFORMANCE AND WHY? I am definitely going to include ‘Anansi and the Common Sense’, which is where he tries to gather all the common sense and wisdom in the world so that he can keep it just for himself. I love the idea of someone understanding how important knowledge is, and then attempting such an epic task in order to gain an advantage over others. Needless to say, Anansi gets his comeuppance and I think learns something from it. I also think I’ll include ‘Anansi and the Two Dinners’ (or ‘Two Parties’, as it’s sometimes called), which is when Anansi is invited to two parties and doesn’t want to miss out on either, to show everyone how he’s the best dancer of all the guests and how he can enjoy two really delicious meals, and somehow he comes away with neither food nor fun. I love how his speed of thought and quickness often count against him but also how they invariably get him out of any real trouble in the end. I just think he is such a compelling character.
AT THIS EARLY STAGE, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF THE FORM OF THE PIECE OR THE WAY THE PRODUCTION MIGHT LOOK? The show will have an immersive feel to it. You will be in the bush with Anansi and the other characters. I haven’t decided with my designer yet if we’re drawing on the West African heritage of the stories, or the Caribbean heritage, in terms of the design aspects. We’re undertaking a research and development workshop week to explore the look and feel of the world, and also to play about with the music of the show, which feels as though it’ll be vital to creating the piece. I imagine for the three performers, the show will be very physical, with lots of exciting and expressive movement.
Page 9
TEACHER RESOURCES
DRAMA ACTIVITIES CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES The drama activities in this pack are designed to give teachers ideas and strategies for work in the classroom through which to explore the characters, themes and setting of the play before and after a visit. They extend the imaginative reach of the play and allow children to give shape to their own thoughts, feelings and understanding through drama, storytelling and music activities. Our teacher resources and CPD support teachers in embedding drama in their curriculum planning. Working through drama allows children to explore things that matter to them within a fictional context, draw on their prior knowledge and apply it to new situations, develop language as they give expression to new understandings and develop emotional intelligence and critical thinking as they see things from different perspectives. It also allows the children to take responsibility, make decisions, solve problems and explore possibilities from within the drama.
OVERVIEW In this section, there are four sequences for teachers to work through with their classes. They can be run in any order before your visit to the Unicorn to see the show, or after your return to school. The activities work through drama, storytelling, movement and music providing the children with a range of ways of engaging with these ever popular stories and responding to the play. The sequences structured into suggested lesson plans, but are flexible and can be adapted for each teachers’ setting and curriculum planning. Attending the accompanying teacher CPD day at the Unicorn on Monday 16 September, from 10am to 4pm, will be a useful opportunity to work out how the sequences work in practice and to experience how each activity relates to and informs the next.
Page 10
TEACHER RESOURCES
SEQUENCE ONE
ANANSI STORIES AND THEIR ORIGINS AIMS To introduce children to Anansi stories and their West African origins. To explore the ways in which we can use our bodies to create sounds and images. To provide children with the opportunity to tell and act out their own stories.
RESOURCES Maps of West Africa, Ghana and the Caribbean, music for underscoring, songs, musical instruments, storytelling script (resource one), role on the wall outline (resource two), Anansi stories such as ‘Anansi and the Turtle’, ‘Anansi and the Magic Stick’, ‘Anansi and the Melon’.
STRATEGIES Call and response, body percussion, pair discussions, whole group image work, soundscapes, storytelling and story-acting.
INTRODUCTION This sequence will explore the place where the Anansi stories originated, and some of the animals which are found in the Anansi stories. Using a simple storytelling script, the sequence creates a structure for children to hear and act out Anansi stories as well as write their own story for the story circle.
STAGE ONE: BEGINNING Body percussion name game • Seat the children in a circle and start a simple four beat rhythm for them to follow; such as tapping knees twice and clapping hands twice. • When you have established the rhythm, add a different child’s name on the fourth count. Then go around the circle as everyone says each child’s name in turn, on the fourth count. • Now ask children to come up with ideas for a different way that you could make a four beat rhythm with your bodies: clicking fingers, stamping feet, tapping chest etc. Learn the new four beat rhythm as a group, then make it travel around the circle. • Ask children to remember how they have used their body as an instrument for later in the session. Page 11
TEACHER RESOURCES Call and response • Explain that you are going to look at a collection of stories called Anansi stories, and find out if any of the children know of the stories. • Tell the children that the stories originated a long time ago with the Akan people in Ghana, West Africa and show them a map of where Ghana is. • Explain that originally, these Anansi stories would have been told verbally when people gathered together in villages. They would often use elements of call and response in the storytelling. • Explain that you are going to try out a call and response together, and that when you say ANANSI, they should respond by saying STORY. Play with rhythm and tone when you say ANANSI, and they can copy you in this when they say STORY. For example: Teacher: Anansi Children: Story Teacher: Anansi, Anansi, Anansi Children: Story, story, story Teacher: Anaaaaaaaansiiiiiii Children: Storyyyyyyyyyy Teacher: A – NAN- SI Children: ST-OR-RY You can ask if a child would like to take the lead in the call and response, they can use the rhythms you have already established, or create their own. • This call and response can be used to get the children’s attention throughout the sessions.
