Glencoe World GeographyChapter 21:
The Cultural Geography of Africa South of the SaharaWeb Activity Lesson Plans"Kente Cloth" Introduction
Students have read about the cultural importance of African arts and crafts. In
many places in Africa south of the Sahara, craftspeople continue to practice traditional
crafts for local use, for the tourist trade, and for export. In this lesson students
will learn about West African strip weaving and the making of Kente cloth. They
will read several articles and study many drawings and photographs to gain in-depth
knowledge about the production of this popular textile form.
Lesson Description
In this lesson students will read several articles about West African strip weaving
of Kente cloth. They will learn about the cultural context in which strip weaving
occurs. They will be able to study many photographs covering both the weaving
process and the finished results. They will also read about a master weaver from
Ghana and view a book that he has co-authored. They will answer four questions
about their reading and then will compose an informative magazine article about
strip weaving and Kente cloth.
Instructional Objectives - Students will be able to discuss the importance of cloth weaving in West
Africa.
- Students will be able to apply what they have learned to write an informative
magazine article about strip weaving and Kente cloth.
Applied Content Standards
Standard 6: The geographically informed person knows and understands how culture
and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
Standard 10: The geographically informed person knows and understands the characteristics,
distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.
Student Web Activity Answers- The spider Anansi taught the art of weaving to two brothers who had discovered
his web while on a hunting trip. Anansi also taught them how to spin and dye
the threads. Since then the Ashanti have used the strip looms Anansi taught
them to build. Men traditionally do the strip weaving in West Africa.
- Products made by strip weavers include blankets, bags, sheets, rugs, tent
dividers, pillows, umbrellas, shawls, head cloths, trousers, and robes. Strip-woven
fabric is stronger and more durable than most imported cloth. It is also more
traditional.
- The butterfly symbolizes punctuality and hard work. The parrot symbolizes
the rejuvenating power of nature.
- In 1975 Ahiagble served as Artist-in Residence at the Museum of African
Art in the United States. He often works abroad in Europe and North America,
teaching about the symbolism of Kente cloth and its manufacture. He also has
co-authored a children's book titled Master Weaver from Ghana about
his home town, its people, and strip weaving.
- Students' articles should reflect all the information gathered while browsing
the Web site and should describe the weaving process in some detail. Students
should also discuss the benefits of this textile, its beauty, durability,
and meanings.
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