This lesson plan is designed to read the book aloud to kindergarten or first grade students.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to:
• identify at least three things that are different from life in the city to life as a Masai,
• identify at least two ways that the main character is like the Masai,
• identify the Masai as a tribe in Africa, identify Africa as a continent,
• locate Kenya on a map of Africa, describe what a typical Masai village is like,
• cooperatively build a model of a Masai village, define the terms kinship and kraal

Materials:

• Copy of Masai and I
• Globe or map of the world that identifies both Africa and Kenya
• Chart paper and markers
• Empty milk carton for each student
• Oak tag pattern to cut out brown construction paper to cover milk carton
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Craft sticks or strips of Oak tag
• Masking tape or Scotch tape
• large piece of Oak tag or cardboard for base of village
• Box of crayons for each child
• Sharpenend pencil for each child
• (Optional) a gourd

Procedure:

Before reading –

• Discuss that this story is going to take place in both America and Africa
• Display globe or map– can anyone find Africa on the globe/map? Discuss that Africa is a continent – we live on the North American continent, and other people live on other continents
• Locate Kenya and point it out on the globe or map. Discuss that Kenya is a country on the continent of Africa, like the United States is a country on the continent of North America.
• Ask children how they get water when they are thirsty. Discuss.
• Take a picture walk through the book and discuss how the child in the city has a different life from the child in Africa.
• Introduce vocabulary:
  • Kinship
  • Kraal
• Set purpose for reading: we will compare/contrast how life in the city is the same/different from life as a Masai.
  

During reading –

• Ask children if there are people in their school that they do not know. Discuss how people in a small village work together and know each other.
• Ask I wonder questions:
  • I wonder what it would be like to have to walk that far for water.
  • I wonder what it would be like if men and women had to eat separately.
  • I wonder what it would be like to sleep on the ground every single night.
  • I wonder what it would be like to live near real giraffes!
• Discuss how the little girl has learned things in school and thinks about them throughout her life. Identify these as text-to-self connections.
• Stop at vocabulary words and ask who remembers what they mean.

After reading –

• Display chart paper and draw a Venn Diagram.
• Ask students to explain how life was the same/different from life in the city and life in Africa. Fill out the Venn Diagram with student responses.
• Turn to page in book with picture of the village. Discuss what the village looks like.
• Explain to students that class will make its own Masai village.
• Distribute milk carton, brown construction paper, pattern, scissors, and pencil to each student.
• Model how to trace the pattern and how to cut it out. Encourage students to help each other.

Evaluation:

• Student participation
• Following directions
• Teacher observation
• Student responses to questions