STAGE TWO: ANIMALS OF WEST AFRICA STOP/GO • Explain that in Anansi stories, the main character, Anansi, is a spider, and that most of the other characters are different animals that you would find in Africa. • Ask the children to discuss in pairs what other animals you might find in Ghana, and share back their suggestions. • Show the children images of Ghanaian landscapes, and discuss the difference between Ghana and London. • Now look at images of some of the animals that live there. Can the children spot any of the animals they suggested? • You may need to discuss some of the animals the children guessed might live in Ghana but don’t. For example, giraffes are found in other countries in Africa. Use the map to look again at how Page 12
TEACHER RESOURCES many countries there are in Africa and where Ghana is. • Play a game of STOP/GO. Ask the children to walk around the room independently, using all the space available, and when you say STOP, to freeze like they are a statue. You could play music, and when the music stops they should freeze. When you say GO, they should move around the space again. • Explain that when you now say STOP, you will call out an animal and they should make themselves a statue of that animal. • Now bring the animals to life when you say GO, and ask the children to make the noises they imagine the animals would make and move how they would move. You may want to control this activity by asking the children to move in slow motion as the animals. Living landscape • Play some West African music in the background for the next activity. • Explain that as a class you will be recreating your own photograph or postcard of Ghana, using the images you have of landscapes, and ask the children to imagine those elements in the space. • Now ask for volunteers to come into the space one by one to create a living photograph of Ghana and its animals - in a photograph, we are as still as statues, unable to move or make a sound. Ask the children to choose an animal they want to be and create a statue of it with their body. • One by one, ask the children to add to the whole group image positioning their animal in relation to the others already in the picture. For example, if one is a lion and the other is an antelope, the lion might position themselves creeping up on the antelope. • Once the whole group is up, tap animals on the shoulder to see them brought to life on the spot and hear the noises they would make. • Get children to step out of the image and say what they see, describing it to the rest of the class. • This child can also “play” the group, choosing to tap one or two animals on the shoulders bringing the statues to life. Soundscape • Move the group into a circle and ask them to share the different sounds they created and heard in the living photograph. • Ask the group if there are other sounds they think they might hear in a Ghanaian landscape: maybe other animals, or leaves in the wind. • Introduce a range of percussive instruments, and ask for volunteers to choose one to help bring the sound of the West African landscape to life – is there an instrument that can make the sound of a rattlesnake? Is there something that could make the noise a hyena makes? • Explain that they can also use their bodies and voices as instruments to create different sounds. Page 13
TEACHER RESOURCES • Establish the instructions for conducting: when you point at a child, they should begin their chosen sound, and if you point at them again they should stop. When you lift up your hand, this means they should increase the volume, and when you lower your hand they lower the volume. When you move your hand swiftly across in a cutting motion, this is the signal that everyone should stop. • Stand in the middle of the circle and conduct the group; start by indicating to one child to begin their sound, and then gradually bring more children into the soundscape. Control the volume and bring different children in and out of the soundscape. • When you have conducted the class soundscape, give one or two children the opportunity to be the conductor.
