This week:
More African Storytelling!
We really enjoyed re-visiting Africa this week for a fun and interactive class on storytelling and its importance in African culture! The kids learned what a "myth" or "legend" is, and we had fun talking about the trickster "Anansi", the popular spider from many African myths.
We also thought about some of the "tricksters" that we know in American myths; the kids were very clever and compared the spider to one of our known mythical tricksters...the wolf!
The interesting tale I used about Anansi was a myth about how the spider got 8 long, thin legs. In the story, Anansi is a hungry and greedy spider, and wanders around the forest smelling his friends' food. He doesn't want to stay until each dish is done cooking, because he is afraid they may ask them to work while he waits. So instead, he spins a long silken thread and ties it to his leg, asking the friends to pull the thread when the food is done. He does this 8 times, for 8 different meals with 8 different friends, until all of his legs have threads tied on them. Then, WHOOPS! All of the meals are done at once, and the spider's legs are pulled long and thin (and he never does get a meal!).
I used 8 long ribbons tied to a spider on a black handkerchief as a prop for the story, and the children played the parts of Anansi's animal friends. They really enjoyed the story!
I also used the spider puppet as a prop for our younger children while I sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and additionally, we tried out a new movement song in infant class (posted below).
A Bouncing We Will Go
(To the tune of "Farmer in the Dell")
A-Bouncing we will go
A-Bouncing we will go
Tick-a-tack, a-brick-a-brack
A-Bouncing we will go!
We substituted different movements for bouncing each time--from stomping, to clapping! =) Caregivers held babies in their laps and helped them move to the music.
Additionally, all classes practiced our Langston Hughes poem, "Bouquet!"
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD
1) What trickster animal was in the African myth? The spider, Anansi
2) What did the spider want to do? Eat his friend's foods
3) What were some of the foods that Anansi was trying to eat? Greens, beans, cooking meat, plantains or bananas, mangoes, carrots, etc...