Week One

Please click the above image to view or download the instructional
planning matrix for Week One. Or click here for all five matrices.

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MONDAY

Activate prior knowledge

• Students will brainstorm aloud and subsequently on paper what comes to mind when they think of Africa, Sudan, and Darfur
  
• Put the list on the board and discuss where these preconceived notions come from, if and how accurate they are, and whether or not these ideas can be amended

Introduce new information

• Show slide-show and video clips delineating more realistic depictions of Sudan, transitioning into genocide, on which particular focus is made
• Draw comparisons between what they see and hear about Sudan with what they’ve learned about the Holocaust

Hand out block syllabus for unit

• Briefly discuss with class how this unit will develop over the next few weeks, field questions and address concerns that may arise
• Distribute spiral-bound hard copies of PowerPoints for entire unit with note-taking space on the right half of each page
  

Begin personal journal assignment

• Distribute composition notebooks to each student and introduce journal assignment (2-3 times per week students will respond to prompts given in class and pose 1-2 questions about current material; journals may be discussed in class the following day)
• For the remainder of class, students will begin first journal entry by writing personal reflections on what they’ve learned about Africa and Sudan
  

Resources Needed:
• Photos and video of Sudan, Darfur, and the Holocaust for comparison
• Syllabus
• PowerPoint copies binder
• Composition notebooks

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TUESDAY

Delve into pre-colonial history

• Discuss the Sudanese connection to Egypt and tribal social structures before colonization and speculate as to how they might change after the British arrive
• Utilize PowerPoints heavy with visual representations and multimedia (i.e. historic clips or analyses Discovery, History Channel, National Geographic, etc.)
• Introduce and set up large-scale timeline, currently blank, that will wrap around the whole of the room; as events are discussed, teacher and students will add to the timeline with text and photos

Discuss geography of the region

• Using the GoogleEarth Maps program supplied by U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, examine the satellite images of Sudan and Darfur in its pre-conflict state
• Illustrate how the topography factored into lifestyles, relations, and power structures
• Cover basic pre-colonial demographics statistics

Introduce book club assignment

• Hand out small synopses of each book: Darfur Diaries, Tears of the Desert, The Translator, Not on Our Watch, and They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky (jacket photos and links are provided at right)
  
• Allow students the night to mull them over; students will ultimately hand in book preferences and be assigned to a group bearing these preferences in mind

Resources Needed:
• PowerPoint presentation
• Discovery, History Channel, National Geographic online videos
• Timeline and photos with which to begin
• GoogleEarth Maps application
• Book synopses

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WEDNESDAY

Introduce pre-colonial language and culture

• Discuss oral culture, situated historically and socially
• Address names and definitions of heroic, Ahaji, and Madih tales, using synopses of Sudanese stories to illustrate

Discuss examples in class

• Read stories of the Hambata, Fatima al-samha (Beautiful Fatima), and Sirat Ali al-karrar (The Life of Ali the Hero) in class and draw comparisons to other literature that we’ve studied in past units
  
• Discuss what historical influences from yesterday’s class we can identify in these tales

Relate to non-literary Sudanese expression

• Continue demographics lecture, this time also including language, music, art, and culture in a historical context
• Use images, classic and modern ethnic music
• Bring traditional Sudanese musical instruments, such as drums, and demonstrate their use; encourage students to join in a music circle
• Afterwards, discuss reactions and revelations related to music, art, and expression

Personal journal assignment

• In small groups, students will write a Sudanese oral tale or song based on what we’ve covered
• Students will personally respond to their group’s story in their journals at home

Assign final book club reading groups and distribute materials

• Students will be put into groups of five and given school copies of their chosen books
  
• Groups will begin reading over the remainder of the week and weekend and meet for the first time on Monday to discuss and reflect on their books thus far

Resources Needed:
• Excerpts of Sudanese heroic, Ahaji, and Madih tales
• Chants and poems about the Hambata
• Fatima al-samha (Beautiful Fatima)
• Sirat Ali al-karrar (The Life of Ali the Hero)
• Samples of pre-colonial Sudanese art and music
• Drums or other instruments
• Book club books

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THURSDAY

Begin discussing the history of colonialism

• Continuing with the media-rich PowerPoint, cover the British conquering and colonization of Sudan
• Discuss the myriad effects of this exchange of power, both in economy and social subjugation, etc.
• Add key events to the classroom timeline

Illustrate the variable perspectives of the colonization

• Ensure that both British and Sudanese perspectives receive equal weight
• Discuss why there may be differences between accounts and why those might arise

Posit Sudan as a case study in the bigger picture

• Draw comparisons to numerous other occupations and colonizations
• Discuss similarities found among events

Resources Needed:
• Powerpoint presentation
• Timeline

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FRIDAY

Begin reading colonial literature

• Compare and contrast articles about the same topic or event published in Jaridat al-Sudan (Sudan News) – thoroughly vetted by the British – and Al-Ra’id (The Pioneer) – controlled by the Sudanese
• Discuss how expression is mediated by colonization

Use video clip(s) to give visual element and personal testimony

• Screen clips from various documentaries detailing personal accounts of occupation, both from the point of view of the colonized and the colonizers
• Continue yesterday's discussion of differences between accounts and why those might arise

Weekly assessment

• Hold a brief, open note history quiz to gauge comprehension, areas of difficulty, and inform next week's lessons

Resources Needed:
• Articles from Jaridat al-Sudan (Sudan News) and Al-Ra’id (The Pioneer)
• Clips from relevant documentaries
• Quiz