STAGE THREE: STORY CIRCLE These activities will establish a structure which can then be used for the children to create their own stories based on an oral storytelling tradition. • Discuss with the children the different ways in which they hear stories, and which ways they particularly enjoy hearing a story; being told a story in their classroom, a relative reading to them at home, looking at a book alone, listening to audiobooks, watching a story on television or an iPad – try to think of all the different ways they experience stories. • Explain that when they come to the Unicorn, they will hear and see a story being acted out for them by actors – find out whether any of the children have been to the theatre before and what their experience was like. • For those who haven’t been to the theatre before, discuss what they imagine it might be like and describe some of the elements of theatre: the people telling the story will be there live in front of them; there will be an audience of their class as well as other children, perhaps, who gather for the story; the theatre is a special place built to share stories, and there will be a set, lights and costumes which will help bring the stories to life. • Explain that the Anansi stories are hundreds of years old, and originally, stories would have been told by a storyteller, who would gather everyone from a village together to listen. This was a time before books, computers, televisions, etc. • Read the storytelling script to them (resource one) and ask what they notice about where and how the storytelling takes place. • Work out a way to act out the storytelling script together, imagining that you are the villagers in the story, taking the children’s suggestions for how to bring the script to life using your bodies and voices. • When you have set up the storytelling, become the storyteller yourself and tell them one of the Anansi stories. Some suggestions are ‘Anansi and the Turtle’, ‘Anansi and the Magic Stick’, or ‘Anansi and the Melon’. • When you have told the story, discuss what we have found out about Anansi the spider. What kind of character is he? What words might you use to describe him? Page 14
TEACHER RESOURCES • You could create a role-on-the-wall outline of Anansi (resource two) and write down all of the words to describe who he is inside the outline. You can keep returning to this and adding more words as you discover more about the kind of character Anansi is. Storytelling and story-acting Having established the storytelling circle, you can now use this script to enable the children to create, tell and act out their own stories, using some of the animal characters from Anansi stories. Building on the process developed by Vivian Gussin Paley, this is a simple activity aimed at giving each individual child the chance to tell a story that they want to tell, in the way that they want to tell it. • Discuss the Anansi story you have just read together, and say that you are going to read the story again and bring children into the centre of the circle to act the story out. If you need to you can ‘Whoosh!’ the children away after a scene, and bring new children into the circle to act the next part out, ensuring that everyone is included (although with short stories, not everyone will have a go each time). • Now explain to the children that if they would like to tell their own story then they can, and these will be acted out in a later session by the rest of the class. Discuss the character of Anansi, and make clear that they can make their story about him if they like, or they might like to make up a story about some of the other animals you have explored. The children should also have the freedom to create whatever story they would like to tell. • Make yourself or a learning assistant available for the children throughout the day, and explain that you will write down their story for them. Ask the child to begin their story and write down word for word what their story is. It is important that you validate the story the child wants to tell; you can ask ‘Then what happens?’ but don’t make suggestions of where the story might go. When you think they have finished check by asking ‘Is that the end of your story?’ • Bring the class together in a story circle. You could use the call and response from stage one, or the oral storytelling structure from stage three to gather the children ready for their stories. • Choose two or three of the children’s stories to act out, depending on time. Explain that as the storyteller you will read the story out, and the class will act it out. Ask the child whose story it is which part they would like to play and then invite other children in the circle to act out the other parts. Children can become all elements of the story, such as the sea, trees, cars – whatever features in the story. • Make sure you act out all the stories children have told you, though this may take a few sessions using the storytelling circle.
Page 15
TEACHER RESOURCES
SEQUENCE TWO
ANANSI THE SPIDER: A TALE FROM THE ASHANTI AIMS To explore an Anansi story from the Ashanti region of Ghana. To act out the story, playing the different characters and bringing key moments to life. To use teacher and children in role to advise Anansi on the decision he has to make in the story.
RESOURCES Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti (Henry Holt and Company, 1987) by Gerald McDermott, ‘Anansi’s Sons’ Story Whoosh (resource three).
STRATEGIES Mime and movement, still image, story-acting, teacher in role, Story Whoosh.
INTRODUCTION This sequence explores this popular Anansi story using the striking visual picturebook version by Gerald McDermott, and offers a way for the children to step into the story.
