èßäAV

Learning Objectives 

Students will: 

• Gather information about Sundiata Keita, the Dama, and the Sirige.
• Investigate qualities associated with specific animals in Malian art.
• Describe the role of ceremonies in fostering history, culture, and traditions.
• Apply basic concepts and techniques of African drumming.
• Create a Malian puppet. 
• Coordinate a drumming and puppet performance for an audience. 

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts StandardsNational Core Arts Standards

Common Core State StandardsCommon Core State Standards

Recommended Student Materials

Books or Digital Text

Websites

•  
• Five(ish) Minute African Drumming Lesson 1: The Djembe

Additional Materials

• Djembe Drum
• Adaptive Drum: large tin can, piece of chamois, string, glue, fabric, paint
• Puppet Creation: fabric, string, cardboard or poster board, scissors, sticks or pencils, tape, glue, paints or markers

Teacher Background

The teacher should be familiar with Malian culture and the story of Sundiata.

Student Prerequisites 

Students should be familiar with the role of festivals, ceremonies, and traditions across cultures.

Accessibility Notes

Provide assistive technologies during research and the art-making process. Allow sufficient space for movement around the room. 

Engage

1. Write the word “hero” on the board. Ask students: How does a hero differ from a star or celebrity? Who are some heroes from history? What traits do they have in common? Who decides if someone is a hero?

2. Introduce students to Sundiata, the first ruler and founder of Mali. Share the story of Sundiata with the class with one of the following resources: , , or . Tell the class that history in West Africa was frequently preserved by storytellers called Griots (GREE-ohs), who used music and storytelling to make learning about history more like watching a performance than sitting in a class.

3. Engage students in a class discussion about Sundiata. Ask students: What challenges did Sundiata have to overcome in order to help his people? Why? To what extent does he succeed by using his mind? Sundiata is called the “Lion King”. What qualities do we associate with lions? How does Sundiata embody those qualities? (Direct students to think also about the fact that lions are small and seemingly helpless when they are young cubs, but they grow up to be strong and brave.) 

4. Show the video . Tell students the Disney movie The Lion King was based in part on the legend of Sundiata. Ask students: If you’ve seen the movie, what similarities between the story and movie do you recognize?

5. Generate a class list of ways stories of heroes, legends, historical figures, and family members are honored. Ask students to think about ways they were passed on prior to books and the internet. 

Build

1. Discuss what students know about ceremonies. Ask students: What ceremonies have you witnessed or participated in? Where do we observe ceremonies in school, family life, community life, and in worship? How do ceremonies help to teach people things? How do they help us to preserve history?

2. Explain to students that like people around the world, the people of Mali use ceremonies to preserve and celebrate their cultural history. Ceremonies in West Africa often use music and dance to teach children and remind adults about significant people and events from the past. Ask students: How do people use music and festivals to teach about history?

3. Share the resources, and with students. Discuss the Dama ceremony and the Sirige masks. Every person in the village attends each of these festivals. The Dama ceremony is important because it teaches Dogon children (Dogon refers to a region in southern Mali) about the community’s most sacred religious beliefs. These ceremonies also remind the adults in the Dogon community of the beliefs that they share. Attending these ceremonies is similar to attending important services and ceremonies in other religions.

4. Have students share what they noticed about the Dama ceremony and the masks. Ask students: What type of instruments did you notice? Did they remind you of any instruments? How did the dancers seem to be grouped? What animal did the stilt dancers remind you of? (Note: They are meant to suggest birds.) What other animals did the masks or movements remind you of? How does the music and dancing set the mood of the ceremony?

One of the most important elements of these festivals is the use of masks. Masks used in ceremonies of this kind are meant to show the personalities and strengths of people from the village's history. Typically, this is done through animal imagery. The behavior and habits of various animals make us associate them with certain personality traits. What are some of the character traits that we associate with various animals? (The sly fox; the fearless lion; the loyal dog are just a few examples.)

Apply

1. Show the video . Have students observe the way African drumming and puppetry work together in this Malian Puppet tradition. 

2. Choose an art form often featured in a ceremony or as a source of storytelling. Within Mali, there are different tribes and ethnic groups with their own traditions. Divide students into pairs. One student will learn drumming and the other will learn about puppetry. The pairs should collaborate with one another because they will plan a performance.

-Five(ish) Minute African Drumming Lesson 1: The Djembe

-

3. Allow time for students to watch the videos and gather basic facts and concepts. If African drums are not available, students can make a simple drum. Begin with a clean, empty coffee can, or another large can. Soak a piece of chamois (very soft leather available at craft stores and automotive stores), wring it out, and stretch it tightly over the top of the can. Fasten the chamois with glue and secure it by winding string, yarn, or twine around it. The chamois will tighten as it dries to form a good drumming surface. The base of the drum may be decorated with paper, fabric, and/or paint.

Provide supplies for students to create puppets: fabric, string, cardboard or poster board, scissors, sticks or pencils, tape, glue, paints, or markers. 

4. Students will begin practicing the drumming techniques and/or creating their puppets. Once each student is ready, have the drumming partner collaborate with the puppet partner to plan a performance.

Reflect 

1. Create a space for students to perform. Students should be prepared to share historical and technical facts about traditional Malian drumming or puppetry. 

2. Perform for an audience. Student groups can perform for each other, another, class, or a special event. 

3. Assess students’ knowledge of how ceremonies foster history, culture, and traditions. Ask students: What role does storytelling, music, and puppetry play in a ceremony or ritual?