Through their research on some of the habitats within Africa, specifically, the desert, savanna/grassland, and rain forest, students will discover the great diversities between each of these regions. Based on this and additional research, students will learn the impact that geography has on how people, specifically in Africa dress.

Students will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the diversity and similarities various people, including those that they themselves have.

Objectives:
Students will to able to:

• use their prior knowledge on the different regions of Africa (desert, savanna, rain forest);
• use research and thinking skills (questioning, collecting, organizing, analyzing, and evaluating information) and the KWFL process effectively;
• identify the ways that environment affects how people dress
• how they dress and the reasons for the differences in dress among the people considering the climate, resources, and physical geography of the area(s) in which they live;
• discuss the similarities and differences between the clothing choices within the three regions in Africa and in Hawaii

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards:
-Language Arts:

• P03LA01: Use speech for different functions and uses. -P03LA05: Demonstrate discussion skills appropriate to various situations: taking turns, staying on subject, impromptu speaking.
• CO3LA02: Conventions and courtesies of speaking and listening.
• P03LA08: Participate in discussion in a relevant way. Follow the direction of talk and stay on topic. -C03LA05: Functions of reading: creating meaning with text, building an understanding of self and the world, appreciation and enjoyment.
• PO3LA14: Read a variety of texts for a variety of purposes.
• C03LA07a: Reading comprehension and critical reading skills.
• PO3LA41: Apply text information in a variety of ways. -C03LA11: Functions of writing
• P03LA63: Express self through writing for various purposes and audiences.

-Social Studies:

• C03SS04: Geographic themes, concepts, and vocabulary. -P03SS01: Identify commonalties and differences among cultures.
• P03SS03: Compare ways that various ethnic groups address similar issues.
• P03SS11: Use geographic tools and resources to explain the relationship between the physical and human environments.
• C46SS04: Relationships within and among places: people and environments.
• P46SS08: Explain, use, and apply geographic themes of location, place, human-environment interactions, movement, and region.

Geographic Standards:
The geographically informed person knows and understands...

Standard 3: how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.

Standard 4: the physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 6: how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.

Standard 8: the characteristics and spatial distributions of ecosystems on Earth's surface.

Standard 10: the characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.

Standard 15: how physical systems affect human systems.

Geographic Skills:

• Ask geographic questions
• Acquire geographic information
• Organize geographic information
• Analyze geographic information
• Answer geographic questions

Geographic Themes: Place, Human Environment and Interaction, Movement, Regions

This lesson can be used with a unit on Africa.

Materials needed:

• chart paper
• construction paper
• markers/crayons/colored chalk/paint/colored pencils or any other art medium
• resource books/materials on Africa, the desert, savanna/grassland, and rain forest- students can help search for resource materials as part of the research and KWFL processes

Procedures:
*Prior to this lesson, students will have mapped out and completed research on three different regions in Africa: the desert, savanna/grassland, and the rain forest. They will have some type of graphic organizer that illustrates what they've learned about the various regions through their initial research.

1. Use the KWFL process to find out what students now know about the desert, savanna, and/or rain forest through their research - review of the charts. Ask students what they would like to know about the types of clothing/accessories people living in these regions might have. Ask students where they might be able to find this type of information. [Ask geographic questions]
2. Discuss any predictions/validations that students might have on clothing based on their prior knowledge.
3. With a partner or small group, have students focus their research on the types of clothing (including footwear, hairstyles, accessories) people living in the desert, savanna, or rain forest have. (Each group will research only one region.) Students will create another graphic organizer illustrating any new information they may have acquired from their research. Be sure that students list down all of the reference sources that they got their information from. [Acquire and Organize geographic information]
4. Using their group graphic organizer and reference materials, students will individually illustrate the type of clothing, footwear, hairstyle, and accessories people in the desert, savanna, or rain forest wear/have.
5. Students will write a brief description of the type of clothing, footwear, hairstyle, and accessories illustrated. Students should discuss the effect that the region/environment has on clothing choices. [Analyze geographic information and Answer geographic questions]
6. Have students share their group's graphic organizer and illustrations/descriptions.
7. Debrief and discuss with students on what they've done and learned today. Students could also compare and contrast what people in Africa wear and why, to what they wear here in Hawaii and why. [Analyze geographic information and Answer geographic questions]
8. Students will write in their Geography Journal on what they have learned today.

Assessment Strategies:

• Student assessment will be done through teacher observations (discussions within their small groups and the whole class),
• student samples (graphic organizers, illustrations and descriptions),
• and student reflections (discussions, Geography Journal).

Extensions:
*Students can illustrate the background to their clothing pictures to demonstrate their knowledge of the region's characteristics.

*An alternative to illustrating, students can dress a jumpy doll with the appropriate outfit. (Handout)

*Research the climate/weather in different areas of Africa. The following web site will give you daily weather updates on almost all of the countries in Africa: http://www.weatherlabs.com/city/africa.htm Students could graph the temperatures from Africa and Hawaii.

*Students can color the pictures of the children wearing African clothing. (Handout)

*Students can attempt to weave and create their own kente cloths.

*Research and create the various types of cloth/clothing, such as Dashiki, Tie-Dye, Adrinka. (Handout)

*Research and create tribal bead/accessories. (Handout)

*Research and create masks. (Handout)

*Based on their initial research of the different regions, students can look at the various types of shelter/beds, transportation, food, and animals within each region.

References:

• African Culture Series: Native Costume; Children's Museum, Detroit Public Schools
• International Children; Teacher's Friend Publications, Inc. International Crafts and Games; Cynthia G. Adams; Instructional Fair; Grand Rapids, MI
• Kenya: World Neighbor Series; Karen Bauer and Rosa Drew; Creative Teaching Press, Inc., 1994; Cypress, CA
• Multicultural Folk Tales -Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters; Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 1992
• Traditions from Africa: Celebrating a Rich Tradition; Jo-Ann Wilson; The Positive Line, 1996