Pam Copeland and Des Bowden
SuperSchemes Unit 22
A contrasting overseas locality: The Gambia
Courses, Multimedia and Artefacts
Practical African (Gambian) Workshops
Jane Smith, author of the Gambian webventure (see below) is now running workshops in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire (and further afield if required!). Using artefacts and images she offers practical workshops for Key Stage 1 and 2 based on her personal experience of The Gambia and its schools, developing global awareness.
Options include:
- Joining her on a journey, seeing the changing landscape, climate and culture
- Hands-on experience with a range of artefacts and exploring what they tell us about life in The Gambia
- Picture packs of the artefacts - yours to keep for follow-up and display
- Consideration of artefacts we would choose to represent UK life to a Gambian child
- Experiencing School Life
- Pupils discover what Gambian schools are like as they learn some basic numbers and songs in Mandinka - the Gambian way
- Role play and dressing up - e.g. visit a market and use real Gambian money
- 'Put me in the picture' activity - empathising with a Gambian child
- An African Dance Session with authentic West African music
Download the Workshop Flyer for further information.
African Locality Resource Pack
A box of authentic Gambian artefacts, available from: B & C Educational, Newman College of Higher Education, Bartley Green, Birmingham B32 3NT.
Other resources available from here include:
- Using the African Artefacts photopack
- African musical instrument box
- Serrekunda - Gambian Life photopack
- Images of The Gambia Photo CD
- The Serrekunda Enquirer (sets of newspapers)
Isatou, Chloe and You (KS1/2)
Video pack and cassette tape making links between the lives and environments of three children: Isatou in The Gambia, Chloe in the UK and ‘you’, the child working with the pack. Published by Wiltshire WSC (for more information go to Leeds Development Education Centre).
Websites
Global Eye
A safe site for children. Look at back issue Spring 2001 on The Gambia
Gambia.co.uk
The Gambia Experience site with lots of information for visitors
Tide~
A network of teachers responding to an increasingly globalised world; they arrange study visits to The Gambia for teachers.
Tourism Concern
Provides exercises on The Gambia suitable for class use.
Pageant
A charity working in primary education in The Gambia.
Wonder Years
A charity working in development, including building a nursery and primary school in the Gambian village of Medina Salaam.
Knowledge Bears - Africa Game
Map offering children to chance to identify and name all the countries of Africa, play local music etc.
The Gambian Webventure
This website takes the form of a 'webventure' in which pupils must solve clues in order to discover more about The Gambia. It provides a large selection of captioned photos showing everyday life in The Gambia, and topics covered include homes, families, food, language, celebrations and transport. The resources are suitable for Key Stage 1 and 2 and link closely to Geography units 10 and 22.
Non-fiction Resources
Brownlie, A. (2002) A Flavour of West Africa (Food and Festivals series), London: Hodder Wayland.
Tide~ (2004) Food & farming – local & global: planting ideas, growing ideas, Birmingham: Tide~.
