African Safari

A WebQuest for 3rd Grade

Language Arts/ Visual Arts

Designed by:

Jessica Craig

mailto:jessiemay11@yahoo.com

DeNelle Hickman

mailto:denellehickman@hotmail.com

Introduction

Task

Process

Resources

Evaluation

Conclusion

Teachers Notes

 

Introduction: h   

 

You have been chosen to journey on an African Safari.  Each of you will learn valuable information about the lifestyles of two of five different African Tribes.  By taking this journey, you will become aware of a culture different from you own.   

 

Task: h

 

You will be traveling individually to two different African locations.  While you are there you will take notes of the population, history, economy, political systems, and religion of the specific tribes from that location.  When you return home from your journey, you will have a completed paper about two of the tribes and a finished piece of artwork. 

 

Process: h

 

1.         Choose 2 tribes you would like to research.

2.         Click on each tribe to research their culture.

3.         After researching, you must write a paper explaining what you have learned.  The paper must consist of one paragraph for each tribe researched. 

4.         The paper must address three key facts for each tribe.

5.         Along with writing a paper, you will also create a work of art from one of the two tribes you chose.  To do this you must click on the picture of the artwork below.

 

Resources: h

 

Want to know more about a tribe?

Fang

Punu

Maasai

Zulu

Samburu

 

 

Evaluation: h

 

Language Arts Rubric

Items to be graded

Needs Work

(1)

Shows some signs of

(2)

Satisfactory

(3)

Exemplary

(4)

Uses proper punctuation/capitalization

In Paragraphs

Shows little or no signs of punctuation and capitalization use.

Shows some signs of punctuation and capitalization use.

There are few mistakes in punctuation and capitalization use.

There are no mistakes found in using punctuation and capitalization.

Write legibly in cursive, spacing letters, words and sentences appropriately

Writing is not legible and there is not proper spacing between words.

Some of the sentences are legible and some letters and words are spaced appropriately.

Most of the writing is legible and most letters and words are spaced appropriately.

All of the writing is legible and all of the letters and words are spaced appropriately.

Spell all familiar high-frequency words, words with short vowels and common endings correctly

Little or no words are spelled correctly.

Some of the familiar words are spelled correctly.

Most of the familiar words are spelled correctly.

All of the familiar words are spelled correctly.

Includes three facts from each of the two tribes they write about

There are no facts given about either tribe.

One fact is given about each tribe.

Two facts are given about each tribe.

At least three facts are given about each tribe.

Includes two full paragraphs, one for each tribe

There are only a few sentences written.

There is one, full paragraph written but it is not indented.

There are two paragraphs written about each tribe but the paragraphs need a bit more information in each.

There are two paragraphs written about each tribe that fully meets the requirements.

 

The students should receive a minimum 15 (75%) on the language arts rubric. This means that the students will have a satisfactory score.

 

Visual Arts Rubric

Items to be graded

Needs Work

(1)

Shows some signs of

(2)

Satisfactory

(3)

Exemplary

(4)

The student has used materials that are required

Uses little or no materials that are required for the artwork.

Uses some of the materials that are required for the artwork.

Uses most of the materials that are required for the artwork.

Uses all of the materials that are required for the artwork.

The student has shown effort in creating art work

Shows little or no effort in creating the artwork.

Shows some effort in creating the artwork.

Shows effort in creating the artwork but it could have improved with more time spent on it.

The artwork was continued until it was complete as the designer could make it; gave it effort far beyond that required.

Shows elements of design, color, shape

Shows little or no elements of design, color and shape.

Shows some signs of elements of design, color and shape.

Shows most signs of elements of design, color and shape.

Shows all elements of design, color and shape.

Uses African influences in creating artwork

Does not follow directions; the artwork does not look that of the African tribe.

Shows some sign of the influences of the African tribe in artwork.

Shows most signs of the influences of the African tribe in the artwork.

All of the African tribe  influences are used in their artwork.

The student should receive a minimum of 12 (75%) on the visual arts rubric.  This means the students will have a satisfactory score.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion: h

 

Congratulations!!!

You have successfully completed your assignment!  You have traveled to Africa, studied the cultures of two different African Tribes, created a piece of artwork, and completed a paper of what you have learned. 

 

Teachers Notes: h

This unit is a fantastic way to introduce cultural diversity to your students. It was designed for third grade students covering Language Arts and Visual Arts components.  With some alterations, this WebQuest can be introduced to students at the second grade level up to eighth grade.  This lesson should take a total of three hours.  The first two hours should be divided into one-hour sessions for the first day.  Using the first hour to research and the second hour to write the paragraphs.  The third hour should be used on the second day and should be spent creating the artwork.

 

Prior to this assignment, the students should have basic knowledge of computer usage; they should be familiar with writing techniques, language usage and basic units of design, color and shape.  This WebQuest could be used in a unit focusing on cultural diversity.

