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Colours of the Alphabet

In the elementary classroom

Provided by the Africa National Resource Centers of Indiana University, Boston University and University of Minnesota

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INSTRUCTIONS fOR TEACHERS

Use this powerpoint to engage students in an interactive presentation - in one setting or month by month - with the goal to:

  • Identify the map of Africa and Zambia
  • Discuss geographical features such as hemisphere and equator
  • Reflect on aspects of schooling in grade 1 in rural Zambia
  • Connect to the lives of students in grade 1 in Lwimba, a community in rural Zambia
  • Debate the pros and contras of mother tongue instruction

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where is zambia?

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how many border countries does zambia have?

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can you find the capital of zambia?

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what hemisphere is zambia in

When is Zambia’s winter?

When is Zambia’s summer?

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there are over 60 languages in zambia

The main ones are Bemba, Chewa, Lozi, Lunda, Tonga

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click here for an interactive map of languages of zambia

Map!

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in the town of lwimba, children in grade 1 learn english. their mother tongue is soli.

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definition

Mother tongue: the language heard and learned in the home environment

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if you talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. if you talk to a man in his language, it goes to his heart.

  • Nelson Mandela

How do you make sense of this statement?

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Meet Annie,

the Grade 1 Teacher.

she mostly speaks Nyanga, and a little bit of soli.

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Meet the children.

they speak soli and are learning english.

Do you think this would be hard? Why? Why not?

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this is mbarak and his mother and sibling.

mom says:

“M'Barak is a good child

He really loves farming

Even during the rainy season. he sows the fields with us Anything I do, he always helps me with the work”

Are you like Mbarak? Do you help at home?

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this is mbarak and his father.

dad says:

“In school, from January up to now

he's been trying, and now he's doing better in Maths but he's still having a lot of difficulty

in English”

Why do you think Mbarak might be having trouble in English?

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this is 50 kwacha

mbarak is learning math in nyanga and english

Do you think it’d be easier for Mbarak to learn math in Soli?

50 Kw + 50 Kw = ?

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In May, the crops are high. the children write

my name is ______

What do you think of the children’s progress throughout the year?

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Zambia

became independent

on october 24, 1964

Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president, and a former school teacher

Stand and sing of Zambia, proud and free,

Land of work and joy in unity,

Victors in the struggle for the right,

We've won freedom's fight.

All one, strong and free.

Zambia’s national anthem

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it’s july

the kids are reading their colors in english.

Why do you think Soli is not taught at school? Do you think it should be? Why/Why not?

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debate

should soli be taught by teachers at school?

Pro

Cons