Kusema. An Instructional Unit for Language Arts, K-7.

This teaching guide (entitled "Kusema,""to speak") presents a multi-sensory approach to teaching language-oriented activities on Africa to students in kindergarten through grade seven. This approach encourages students to verbalize and interpret verbalizations about Africa by employing multiple senses including auditory (records, tapes, verbal questions); visual (pictures and maps); tactile (art objects and cloth); and olfactory and taste (natural and cooked foods). The unit is a product of an interdisciplinary summer workshop for teachers on African curriculum development. Objectives are to have students improve their general knowledge and attitudes about Africa, investigate customs in various African nations, and interpret literal and figurative language. Twelve lessons focus on a variety of topics including eliciting verbal responses to pictures and maps of Africa, dispelling verbal inaccuracies about Africa, pronouncing African names, listening to and telling African folktales, comparing sounds from English and various African languages, and reading and analyzing African poems. For each topic, information is presented on grade level, time allotment, materials required, activities, teaching methods, and resources. Students are involved in a variety of activities including creating bulletin boards, acting in plays based on African themes, tasting African food, interviewing local resource people, participating in story telling contests, learning common phrases in various African languages, and interpreting poetry and folk tales. (DB)