FrontPage: Turn in your letter to the back box.

The Last Word: No homework

How to Install a Southern Security System

1. Go to Goodwill and buy a pair of size 14 or 16 men’s work boots.

2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo magazine.

3. Put four giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.

4. Leave a note on your door that reads:Bubba,Me and Marcel, Donnie Ray and Jimmy Earl went for more ammo and beer. Be back in a bit. Don’t mess with the pit bulls. They got the mailman this morning and messed him up really bad. I don’t think Killer took part but it was hard to tell from all the blood and everything. Anyway, I locked all four of ‘em in the house. Better wait outside. Be right back.

Cooter

FrontPage: Name one way that traditional African values are different from American values.

The Last Word: No homework

Traditional Africa: Patterns of Life

Chapter 4, Section 2

African culture

Because cultures vary so greatly across the continent, we have to be careful to not generalize about how people in Africa live(d).

And although patterns of life differ depending on the climate, geography and land, we can find some shared values and beliefs amongst many of the people of Africa both then and now.

Family Ties What members of the

family often lived together or in the same African village? Extended family, including

relatives Shared common living area

How were families linked together? What did this provide to members?  By ties of kinship and

lineage; feel very strong connection

Patterns of Government How were decisions

made in a village? Community coming

together and discussing the issue

What did leaders try to reach when making a decision? Consensus, agreement

between all members

Economic Organization What was the most common occupation of members of

African society? Subsistence farmingand herding

 

How did members of the community view land they lived on? As community property, owned by all for the good of all

Lives of Women Describe the status of women in traditional

African society. Work same as everyone else Status of women varied▪ Some could be leaders, othersBecome property of husbands

What was bride wealth? Why was it important? Gift given to bride’s family to make up for lost labor

when daughter leaves for marriage Shows respect for family of bride

The Age-Grade System To what groups were children also loyal?

Besides family, Age-group – born in sameyear

What did they do as part of this group? Basically, grew up together; participated in all rites of passage

African Religions How were most African religions similar?

Though beliefs and practices vary, most were monotheistic Stories, dancing and music also usually played a part

How did Africans feel about their ancestors? What about physical objects on earth? Ancestors could impact their lives on Earth; directly linked to living All physical objects are filled with a living spirit

  What role did diviners and healers play in African society?

Diviners – interpreters between world of living and dead Healers sought the cause of illness and attempted to heal the person Often used herbal medicines 

In what areas have Christianity and Judaism existed in Africa? Christianity mostly in East Africa; Judaism in Ethiopia as well

African Folktales - Background

African history and art is primarily oral and not written▪ Storytelling is thus an important way for Africans to pass down

their culture from one generation to the next ▪ “Orature”, not “literature”

Lack of written languages in ancient Africa – becomes necessary to pass down the social values and history of the group through spoken language

  African storytelling is a participatory event, in

which the storyteller and the audience together perform certain parts▪ “Call and response”; also music and dancing are integrated

Elements of African folktales

Importance placed on nature/wildlife Animals were a part of the environment, thus became part of the story Attributed human characteristics, desires, motives, values to the animals Attempts to describe how a certain animal came to look a certain way

Explain an historic event or aspect of the physical world Record the history of the people or group the story belongs to Can explain the origin of the world, or of a certain physical feature

Contain moral instruction Teach principles of life and morality, provide some explanation of their origin

Entertainment value Stories told to pass time, provide leisure, amuse or divert  

Provide Common Identity Give a sense of belonging and shared values to the people of the group

FrontPage: Describe 1 element or purpose of African folktales.

The Last Word: No

homework Chairs that forgot how

to chair

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears

A Story, A Story