STAGE ONE: ANANSI’S CHILDREN Character actions • Tell the children that today, you are going to look at an Anansi story, from the Ashanti people of south Ghana. • Explain that in the story, Anansi the spider has six children whose names describe what they are each good at doing. Show the children the images of the six sons from the book, and together come up with a simple action for each of them that can be repeated: See Trouble - an action such as raising a hand to the forehead, as though seeing trouble in the distance Road Builder - find an action for making a road River Drinker - a character capable of draining a river dry Page 16
TEACHER RESOURCES Game Skinner - a character good at skinning an animal after hunting them, so perhaps a cutting action? Stone Thrower - good at throwing stones accurately and far (a skill useful while hunting) Cushion - what action do the children think would be good for someone named ‘Cushion’? They will find out what they are good at in the story. • When you have decided on an action for each, call out the names and ask the children to respond with the appropriate action. Fruit bowl - Anansi’s children • Ask the children to sit in a circle and give each of them one of the character names from the story to remember in turn. Ask them to repeat their character’s name back to you, and to remember who they are for the game. • Stand in the middle of the circle and tell the children that you are going to call out a character from the story. If they hear their character’s name, they should stand up, cross the circle and find a new space to sit down. As they move across the circle, they should perform the action for their character. • Repeat this a number of times. You can call out more than one character’s name at a time, or if you call ‘Anansi’s children!’ they can all move at once, being careful not to bump in to each other. • You can choose one or two children to come into the middle and be the person to call out the names. Extension activity: this alternative uses the space in a different way. Stick up pictures of the sons and their names from the book in different places around the space. When you call the name of one of the characters, ask the children to move across the room to where the picture is, using the appropriate action as they travel. Rhythmic music can be played under this activity to give it a sense of performance.
STAGE TWO: THE STORY Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti - the story • Read the story Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, showing the pictures to the group, or act it out in your story-circle, up to the point at which ‘[Anansi] fell in trouble’. • Stop the story, and ask the group to discuss in pairs what kind of trouble Anansi might have got into, remembering what it is you know about the character of Anansi – share some ideas together. • In their pairs, ask children to create a still image of what they think could have happened to Anansi and the trouble he might have got into. • Share back the images and discuss what might be happening in their moments. • Continue with the story, either reading the book to the group showing them the pictures, or using the simplified Story Whoosh (resource three) to act it out. A Story Whoosh is a way of acting out a story with the whole class which allows you to see the Page 17
TEACHER RESOURCES narrative line, the action, and the characters in broad brushstrokes. It is important to go around the circle with each child taking part in turn, making it an inclusive and accessible activity in which all the children contribute to telling the story. The teacher takes an active role as narrator/director and supports the children in the creation of the images. • Stop the story again at ‘Which son of six deserves the prize?’ • Briefly discuss with the children which son of Anansi they think deserves the prize. Which son helped Anansi the most?
STAGE THREE: ADVICE FOR ANANSI • Explain that you are going to go into role as Anansi and you need to decide which son to give the prize to. Move them into six groups; each group will speak for one of the sons. Ask them to imagine they are going to try to persuade Anansi why it is that they helped him the most. • In role as Anansi, ask them to make their case, hearing from each group. Respond to what they say, gently challenging and offering a counter argument, exploring their disagreements, and encouraging the children to consider different perspectives. • In your role as Anansi, see if you can come up with another solution before concluding the in-role work by admitting it is a very difficult decision as they all contributed in different ways. • Act out the end of the Story Whoosh (resource three). • Discuss what the beautiful ball of light is, and how the story is about how the moon is there in the sky at night for all to enjoy. Discuss why it was that Anansi wanted to choose one person for the prize, and wasn’t able to make a decision of what to do with the globe of light.
Page 18
TEACHER RESOURCES
SEQUENCE THREE
ANANSI AND THE TWO DINNERS AIMS To explore one of the stories from the Unicorn’s production of Anansi the Spider, through use of a story circle. To share ideas about what it is like not to be able to decide between things, and having to make a choice. To discuss parties, and explore favourite things about them.
RESOURCES Maps of West Africa, Ghana and the Caribbean, signs saying ‘West Village’ and ‘East Village’ (resource four), images of a spider, a goat, a dog, and food from the two parties, ‘Anansi and the Two Dinners’ Story Whoosh (resource five).
STRATEGIES STOP/GO, vote with your feet decision-making, still image, Story Whoosh.
INTRODUCTION This sequence explores one of the stories that the children will see when they come to the Unicorn Theatre, and allows them to step into the story and explore the central dilemma: what do you do when you cannot choose between two things you want to do?
STAGE ONE: HAVING TO CHOOSE Introduction • Explain to the group that today we will be looking at an Anansi story from the Caribbean. Look at a map of the world together, and show how when people moved from Africa to the Caribbean the stories moved with them. If it feels appropriate for your class, this is a moment in which you can discuss how the people of Africa were taken against their will to work on the plantations as slaves. • Discuss why it is that when people move, they might want to bring their stories with them. • Ask the children who among them have family who come from West Africa, Ghana or the Caribbean, whether they have visited and what they know of these places.
