{"id":218856,"date":"2010-01-23T15:56:26","date_gmt":"2010-01-23T20:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/2212"},"modified":"2010-01-23T15:56:26","modified_gmt":"2010-01-23T20:56:26","slug":"teaching-geography-with-children%e2%80%99s-literature-i-lost-my-tooth-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/218856","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Geography with Children\u2019s Literature: I Lost My Tooth in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“My dad says if you lose a tooth in Africa and put it under a gourd, you will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy.”<\/p>\n

So begins I Lost My Tooth in Africa<\/a>, a delightful story written by 12-year-old Penda Diakit\u00e9 and illustrated by her father, Baba Wagu\u00e9 Diakit\u00e9.\u00a0 Penda grew up in Portland, Oregon,\u00a0 but her father was born in Mali.\u00a0 Every year, Penda and her family travel back to Africa to visit her father’s family in Mali.\u00a0 Inspired by the true story of her younger sister, Amina, Penda masterfully crafts a suspenseful charming story about losing a loose tooth on a trip to Mali.\u00a0 The story is full of rich cultural details and subtle information about how location and physical surroundings impact how families live.\u00a0\u00a0 Beautiful ceramic-tile illustrations support the story-line and add additional information about the climate, clothing, food, housing, recreation, and community relationships in Mali.\u00a0 The book also includes a world map depicting the “two days, three planes, and three different continents” required to travel from Portland to Mali.\u00a0 The book closes with a glossary of Bambara words (the national language of Mali), a recipe for African Onion Sauce, and the words to Grandma N’Na’s Good Night Song. Appropriate for pre-K through third grade, this book is a wonderful way to introduce the influences of location and place on culture.<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections<\/strong><\/p>\n

This lively children\u2019s book provides a fantastic opportunity to engage early elementary students in introductory geography and the different ways that location, climate, and physical surroundings affect the way people meet their basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter. By using a relatable experience like losing a tooth, teachers can guide students in a discussion of the differences and similarities between the cultures of this Mali community and the community in which they live as well as the geographical reasons for some of those differences. Specific questions for consideration include:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where is Mali?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is the climate like in Mali?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What are the physical surroundings like?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What types of clothing do the characters wear?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What kinds of foods do they eat?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What activities do the children participate in on their trip?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What animals do they see?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What types of shelters are in the story?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do these details compare with how and where you live?<\/p>\n

Kindergarten Standards of Learning: Geography: K.4; Virginia First Grade Standards of Learning: Geography: 1.6.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong>
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