Understanding African Geography and Oral Traditions
This guide explores essential aspects of African geography, highlighting the savanna, desert areas, rainforests, deltas, and the Sahel. It also delves into the rich oral traditions of Africa, focusing on griots who preserve history through storytelling, alongside the importance of proverbs and folk tales. These elements reflect cultural values and the significance of oral history in learning life lessons. By comparing African folk tales with their English counterparts, we can appreciate the distinct wisdom shared through these narratives.
Understanding African Geography and Oral Traditions
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Presentation Transcript
Instructions • Anything written in yellow (SLOW down and pay attention) is useful information. You should write it in your notes IN YOUR OWN WORDS. • Anything in red (STOP and pay close attention) is critical information and should be copied exactly. • Anything in green (GO on to the next point) you do not have to write.
Savanna grasslands, a desert-like area with lots of small plants
Desert Little to no rainfall all year, few plants
Rain Forest Central Africa, lots of rain, lots of trees
Delta Triangular shaped landform at the mouth of a river, great for farming.
Sahel Region of savanna on the Southern border of the Sahara
The Griot Griot- An African storyteller
Oral History • Most African groups did not write down their histories. • Instead, story-tellers called griots would memorize the stories and tell them back to people. • It’s not as accurate as written history but was still very good.
Proverbs • Proverbs are simple phrases meant to teach a lesson or idea. • They are easy to remember. • It was a way to remember things without writing them down.
Examples: • “He is a fool whose sheep runs away twice.” - African • “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” -English Ah, sheepy, I’ll never let you out again!
Examples: • “The dead say to each other ‘Dead one!’” –African • “The pot calls the kettle black.” -English Haha, you’re dead! Duh, so are you.
Folk Tales • A folk tale is a short story that usually involves animals. • It is designed to teach a lesson. • Because Africa did not write most things, folk tales were very important.
Let’s Compare • The Tortoise and the Hare – English • The Tortoise and the Antelope - African
Compare • How are these stories the same? • How are they different? • What does the African story tell us about working together?