Page 19
TEACHER RESOURCES STOP/GO • Start a game of STOP/GO with the children. • Once you have established the game introduce the new instruction: now when they are moving you will call out ‘Change your mind!’ and the children will change direction, and move in the opposite direction to before. • As you play the game, see if they can find a way to pause and find an action that shows them changing their mind and then moving off again in the other direction – you can draw attention to children who are clearly showing someone in the process of changing their mind. What do they do with their bodies? What are their facial expressions like? Pairs discussion: making a choice In the story ‘Anansi and the Two Dinners’, Anansi cannot decide which party he wants to go to first. This activity asks the children to explore how making a choice between two things you want can be difficult. • In pairs, ask the children to think about a time when they have had to make a choice. Hear back the children’s examples. In our partner school, children talked about buying new shoes and needing to decide between two pairs they loved, or choosing between going to visit family or playing with friends. Was it a difficult or easy decision to make? How did they make up their minds? Vote with your feet • Explain that you are going to give the children a series of choices, and they have to decide which choice they prefer and then vote with their feet, moving to one end of the hall or the other. • Tell them the first choice is between ice cream and cake, and that if they would choose ice cream they should stand at one side of the room, and if they would choose cake they should stand at the other end. You can prepare images for this game to remind the children of what they are choosing between. • Some decisions might be easier than others! If they find it difficult to decide between the two options, they can stand in the middle, but try and encourage them to choose one or the other. If there are children who are in the middle unable to choose, or moving one way and then changing their minds and moving back, draw the rest of the class’ attention to what they are doing and the body language which expresses that. All of the children can try out using body language that shows the moment of indecision. • When the children have voted with their feet, ask them why they made the choice that they did and if it was difficult to choose. Ask the children in the middle why they cannot decide. Ask the children if they want to change their mind, now that they have heard other people’s reasons for picking what they have. • Continue with a range of options you think the children might have difficulty choosing between. For example: swimming pool with flumes or the seaside? Scooter or bicycle? Sour or sweet Haribos? Fried chicken or pizza? Ask children to come up with their own pair of options for the game, challenging them to think of things that would be a really difficult choice for their classmates.
Page 20
TEACHER RESOURCES • At one point in the game, ask the children to choose between going to a party and something else – maybe a trip to the cinema, or to an amusement park. It is important to acknowledge that not everyone loves a party. When we played this game with our partner school, a number of children said that they would rather stay at home with their family than go to a party. Group still images: a great party • Explain that Anansi the spider loves going to parties. Ask the children what they like about parties and what their favourite things to do at parties are. Write everyone’s ideas on a big piece of paper. Ideas that the children at our primary Collaborate partner school came up with included: breaking the piñata, eating cake, kicking and bouncing balloons around, seeing friends, dancing, presents, party bags, party games, and bouncy castles. • Move the class into groups of four or five, and ask them to think of three things that would make a great party and to create three still images that show their ideas. Put some music on underneath, and when they have their ideas, ask them to practice moving from image one, to image two, to image three as you call out. • See the still images, and discuss what they see and like in each other’s work. • With younger children, you can lead the class through different images rather than asking them to choose which images they would like to make. You can take them through bouncing balloons; playing pass the parcel; singing happy birthday and someone blowing candles out; dancing; eating delicious food; playing musical statues etc.
STAGE TWO: ANANSI AND THE TWO DINNERS STORY WHOOSH • Explain that in this story, Anansi is invited to two parties. At Dog’s party, there will be a delicious meal of fried chicken, rice and peas, plantain, coconut cake and custard. At Goat’s party, there will be calaloo, lobster, pepper soup with dumplings and chocolate ice-cream. Show the children some images of the food, and ask them which dinner they would choose if they were offered. Stick the images of the food up on either side of the room for later, along with a picture of the Dog and the Goat. • Seat the children in a circle and run a Story Whoosh of ‘Anansi and the Two Dinners’ (resource five). As you narrate the story, ask the children to come into the centre of the circle one by one and act out each part of the Story Whoosh. When you say ‘Whoosh!’ everybody in the middle of the circle returns to their seat, and then you can go on with the next children in turn in the circle to act out the next moment. • In the Story Whoosh provided, we have indicated moments where it would be good to pause the story and either have a short discussion in pairs, or to respond in small groups with image work. • When you have finished the Story Whoosh, discuss what more you have discovered about the character of Anansi; add any new words you can think of to describe him onto your role on the wall outline from Sequence One. ‘Anansi and the Two Dinners’ is one of the stories in the Unicorn’s production, so they will see our version of the story when they come to see the play. Page 21
TEACHER RESOURCES
SEQUENCE FOUR
HOW SPIDER GOT A BALD HEAD AIMS To further explore the character of Anansi the trickster. To re-enact moments from the story individually, in small groups and as a whole class.
