Resource material „Hand Puppets tell African Children Stories” and “Methodological guidelines for planning and implementing workshops” are aimed to intoduce children in Latvia with cultural heritage of Africa and motivate children in Latvia to get to know more about Africa where strong spoken word traditions are preserved. These materials provide the opportunity to read and experience African children stories from Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. African children stories teach tolerance, honesty, friendship, diversity of life by revealing interaction between environment, nature and human, as well as fight between the good and evil. Stories magically work on imagination, mind and feelings and motivate children to discover wisdom of life, analyze and make their own opinions. Stories not only raise awareness about cultural diversity, they also stimulate development of children’s psychological, social, physical, creative competences.
By creating inclusive and encouraging environment which is enriched with possibilities to discover cultural diversity, this material helps children to understand themselves and others, to discuss, analyze and formulate questions about diversity.
Resource material “Hand Puppets tell African Children Stories” consists of children stories from Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria, it also provides instruction on how to make simple hand puppets using socks, gloves and paper.
Complementary material “Methodological guidelines for planning and implementing workshops” provides ideas and suggestions how to plan and implement the resource material “Hand Puppets tell African Children Stories” in preschools and primary schools in order to promote intercultural communication and learning. Material provides ideas how to organize following workshops: 1) 2h workshop where children talk about Africa, specifically Mozambique, Kenya and Nigeria, read children stories, prepare puppets and perform short hand puppet theater performances; 2) various ideas to organize Africa week in preschool and primary school setting; 3) workshops for children and parents; 4) open-air events which are available for public.

Author: Association “Humana People to People in Latvia”. Sanita Pavāre, Rūta Kronberga

Year: 2011

Languages: Latvian

Typology of education resource : Educational tool kit

GCE Issues: Diversity issues

Author: Association “Humana People to People in Latvia”. Sanita Pavāre, Rūta Kronberga

Specific sub-thematic area(s): Intercultural issues, Creative upcycling, sustainability.

Key word(s):

Tags: Africa Africa , handicrafts handicrafts , puppets puppets , storytelling storytelling , theater theater

School subject(s)/field(s) of studies in which the educational resource can be used: social sciences

Activity’ objectives:

1) Increase awareness about other cultures through children stories;
2) Boost children’s creativity by making hand puppets from used materials, preparing and performing hand puppets performances;
3) Increase understanding of importance of upcycling and possibilities to use upcycling in creative workshops.

Pupils’ learning competences (SUBJECT- specific) addressed: 1) Use the natural and social environment as a context and source of learning; 2) Basics of design thinking when pupils set an aim and plan their own action, work with different tools and materials in order to make a hand puppet; 3) Social competence to work in small groups and together solve the task. 4) Creativity by making hand puppets, preparing and performing theaters

Pupils’ learning competences (CGE) addressed: 1) Connect the learner to their local and global spheres of influence; 2) Reflect on their personal world view and cultural assumptions and seek to understand those of others; 3) Thinking and action in relation to sustainable development;

Methodology: Cooperative-learning, Problem-based learning, Simulation method, World-links method, Learning to live together

Age range: 6-7, 8-9

Link to website: http://hpplatvia.com/rokas-lelles-stasta-afrikas-bernu-stastus/