Activity Four: Traditional
and Modern Art in the African Culture
Objects of art have many roles in African culture. Some are
used for everyday life while others serve important social
and religious functions. In this lesson students will view
and write about traditional works of art as well as examples
of modern African art.
Teacher Background Information
Because of the size and diversity of the African continent,
it is difficult to discuss African art without discussing the
varying regions and peoples of the African continent. The
Teacher's Guide to African Art Web site is a good place to
develop background information on African art.
http://www. thinker.org/fam /education/publications /guide-
african/ part-1.html
PBS AFRICA - Traditions
http://www.pbs. org/africa /explore
Choose a region, and go to the people section, then click on
Traditions. Several traditional art objects are presented
for each region.
2. Much of traditional African art is functional. Art may be
used as every day objects, to teach, entertain, or to contact
the spirit world. Find examples for these functional uses for
art on these sites.
Describe the work of art.
Tell what function the piece was used for.
What do you like about the piece?
Modern African Art
3. The following site contains examples of modern African
art.
Art & Life in Africa Online
http://www.uiowa .edu/~africart /snapshots/ index.html
Contains a collection of cultural artifacts. To view
murals, click on the Murals button in the menu.
4. After students have viewed the art on these sites they
will pick one piece of art and write about what the artist's
work says about the country of their origin.
5. Write a paragraph describing differences and similarities
between traditional and modern African art.
In this lesson students will learn about the different
religions in Africa. They will work in research groups to
learn about and compare different religions in Africa.
Students will write a story incorporating what they have
learned about Shona burial traditions.
1. Divide the class into small research groups.
2. Assign each group one of the Explore the Regions sections
of the PBS AFRICA Web site. http://www.pbs. org/africa /explore Tell students to pick a region, and then go to that region's
people section, there they may click on the religion section
for their chosen region's people.
3. Each group will prepare a summary of the information from
their site.
4. Select groups to present the information they learned to
the rest of the class.
5. Create a class chart that compares and contrasts the
religions that they researched.
Second Activity
Although more than 25 percent of Zimbabweans attend Christian
churches, Zimbabweans have incorporated elements of their
traditional practices in their beliefs. At the core of these
traditions, is the importance of ancestral spirits, and their
relationship in Zimbabweans' daily lives. In this lesson
students will learn about the Shonas' burial beliefs and
traditions.
2. Explain to the class that a village member has died.
Students will write a story about the event, incorporating
what they have learned about death and dying in the Shona
culture.
3. Tell the students to take notes on the details that they
might want to include in their story.
4. Students will share their stories with the class.
In this lesson students will be exposed to varied elements of
African music, and explore the role of music in conflict
resolution.
1.Go to the PBS AFRICA Web site and visit the music areas of the Explore the Regions sections.
http://www.pbs.org/ africa/explore Choose a region, and then go to the people section and click on music.
2. Divide the class into small groups. Each group should
choose one region to investigate. The groups should share
what they have learned with the entire class.
3. Discuss the diversity of African music with the class.
4. Ask the class to discuss the following question:
What role can music play in helping people deal with
conflict?
6. After reading the article, ask the students the following
questions:
How can music serve to unite or divide people?
How can music be used to help solve the worldıs
problems?
What kinds of musical projects do you know of that
have made a difference in the world?
Activity Four: Traditional
and Modern Art in the African Culture
Describe the work of art.