RESOURCES The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales (Little, Brown, 1964) by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst, ‘How Spider Got A Bald Head’ Story Whoosh (resource six).
STRATEGIES Story Whoosh, paired discussion, individual mime work, group story building.
INTRODUCTION The story ‘Anansi and the Two Dinners’ explained how the spider came to have such a small waist. This Anansi story explains why spiders have bald heads. The story illustrates how Anansi’s love of food leads to his misfortune. The theme of greed and Anansi’s tendency to try and outwit and trick others for his own gain will be a strong feature in the three stories which make up the play at the Unicorn. The simple activities in this section could be adapted for use with any of the Anansi stories that you would like to explore with your class. Reading the story • Begin by reading the story ‘How Spider Got A Bald Head’ in Joyce Cooper Arkhurt’s collection of Anansi stories. Mime: creating key moments • Ask the children to find their own space in the room, and ask them to imagine and mime moments from the story: - Anansi waking up in the morning - Anansi planting rice - Anansi smelling beans and following the smell - Anansi putting the beans inside his hat - Anansi dancing as the beans grow hotter and hotter, on his head - Anansi taking off his hat and realising his head is bald Page 22
TEACHER RESOURCES - Anansi hiding in the grass Group images: favourite moments from the story • Move the class into small groups and ask the children to show their favourite moment from the story in a still image. • See the different still images, and explain that on your signal, they can bring their image to life and add movement and sound. • Discuss the moments the children have chosen and what it is they particularly enjoy at that point in the story. ‘How Spider Got a Bald Head’ Story Whoosh • Seat the children in a circle, and run a Story Whoosh of ‘How Spider Got A Bald Head’ (resource six). • As you narrate the story, ask the children to come into the centre of the circle one by one, and act out each part of the Story Whoosh. When you say ‘Whoosh!’ everybody in the middle of the circle returns to their seat, and you can continue with the next children in turn in the circle to act out the next moment. • At the end of the Story Whoosh, discuss what more you have found out about Anansi and the kind of character he is. You can add more words or images that you think describe him to your role on the wall outline of Anansi.
Page 23
TEACHER RESOURCES
RESOURCE ONE Sometimes at night when the moon is bright after a long day’s work Men, women and children gather to talk and hear stories. The moon is so bright you can see all of their faces The forest is tall and black behind them and it is full of night noises. (All perform sounds) Crickets sing And tree bears cry Tree frogs croak and elephants and leopards are walking softly. Once the people have gathered they cry: All: Let’s call the story teller! Who comes in a sits on a low stool in the middle of the circle All: Tell us a story about a spider!
Page 24
TEACHER RESOURCES
RESOURCE TWO
Page 25
TEACHER RESOURCES
RESOURCE THREE ANANSI’S SONS STORY WHOOSH Time was Anansi the spider had six sons – each with a different talent: See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower and Cushion. Whoosh One day, Anansi was out walking when he got lost - trying to find his way, he fell off a cliff into the river. His son See Trouble saw what had happened from far away in the distance and said “Father is in danger.” Whoosh The next child, Road Builder, said “Follow me,” and quickly built a road and all the others (See Trouble, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower and Cushion) followed him along the road to find Anansi. Whoosh But when they arrived at the river, they could see that a fish had swallowed Anansi. River Drinker knelt down and took a big drink of the river and they managed to grab the fish with Anansi still inside. Whoosh Then Game Skinner came to help. He split open the fish and Anansi jumped out. Whoosh But Anansi’s troubles weren’t over yet, as a falcon flew down and took father Anansi in his claws and flew back up into the sky Stone Thrower came to help. He threw a stone at the falcon, and the falcon let go of Anansi who began to fall down from the sky. Rushing forward, Cushion came to help, and lay down ready to catch Anansi when he landed, providing him with a soft landing. All of the children were happy that their father was safe, and Anansi was very grateful. Whoosh Later that night, Anansi was out in the forest when he saw a great globe of light; a mysterious and beautiful thing, he picked it up and thought he would give it to the son who was responsible for rescuing him. He took the globe of light to Nyame – for the Ashanti, Nyame is the God of all things and he asked Nyame to hold the globe of light until he could decide which son to give it to. But who should that be who helped Father Anansi the most? Which of his six sons deserves the prize? Page 26
TEACHER RESOURCES Whoosh (In-role work: Anansi tries to decide who should have the mysterious globe of light. Break the drama and move the children into role as the six sons.) Gather back into the circle and continue the Story Whoosh: Anansi and his sons See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower and Cushion couldn’t decide who most deserved the prize (here, children can improvise some of the things they said in the in-role work). Nyame saw that they could not decide, and so he took the beautiful white light up into the sky and left it there for all to see. It is still there. It will always be there. It is there tonight.
