Teacher's Guide for FOOTSTEPS Cape Verde Islands

• to investigate and develop an appreciation for a relatively unknown people and geographic area
• to provide discussion opportunities on the topic of the implications of the slave trade
• to practice geography skills
• to raise student awareness of ecology issues
• to improve comprehension skills
• to practice memorization skills
• to practice writing skills through a variety of activities
• to review literary and poetic terms
• to experiment with linguistic ideas
• to participate in small group and whole class activities

1. Give students a map of Africa which has been copied horizontally with at least 4" to the "west" of the continent. On the reverse side of this sheet, copy a map of the U.S. with a space at least equal to the size of Rhode Island to the "east" side.
2. Help students mark Dakar, Senegal, as the westernmost point of mainland Africa.
3. Indicate - on a larger scale - the spot approximately 400 miles northwest where the Cape Verde islands are located. Have students mark it on their map.
4. Turning the maps over, have students darken in the state of Rhode Island. Next, have students draw a circle about the size of Rhode Island in the space to the side. In this circle have students lightly make 21 dots, representing the 21 islands which make up Cape Verde. Finally, have students darken nine of these dots, representing the number of inhabited islands.
5. On a world map, have students draw a line from Portugal to Cape Verde for use in later discussion for the issue.
6. As a group activity, you might make a large cut-out of Africa from butcher paper, set it on the floor, and have students place 21 pebbles, 9 marked with X's (for the inhabited islands) in the appropriate spot.

1. Create a study guide for this page, the objective being to review the skill of scanning. On one side of the sheet place the names "Charles Lindbergh," "Charles Darwin," "Christopher Columbus," "King Manuel I," and "Vasco de Gama." On the other side of the sheet list briefly the important fact which connects these historical figures to Cape Verde. (Make sure these are completely out of order.)
2. After reviewing techniques for scanning using any text, ask students to attempt to match the two sides by drawing lines from one side to the other as quickly as they are able.

1. Read this article aloud to students, stopping to discuss the implications of the slave trade for individuals and families.
2. Draw students' attention to the photograph. Discuss what they think might have happened on this spot.
3. Give students a sheet with a drawing of a cargo boat on both sides.
4. Ask students to draw onto the boat the goods the merchants brought to the Cape Verde Islands.
5. On the other side, ask students to draw the trade items the merchants returned with (including the slaves).

1. Discuss what kind of efforts have been made to conserve the natural resources in Cape Verde.
2. Brainstorm ideas about what the water conservation posters might have suggested.
3. Have students make posters for their own community with suggestions for water conservation.

1. Explain the idea of digraphs.
2. Challenge students to memorize in order the 23 letters of the Kriolu Language followed by the four digraphs.
   1. Begin with "ABSDE" until everyone seems to be able to chant that in unison.
   2. Continue in groups of 5 or 6 letters.
   3. Once everyone seems to know the drill, go around the room asking students to contribute one letter each in order.

1. Assign each student (or groups of two) one word or phrase; ask students to make an illustrated poster on construction paper using the word or phrase and then to present that information to the class orally. Hang posters around the room.
2. Next, give students this opening sentence. "Once there was a young boy (or girl) who was considered very malandru." Ask students to copy that sentence and continue writing a story which incorporates at least ten Kriolu words.

1. Ask for three volunteers to each read the poem by Pedro Carduso aloud.
2. Initiate discussion on the meaning of the poem.
3. Discuss the idea of imagery and what picture Carduso "paints" for the reader.

If possible, obtain a CD to play. One you might like is "Cafe Altantico" as it includes translations and lyrics in English. Following is a web site for information on "The Barefoot Diva": www.songsearch.net

1. Before the students have seen the article, challenge them with the four riddles included in the article.
2. Copy a page from a book of riddles which ask the question "What is it," cut apart, and give one to each student.
3. Ask students to pair up, and changing partners, move from partner to partner, ask their riddles always preceded by "Kuse, kuse?"

1. Use these simple folktales to review the elements of the short story, concentrating on the element of "theme."
2. Ask students to fill in information on charts which list the characters (names and personalities), setting, plot, voice or person, and theme.
3. Explain that sometimes theme can be expressed as "the moral of the story" and ask students to discuss the morals of each of the two Nho Lobo stories.
4. If your classroom work for the year has included other folktales from other cultures, you might compare and contrast those to the Nho Lobo stories.

1. Ask students to read the italics and the first paragraph of the article. Then ask them to answer this question: "What events happened that probably first made young people think about leaving Cape Verde?"
2. Discuss immigration and emigration.
3. Give students a study guide with the title of "Leaving Cape Verde" marked with the following dates and space to write after each. The directions should instruct students to summarize the emigration information about each date:
   
   

   DATE	EMIGRATION INFORMATION
   1860s
   late 1800s
   1892
   1920
   1975

1. A photo of a teacher explaining Kriolu
2. Baltazar Lopes De Silva, one of Cape Verde's most famous authors
3. The slave trading and punishing post
4. A magazine of art and literature started in the 1930s
5. A large photo of a naviu
6. A breathtaking view of the island of Brava
7. Photo of schoolgirls of Cape Verde
8. A photo of the famous singer, Cesaria Evora
9. A photo of a descendent of Jewish immigrants
10. A coin picturing Amilcar Gabral, leader of secret independence movements
11. A woman wearing a pano
12. Storyteller Lenny Cabral on board the Ernestina
13. A picture of a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education
14. Voting poster
15. A picture of "A Minister to Thousands"
16. A photograph of Cape Verdean immigrants harvesting berries
17. A seaman, dancer, storyteller, and carver of boats
18. A drawing of Nho Lobo

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Updated: 3/19/10 01:34 pm
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