Grade Level: 3-12

Connection to National Geography Standards: The geographically informed person knows and understands:

#4 The physical and human characteristics of places

#6 How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions

#10 The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• locate Ghana on a map of Africa
• describe some of the features of Ghana culture
• explain the importance of adinkra symbols and cloth to the people of West Africa
• design and print an adinkra cloth

Materials:

• Maps of Africa
• Colorful construction paper (9"x12")
• One potato for every two students
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Pencils/skewers/chopstix
• Felt tip marker
• Tempera paint
• Paintbrushes
• Cups to hold water for painting
• Paper plates or palates for paint

Introducing the Lesson: Have students locate Ghana on a map. Look at different maps of Africa and discuss the physical features of Ghana. Where is it located? What is the topography of Ghana? What is the climate? Based on the information provided from the maps: What kind of lifestyle would people live? How would they interact with their environment? What kind of crops would they grow? What type of clothing would they wear?

Procedure:

• Give students some background information on Adinkra cloth. Explain how the Ashanti people of Ghana once used adinkra cloths exclusively for royalty but in recent years that has changed.
• Share some traditional adinkra cloth symbols with students.
• Tell students that they will take part in a simulation and design and print their own adinkra cloths.
• Pass out construction paper and half a potato to each student. (Cut the potatoes in half before distributing them to students.)

  Instructions for students:

  • Choose a color of paper to print on.
  • Use felt tip markers to divide the paper into 3" square sections. On the lines dividing the sections, draw stitches with felt markers to give the appearance of fabric squares sewn together.
  • Draw a stamp design on to the cut side of your potato keeping in mind that the design you draw onto your potato will print in reverse. Use adinkra symbols for ideas.
  • Press your pencil into the potato as you draw carving your design into the potato.
  • Make sure the edges of your carving are smooth and refined before you begin to print.
  • Paint the potato stamp with tempera paint, then press it onto the paper, making your print. Continue stamping to repeat the design in a symmetrical format.

• When students have completed printing their designs and the paint has dried they should share their creative work with each other.

Assessment: Students should print clear symmetrical designs representative of adinkra symbols. They should explain how their prints are reflective of traditional Ghana culture and the land.