Page 27
TEACHER RESOURCES
WEST VILLAGE
RESOURCE FOUR
Page 28
EAST VILLAGE
TEACHER RESOURCES
Page 29
TEACHER RESOURCES
RESOURCE FIVE ANANSI AND THE TWO DINNERS STORY WHOOSH Anansi was a mischievous spider who loved to go to parties. He thought he was the best dancer and loved to show off. He was very popular and was always invited to parties. Whoosh One day Anansi was out walking when he bumped into Brer Dog. Brer Dog invited Anansi to a party the next day and told him there would be a delicious dinner of fried chicken, rice and peas, plantain, coconut cake and custard. “That sounds like a good dinner!” said Anansi. “I’ll definitely come to your party,” he said, and Brer Dog handed him an invitation. “The party is at 3pm tomorrow. I live in the West Village.” Whoosh Later that day Anansi bumped into Brer Antelope who invited him to his party. “I’ll be cooking calaloo, lobster, pepper soup with dumplings and chocolate ice-cream.” “That sure sounds like a good dinner!” said Anansi. “I’ll come to your party.” “Good,” said Brer Antelope, “My party is tomorrow at 3pm. I live in the East Village.” And he handed Anansi a note with his address on. Whoosh [Pause Story Whoosh – ask the children to discuss the following in pairs: Anansi has two parties on the same day at the same time. How will he choose which party to go to? How would they decide?] The next day Anansi rose early and began to get ready for the parties. His sons Kwek and Kuma asked if they could come too, and Anansi said yes. So they set off to the parties, with Anansi looking forward to two dinners. Whoosh As Anansi, Kwek and Kuma walked along all the animals came out of their houses: Turtle, Cockerel, Chicken, and Aardvark. They had all been invited to one party or another. As they walked along Anansi boasted “I’m going to both parties, and will have a better time than all of you!” Whoosh When all the animals - Anasi, Kwek, Kuma, Turtle, Cockerel, Chicken, Hog and Aardvark - reached the cross roads, there was a signpost pointing to West Village in one direction and East Village in the other direction. The other animals set off to their parties, but Anansi and his sons couldn’t decide which party to go to first. First they went a little way west towards Brer Dog’s party, but then after a few steps turned around and then went a little way east, towards Brer Antelope party. Page 30
TEACHER RESOURCES Back at the signpost, Anansi said “I need to go to the party serving food first, but how will I know which it is?” Kuma had an idea. “We’ll go ahead, and can tell you when the food is served – one of us will go to Brer Dog’s party, and the other will go to Brer Antelope’s”. Whoosh [Pause the Whoosh and discuss: the parties are far away on each side of the island. How can the sons let Anansi know when the dinner is being served?] At the crossroads, Anansi instructed his sons to run home and get two long ropes, whilst Anansi stood at the crossroads inbetween the two parties. When they returned, he said “Tie both ropes around my waist,” and he gave one rope to Kuma and one to Kwek. Then Anansi told them, “When food is being served, pull on the rope and I’ll know the food is being served.” So Kwek and Kuma set off, one to the West Village and the other to the East Village. Whoosh Kwek arrived at Brer Dog’s party and joined the other animals having a lovely time. Kwek was a great dancer and showed off all the moves he’d learnt from his father. The animals played party games, Kwek told jokes and everyone laughed, and they all sang songs. Whoosh Kuma was also having a good time at Brer Antelope’s party, with all the other animals. He was the life and soul of his party, and was the centre of attention with his great dancing. They also played party games, told jokes and sang songs. Whoosh Back at the crossroads Anansi was bored and hungry. He waited and waited. At four-thirty, Brer Dog stopped Kwek and all the animals dancing and announced that food was served. Kwek immediately pulled on a rope to signal to Anansi. But at exactly the same time, four-thirty, Brer Antelope stopped all the animals at her party and announced that food was served, and Kuma pulled on the rope too. Whoosh Anansi felt the rope pulling to the West and to the East at the same time. The more they pulled at the same time the more he could not move. [Pause the Whoosh. What do they think happened to Anansi? In threes, ask them if they can show this in a still picture, with one person as Anansi, one Kwek, and one Kuma. Return to the story circle to continue the Whoosh.] In the West Village, Kwek ate a plateful of chicken rice and peas with Brer Dog, whilst still pulling on Page 31
TEACHER RESOURCES the rope. In the East Village, Kuma ate the calaloo and lobster with Brer Antelope, whilst also still pulling on the rope. When they had finished, they thanked their hosts left the party and started home. Whoosh When Kwek and Kuma got to the crossroads, Anansi was waiting, the ropes pulled tight around his waist and looking very thin and hungry. His body had puffed out like two balloons above and below his waist. And from that day, that is how Anansi looks. Kuma and Kwek did their best to hide their laughter and to try not to show what a great time they had at the party. Anansi returned home hungry and went to bed on an empty stomach, all because he couldn’t make up his mind about which party to go to.
