This folk arts integrated unit partners with a folk artist, Gbahtuo Combaye, who was born and raised in Liberia. He is in residence for 10 sessions to tell stories with each of our sixth grade English Language Arts (ELA) classes.
The Sections of the Curriculum
1. Unit Lesson Plans presents our curriculum framework of the unit’s goals and objectives and lists our assessment tools/methods. After seeing the unit at a glance, we present the plans for teaching each lesson in detail.
2. Resources for Teaching the Unit gives you further information needed to teach the lessons such as: handouts ready for use with students and talking point outlines for creating slides to teach lessons.
3. Tips for Teaching the Unit provides guidance and suggestions based upon our experience to help you make this curriculum work for your classroom and your students.
4. Creating Your Own Storytelling Residency With a Folk Artist provides guidance in working with a storyteller you identify to meaningfully modify this unit to draw upon your storyteller’s knowledge and ways of knowing as you prepare to teach it. Throughout all parts of the curriculum you will learn from Teacher Gbahtuo, as we have, and you are welcome to reach out to him to see if he can work with your program. But it is more practical for us to consider that you will work with a griot or storyteller in an African storytelling tradition who lives closer to your school, afterschool, or community program.
5. Tools for Planning Your Own Unit With a Folk Artist gives examples that can guide you and your artist in drawing upon your artist’s strengths when planning your unit.