Nigeria Lesson Plan
Nigeria Lesson PlanNIGERIAN STORYTELLING
by Anne Hoeper
INQUIRY QUESTION:
What purpose do folktales serve in evaluating a culture?
OBJECTIVE:
Acquaint students with Nigerian literature.
Students will see similarities and differences between folktales they are familiar
with and Nigerian folktales.
Students will become aware that folktales may teach values.
Students will gain an appreciation of Nigerian culture through the reading of
folktales.
STANDARDS:
Standard 10: The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.
THEME:
Place (setting of folktale)
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES:
Verbal/Linguistic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Visual/Spatial
MATERIALS:
Nigerian folktales
Optional: Paper and crayons
ACTIVITY: Approximately 1 class period
Elements that can be examined include the characters, plot, time, place, and intended audience.
Write a paragraph telling the theme or message of the story. Include the values or moral lessons that are being taught. Examine the characters, plot, time, place, and intended audience. Do you know of a folktale that is similar to the Nigerian folktale?
Rewrite the Nigerian folktale into your own words.
Create picture cards and retell the folktale.
Create an accordion book writing and drawing the key sections.
Create a play or skit of the folktale.
Divide a story into sections. Have each person illustrate a section of the story.
Rewrite a folktale in your own words.
Rewrite a folktale and set it in modern times.
LAZY, LAZY HARE
Yoruba
Nigeria
Each day Sun shone brighter and hotter. And each day the animals looked up at the sky for a sign of rain. The land slowly dried up. Grass turned brown. Small bushes, whose roots were weak and thin, rolled about. The animals needed water.
Late one day, as Sun dipped behind a distant mountain, the animals gathered to talk about the problem of water. Soon they would be forced to walk miles in search of it. A sad silence fell over the group. Then a small, steady voice spoke up. Wise Tortoise had something to say.
"Why don’t we dig a waterhole?" he suggested, in his slow, careful manner.
The others blinked, thinking about the suggestion. Smiles crossed their faces. "What an excellent idea!" everyone shouted. So when Sun rose the next day, the animals searched together for the right spot to start digging. As luck would have it, Elephant found an underground spring that morning.
Everyone joined in the digging. Aardvark used his long claws. Rhino kicked soil and rocks away. Even Snake helped by wrapping her long muscular body around stubborn roots to pull them out. Everyone worked. Everyone, that is, but Hare.
Lazy, lazy Hare watched the others work as he lay hidden behind a large rock, his feet propped up on a round, empty calabash. He couldn’t believe it took so many animals so long to dig a hole! He was thirsty and really wished they would hurry. You see, Hare had a plan for getting the water.
Finally, the hole was complete. Hare watched from his hiding place as the animals took turns drinking the clear water. Hare’s throat itched with anticipation. Tortoise, being the slowest, was the last to drink. Just as Tortoise lifted his small head, Hare went into action. He yelled and banged on the calabash with a big stick.
Oh, what a racket he made! It was horrible and wicked, wicked Hare knew it. The noise frightened all the animals - including mighty Elephant - away. Alone now, Hare crept down to the waterhole. He took a long, slow drink of the cool, clear water. He drank so much his belly swelled and swelled until it was as round as a pumpkin. When he was no longer thirsty, he dove in headfirst. He laughed as he washed and scrubbed the soles of his dirty feet and behind his pointy ears. With his thirst quenched and clean, Hare hopped away.
The next day the others returned to their waterhole and to their surprise the clear water was muddy!
With a mighty roar Lion pointed to the spoor leading straight into the well. "These are Hare’s prints. He tricked us! He was too lazy to help us and now he drinks our water and worse, bathes in it! We must teach him a lesson."
The animals put their heads together. Again, wise Tortoise had a suggestion. He whispered it to his friends. "Hare will be sorry he was so lazy," smiled Tortoise.
To carry out Tortoise’s plan, everyone gathered the stickiest tree sap they could find. The animals piled the chocolate-colored resin in front of the waterhole. Monkey, the most creative and the one with the lightest touch, carefully formed the sticky sap into the shape of a Human he had seen on one of his travels. The Human was made to looks as if she were washing near the well.
Later that day, as was expected, Hare returned to the well for a drink. The other animals hid nearby. There sat the Human. Hare called out a greeting to her. No response. Hare took a step closer and repeated his greeting. Still, no response. He moved closer and tapped her on the shoulder. Hey! What was this? His paw was stuck. He pulled and pulled but couldn’t free it. This wasn’t a real Human after all! Hare panicked. Not thinking, he used his feet as leverage against the sticky Human. Now all four paws were stuck. "Oh, help!" he wailed in pain and fright. "This Human has me and plans to eat me!"
At that moment, the others jumped out from their hiding places and glowered at Hare. "You thief!" they yelled. "You were too lazy to help us. Go away from here. You do not belong with us, you lazy animal!"
Hare was set free, and he ran and ran far away from there, never to be seen again!
SOURCES FOR NIGERIAN FOLKTALES
1. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Chapter 11 - "Tortoise and Birds"
2) Tales From Many Lands An Anthology of Multicultural Folk Literature by Anita Stern
The Giant Bird - page 93
3) African Myths and Legends retold by Kathleen Arnott
The Rubber Man (Hausa) - page 16
Spider and the Lion (Hausa) - page 25
Thunder and Lightning (Ibibio) - page 32
Why the Crab has no Head or How the First River was Made (Ikom) - page 35
A Test of Skill (Hausa) - page 40
The Tale of the Superman (Hausa) - page 43
Why the Bush-Fowl Calls at Dawn and Why Flies Buzz (Ekoi) - page 56
Spider’s Web (Tiv) - page 74
Hare and the Corn Bins (Fulani) - page 101
The Magic Drum (Yoruba) - page 124
Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky (Ibibio) - page 133
Why the Bat Flies at Night (Ibibio) - page 150
Hallabau’s Jealousy (Hausa) - page 160
Goto, King of the Land and the Water (Fulani) - page 167
| Don't Pay Bad for Bad | Anansi, Firefly, and Tiger |
| The Grasshopper and the Toad | The Baboon and the Tortoise |
| The Red and Blue Coat | The Jealous Brother |
| The Riot | Why Wisdom Is Everywhere |
| The Twin Brothers | The Chief's Feast |
| The Two Friends | The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise |
| Akanke and the Jealous Pawnbroker | Turtle and Leopard |
| Anansi and Turtle | Anansi and the Phantom Food |
| Anansi and Alligator | Magic Anansi |
| For Horned Animals Only | Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky |
| Kodilikane | |
| The Leopard Man | The King's Market (Play) |
| Rere, the Disobedient Son | Gold, Coral and Money (Play) |
| Why the Cat Kill Rats | No Condition Is Permanent (Play) |
5) The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull
6) The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise
9)Welcome to Bura Folk Culture!
Bura folktales (Northeastern Nigeria)
Each folk tale begins with the lesson objectives that were identified and deemed important for Bura children to know.
The Frog and the Mouse The Eagle and the Buzzard The Elephant and His Slaves The Three Slaves The Ram and His Friend True Friendship The Hunter and the Lion
The Two Friends The Lion and the Leopard The Monkey Trial The Lion and the Mouse The Wise Little Goat The Cleverness of the Squirrel The Servant Who Shot a Bush Goat Two Men Go on a Journey The Squirrel and the Hyena Were Neighbours The Antelope and the Goat Farm Together Tsakuramadu and his Grandmother The Bad Man The Crocodile and the Dog Wisdom, Food and Wealth The Three Young Men The Squirrel Mocks the Gull To the Blacksmith Shop
