Melina Varney Timeline

Curriculum TimelineWEEK 1

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

ReadingQuick-Write & Pair-Share What do you think life is like in Africa?

Class Discussion KWL chart; What do we think we know about Africa? What are we still wondering?

Activity Take two column notes (observations and questions) on photographs from Africa& discuss

ReadingThink-Pair-Share What is culture?

Read-Aloud Introduction Africa Is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight& debrief

Group Work Read excerpts from Africa Is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight; groups make comparisons between several African countries

WritingQuick-Write & Pair-Share What are important pieces of your own culture?

introduce portfolio assignment and research project

Class Discussion What are elements of culture? Which of these elements could we research?

Writing Workshop

ReadingThink-Pair-Share How do we study other cultures?

Read-Aloud “The Sacred Rac”& debrief

WritingQuick-Write & Pair-Share What are some pieces of your own culture that may seem strange from an outsider’s perspective?

Activity Cultural essentialism (lesson plan 1); brainstorm sentence starters for talking about culture

Writing Workshopmeet with group members; look through sources; begin filling out graphic organizer about Senegal’s culture

ReadingThink-Pair-Share How can we observe other cultures in non-judgmental ways?

Activity Take two column notes (observations and questions) on photographs from Senegal

Class Discussion What kind of observations did you make? What do you think is going on in the picture? Were you able to stay non-judgmental?

WritingQuick-Write & Pair-Share Imagine your parents just told you you’re moving to Senegal. Describe your first day of school in the country.

Writing Workshopcontinue conducting research and filling out graphic organizer

ArtThink-Pair-Share Show students pictures of Cheri Samba’s art; What do you notice? What sticks out to you?

Class Discussion What does Cheri Samba’s art tell us about West African culture?

Lecture/Brainstorm Introduce project and brainstorm topics. Task: Think about your own culture and how you would want other people to see it. Are there things that you wish you could change about it? Create a piece of artwork about a piece of your culture. (Connect to SS study of gun violence in the community)

Project work on artwork

Melina Varney Timeline

independently brainstorm list of elements they may want to research; begin looking at resources

key activities performances of understanding on-going assessments

WEEK 2

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10

ReadingThink-Pair-Share What have you learned about Senegalese culture?

Activity pictures Senegal or America based on evidence

Activity Google Maps tour from Philadelphia to Senegal

WritingQuick-Write & Pair-Share What similarities and differences did you discover between Senegal and the US based on the picture activity?

Class Discussion influences of West African culture on

ReadingThink-Pair-Share Why is it important to learn about other cultures?

Group Work read CIA Factbook pages for Senegal and the US; take two column notes: What stands out to you? What do you have questions about?

WritingQuick-Write & Pair-Share How has learning about Senegal influenced your view of your own culture?

Class Discussion Dakar vs tribal culture & graphic organizer

ReadingThink-Pair-Share What was the most interesting thing you’ve learned?

Partner Work read poem from Senegalese street poet, annotate; What do you think the main idea is? What sticks out to you? What questions do you have?

Read-Aloud read poem to whole group; talk about students’ notes; watch youtube video of poem

WritingQuick-Write & Pair-Share Imagine you just moved from Senegal to the United States. Describe your first day of

ReadingPresentations groups present their research on an aspect of Senegalese culture to the class

WritingWorkshop final reflection and portfolio work time

ArtThink-Pair-Share “In [Senegal] ...everyone is an artist because art in Africa is not a commercial enterprise but is part of life itself.” What do you think this means?

Discussion share art from Senegalese artists

Project work on artwork

Melina Varney Timeline

the US

Writing Workshopfinish graphic organizer; start planning how to present information

Writing Workshopbegin final product

school in America.

Writing Workshopfinish final product; practice presentation

key activities performances of understanding on-going assessments