While the 1st Grade learned about all of the countries that are represented in their classroom during the Unit on Cultures, we began reading and performing a story by a Tanzanian author, Tololwa M. Mollel, entitled "A Promise to the Sun".
In this beautiful folktale, the African savannah is suffering because of a powerful drought that has dried up the plants and rivers in the land of the birds. The birds decide to send a messenger in search of rain to replenish their plants, rivers and streams and bring their land back to it's natural state of beauty. The birds choose to send their cousin, the bat. Through this tale that is woven by it's incredible author, the ideas of this African culture creatively answer the question: "Why do bats live in caves?"
Just as stories have been passed down for centuries by tribes in many cultures, the 1st Grade sat to listen to it and using music and photos of the African plains, we were transported to the environment where the story takes place......
To learn this story, the class was split into 2 groups and would alternate playing all of the parts.
The bat wakes up the clouds, who are sleeping, to ask for help in bringing the rain back.
The students working together to become "the Sun".
When the birds show that they will not fulfill the promise they made to the Sun, the bat is dissapointed and sad....
The birds dancing during their harvest celebration!
The bat, hiding in fear of the Sun finding him and reminding him of the promise that had broken.
Now, the 1st Grade has been coloring pictures of the roles they each play, pasting these pictures onto construction paper and attaching popsicle sticks to the back to make hand puppets. This way we can perform the story through puppet theatre!