 

Ohio Department of Education: Academic Content Standards

Curriculum Standards: Language Arts

Standard: Reading Process

Establish a purpose for reading.

The students will establish a purpose for reading to be informed. They will understand that they need to acquire information by reading before they write their paragraphs.

Standard: Reading Process

Compare and contrast information between texts and across subject areas.

The students will compare and contrast information from two different African tribes by reading the information they will find at the websites provided. They will describe these African tribes and two well-written paragraphs.

Standard: Reading Process

Summarize texts, sequencing information accurately and include main ideas and details as appropriate.

The students will summarize the information they will find on the two particular tribes and will then put these main ideas into two well-written paragraphs.

Standard: Writing Applications

Write informational reports that include the main ideas and significant details from the text.

The students will recall main ideas from the readings they have just read and write a paragraph that includes those points.

Standard: Writing Conventions

Write legibly in cursive, space letters, words and sentences appropriately.

Spell all familiar high-frequency words, words with short vowels and common endings correctly.

Use resources to check spelling.

Use correct capitalization.

 

The students will be writing two paragraphs that will be graded on the standards listed above. The students will use the websites given to check their spelling on unfamiliar words they will have to use in their paragraphs.

 

 

Curriculum Standards: Visual Arts

Standard: Historical, cultural, and social context: understanding the role of the arts in people’s lives

Observe environmental, social, and personal events and record information in an understandable and accurate fashion using one or more art form.

The students will research different African cultures and will choose one of the cultures to create an artwork from.

Standard: Historical, cultural, and social context: understanding the role of the arts in people’s lives

Investigate processes and conventions used by various cultures, past and present, to create works or art.

The students will research different African cultures and will choose one of the cultures to create an artwork from.

 

 

 

 

 

Fang Tribal Mask h

          What You Need:

What To Do:

1.      Draw an oval shape on the large piece of paper. The larger the better ... masks can cover more then just the face. Cut the oval shape out of the paper.

2.      At both the top and bottom of the oval, make a 1" cut. (You will later take these cuts; fold the paper across itself and staple so the mask has some dimension).

3.      Draw and cut out where the eyeholes and mouth and nose holes (if any) are going to be.

4.      Decorate the mask by using bright crayon colors or bright paint colors.

5.      Even more details can be added with magic markers and crayons.

6.      Now, where you made your cuts, fold the paper and staple in place. This will give your mask more dimensions.

7.      Glue found objects as decorations on the mask. Anything from feathers and string to beads and tissue paper.

8.      Staple string onto the mask so it can be tied around your head.

Project Completed!

Punu Tribal Mask h

          What You Need:

What To Do:

1.      Draw an oval shape on the large piece of paper. The larger the better ... masks can cover more then just the face. Cut the oval shape out of the paper.

2.      At both the top and bottom of the oval, make a 1" cut. (You will later take these cuts; fold the paper across itself and staple so the mask has some dimension).

3.      Draw and cut out where the eyeholes and mouth and nose holes (if any) are going to be.

4.      Decorate the mask by using bright crayon colors or bright paint colors.

5.      Even more details can be added with magic markers and crayons.

6.      Now, where you made your cuts, fold the paper and staple in place. This will give your mask more dimensions.

7.      Glue found objects as decorations on the mask. Anything from feathers and string to beads and tissue paper.

8.      Staple string onto the mask so it can be tied around your head.

Project Completed!

 

Maasai Tribal Bracelets h

          What You Need:

 

 

          What You Do:

 

  1. Cut a piece of elastic thread about 10” long.
  2. Tie a bead onto one end of the piece of thread so the other beads do not fall off.
  3. String desired beads onto the elastic.
  4. When you are done, tie the two ends together so the bracelet fits fairly snug around your wrist.
  5. Cut off any extra thread.

 

Project Completed!

 

Zulu Tribal Baskets h

            What You Need:

          What You Do:

 

**To make a two-color basket, you will need 19 long strips of the primary color and 8 of the secondary color.

 

Project Completed!

 

Samburu Tribal Wedding Necklaces h

 

          What You Need:

 

 

What You Do:

 

  1. Cut a 15” length of steel wire and form it into a round hoop.  With needle nose pliers, bend a small J-hook at one end.
  2. Thread the wire with beads until the hoop is full, leaving a ½” of wire exposed near each end.  Use solid color schemes or alternate two or three colors.  Bend the other end into a J-hook.  The two J’s should hook onto each other and hold the necklace in place, with tension, when finished.
  3. Take a piece of string and loop it around the necklace’s bottom end.  Pull tight so that the two strands are an inch or two apart.
  4. Thread the strands with beads and a button.  Knot the button at the back.

 

Project Completed!

 

 

Sources

 

http://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/fang_tribe.html

http://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/punu_tribe.html

http://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/maasai_tribe.html

www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/zulu_tribe.html

www.kent.k12.wa.us/curriculum/soc_studies/kenya/samburu/samburu.html

www.kinderart.com