Page 32
TEACHER RESOURCES
RESOURCE SIX HOW SPIDER GOT A BALD HEAD STORY WHOOSH One morning, Anansi the spider awoke early in his little leaf house beside the small river. The sun was shining bright and the sky was as clear as a bell. Anansi smelled the good breakfast his wife Aso was making. He felt good all over. He wanted to do something to help someone. Whoosh Anansi decided he would help his mother-in-law plant her rice. So he set off to her farm, which was a long way away, and as he walked the sun grew hotter and hotter. He crossed long bridges over rivers, and walked down pathways that cut between tall grass. Whoosh When Anansi arrived he was very hungry. “Good morning,” Anansi said to his mother-in-law. “I have come to help you plant your rice.” His mother-in-law was overjoyed. “When we have finished,” she said, “We shall have lunch. I know you are very fond of beans, and I will cook you the best ones I have.” And she put the beans into the pot, stirred them around and ground some pepper into the beans. Whoosh Anansi set to work on the farm, but as he planted the rice he could smell the delicious smell of the beans cooking in the pot. How he tried not to notice it! But the smell got closer and closer and Anansi couldn’t help following the smell. In fact, each time he dug a hole and planted a seed, he seemed to take a step closer to the pot of beans - it looked almost like a little dance. Whoosh Finally, Anansi couldn’t resist any longer, and ran over to the cooking pot. He looked around to check no one was looking, took off his hat, and poured some of the beans into it with a long spoon. And then he ate them. Mmmmm! They were good. He piled up his hat with more beans until it was almost full. In the fields not far away, people were planting rice. Suddenly a flock of birds flew down and tried to steal the seeds. People shouted and clapped their hands at them to scare them off. There stood Anansi with his hat full of beans – and he wondered what on earth to do. What a disgrace to be caught with a full hat of beans. There was no time to hide them and no time to run away. Whoosh [Pause the Whoosh to discuss: what should Anansi do with the beans in his hat to avoid getting in trouble? Ask the children to discuss in pairs and then share back suggestions with the group. Continue the Story Whoosh.] Anansi could think of no other option than to throw the hat of boiling beans onto his head. And, of course, you can guess what happened. The beans began to burn his head. Anansi started to shake his head and jump up and down, and run around in a circle. The hotter the beans got, the faster he Page 33
TEACHER RESOURCES moved. Whoosh The people in the fields started to notice the way Anansi was acting and asked him what the matter was. “I’m doing the hat-shaking dance!” he said, and he moved his head faster and faster. “I must go to my father’s village, for there it is the hat-shaking festival,” he lied. Whoosh But as Anansi ran down the hill so did all the people following him – they wanted to know all about the hat-shaking festival. As he ran down the hill the beans got hotter and hotter, until Anansi could take it no more. He threw of his hats and the beans, onions meat and pepper scattered everywhere. Whoosh Everyone roared with laughter for Anansi’s head was as bald as an egg. Not a hair left on it. Anansi was so ashamed that he asked the long grass to open for him so he could hide. The grass took pity on him and hid him. And that is why spiders like to walk through grass and why even today they are still bald.
Page 34
ANANSI THE
SPIDER
A Unicorn Production Created and directed by Justin Audibert Resource pack written by Lucy Dear and Catherine Greenwood