INSPIRATION AFRICA!
Project 12
St. John Rigby RC College
POETRY/LITERACY
Following on from the poems written and recited at the visit to the African Worlds exhibition at the Horniman Museum, Sola asked the pupils to find proverbs from their own cultures.
"What do your parents believe in?", she asked. They were to go home and ask their parents. "Whose parents believe you shouldn't go on the computer every night? Whose parents believe you should go to bed at 8pm?" They then did some poetry together - "Poetry can be fun!".
Sola then recited a poem (above) she had made up based around "Your mother says no" and the class joined in, later writing their own and taking turns to read them out.
The next session started with a round of introductions incorporating something personal that the pupils enjoyed.. "My name's Rebecca and I like listening to music"... "My name's David and I like going on the internet". Pupils also read out what their parents believed in:
"My mum believes in the family, the self, and that she can do anything she wants to do"
"My parents believe that the world is round", "My mum believes in truth, forgiveness and love".
Sola then wrote some Haiku poems up on the whiteboard and talked about them.
"What is a Haiku?"
It originated in Japan and is based around an image sometimes using 7,5,7 syllables. Take a look at the word imagination and break it down - it means image in nation and so using your imagination means creating images in the world.
The class then talked about senses - what images and senses did the Haiku's on the board evoke? The pupils then started writing their own Haiku's around beliefs and finished these after lunch in the hall.
They were then read out and the class had to try and guess what the meaning/belief was.
The cat
Jumped off the fence
Onto the grass
Meaning:
Take your chance when you have it
The big cloud
Threatens the sun
Burning bright
Meaning:
Enjoy life while you can
A tune is sung in a tree
It reminds me of a bird
Then the tune stops
And the bird disappears
Meaning:
Music inspires people
A fish
On a dish
Swimming around
Meaning:
Where there's a will there's a way
During the project most pupils had also written poems about their mummified objects and these were word processed in the ICT suite and then read to the class on the final literacy day. Here are two of them:
Measurements
Every day and night
We use it one way or another
Today or tomorrow we don't even know it
People worry about their weight and others use measurements to cook
There are big people who are worried about their height
And small people who don't like to get measured
But there are people who just don't care
And personally I just don't care
If people are like me
People get treated the same
Even with their differences
WHAT IS LIFE?
LIFE IS PRECIOUS
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
LIFE IS TOUGH
LIFE IS HARD
LIFE IS EXCITING
LIFE IS INTERESTING
LIFE IS A MYSTERY
BUT WHAT REALLY IS LIFE?
IS IT A GIFT
OR IS IT A BOX
IS IT A MARBLE
OR IS IT A BALL
IS IT A TEDDY
OR IS IT A PUPPY
IS IT FIVE POUND NOTES
OR IS IT ONE POUND COINS
IS IT THE MOON
OR THE SUN
NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT FOR YOU
DOES IT REVOLVE AROUND US
OR DO WE REVOLVE IT
DOES IT CONTROL US
OR DO WE CONTROL IT
DO WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED
THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S WORTH
WILL WE NEVER FIND OUT UNTIL WE DIE?
LIFE IS PRECIOUS
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
BUT WHAT REALLY IS LIFE?
NOW THAT IS A QUESTION
The session ended with everyone in a circle doing Sola's "Do like I do" rhythm and movement game.
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