Sixth-graders celebrate Africa

Spicy and sweet, the smells of authentic African cooking wafted through the halls of Sisters Middle School last Thursday, enticing visitors to join a cultural celebration.

"Balao (Hello). My name is Khari. I'm a 21-year-old zoologist from the Central African Republic."

"My name is Kojo. I'm from Egypt and I'm a hunter."

One by one, each sixth-grader introduced themselves as "representatives" of various African nations; they then guided guests on an informative journey of the multi-faceted continent they've been immersed in studying for months.

"My name is Kambo," said Chelsea Bradley, who sported a purple turban she learned to wrap herself after a bit of Internet research. "I'm a farmer and jewelry maker from Morocco."

Some students wore vibrant kaftans; others wielded hunting swords. All were impressive in their understanding of the countries they represented: from South Africa to Rwanda to the politically charged northern nations of Libya and Egypt.

If it's possible to create an environment where students can experience another culture in meaningful ways without ever leaving home, Social Studies teachers Dierdre Kanzig, Carol Packard and Tom Miller have done just that. For the past five years, sixth-graders have enjoyed a Humanities-style curriculum block - a rich blend of political geography and language arts components.

It all culminated in Thursday's festival, with kids getting the opportunity to present their knowledge in a project-based way.

In one group presentation, Josh Kizziar narrated his original folk tale, "How the Alligator Got Its Scales," while Jacob Gurney and Jonathan Bertagna acted it out. A group of girls offered "How the Elephant Got Its Big Ears;" other students paid tribute to their nations with cinquain poetry.

All students exhibited artful presentation boards profiling their countries - from ethnic groups and natural resources to wildlife and geography - and fielded questions posed by guests. Sophie Borders, as a teacher named Kya from Tunisia, told how her countrymen overthrew their leader just this past January "because the people weren't happy with the dictator, President Ben Ali."

Sophie also speculated that the reason the life expectancy in Tunisia - around 74 years old - is dramatically higher than most African countries has something to do with its prime location on the Mediterranean Sea.

Kanzig is amazed by her students' budding critical-thinking skills. "It's surprising how much they're capable of. They have an understanding of why people live where they live, near water sources."

Sabrina Reifschneider, as "Habika," pointed out that, by contrast, the life expectancy in her country of Zimbabwe is only 44 years.

In fact, health care seemed to be a topic of great concern to many of the students: the poorest African countries have a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1 to 50,000.

"We have such dynamic conversations," says Kanzig. "It shocks me - the insight they have."

Kanzig and her colleagues have been nurturing that insight all year, beginning with an in-depth look at the Middle East, including discussion of the novel "The Breadwinner," about a family under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Says Kanzig, "That had the kids saying 'Is this really happening in our world?'"

And it set the stage for their study of Africa. "They understood the presence of the Islam religion there in the northern countries," says Packard.

And by reading the novel "No Turning Back," about a 13-year-old boy from South Africa, students "gained an understanding of living in townships versus the city of Johannesburg," says Kanzig.

"We cover heavy topics and they have exposure to iniquities. We discuss 'What does it mean to be a global citizen?' They (students) don't have these boundaries; they just see that all people need freedoms."

"It makes them excited to write and brings life to their journaling."

Kanzig has a special African connection which adds another dimension to her students' experience: her sister is a veterinarian living in Uganda. The kids are especially engaged by "Dr. Val's" true-life anecdotes and adventures.

Some ambitious parents helped to crown Thursday's celebration with a gastronomic tour of Africa. Featured dishes were chosen by students. "They chose things that they would actually eat: fried bananas, African stew, honey-sesame cookies. Parents had a good time creating something with the kids and being a part of it."