Lesson 2: Hello Nigeria, My Name is Wisconsin
Grade: 3rd
Time needed: 60 minutes
Essential question of the unit being addressed in this lesson
How do these stereotypes affect our understanding of people, cultures, practices, countries, history, and politics in Africa? How accurate are the stereotypes about Africa?
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to…
- understand a simple map of the world, Wisconsin, and Nigeria
- compare detailed information about Wisconsin and Nigeria, identifying the similarities
and differences between the state and country
- evaluate previous assumptions about Africa by acknowledging newly gained
information about Nigeria
MMSD standards
Geography
2. Read and interpret simple maps.
Behavioral Sciences
7. Compare and contrast the culture of our local community to a different world culture
9. Recognize the commonalities of global cultures
NCSS standards
I. Culture and Cultural Diversity
- enable learners to assess the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and across
groups
III. People, Places, and Environments
- enable learners to use, interpret, and distinguish various representations of Earth such
as maps, globes, and photographs, and to use appropriate geographic tools.
Materials needed
Instruction/Activities
Compare/contrast map
Show students a map of the world. Ask them if they can point to the United States? Wisconsin? Madison? Africa? Have one student search in Africa for the country of Nigeria (spell the word on the board first). Place a small sticker on Nigeria.
After looking at the world map, display the terrain maps of Wisconsin and Nigeria. Review the directions N-E-S-W. Have students describe the things they see on both maps. Ask students to describe any major differences or similarities they see between the two maps. Encourage students to ask questions about anything on the map that they might find confusing.
Ask the students how the land might impact the people living on it. What kind of land do we have in Wisconsin (hills, farmland)? How does that affect people living in Wisconsin? What kind of land does Nigeria have (show photos to supplement map)? How might this affect people living in Nigeria?
Venn Diagram comparing Nigeria & Wisconsin
Briefly review Venn diagrams with the students. Draw a large Venn diagram on the board, labeling one circle ‘Nigeria’ and the other ‘Wisconsin’. Pass two note cards to every student.
Explain to the students that the teacher will be reading a book aloud titled, Ikenna Goes to Nigeria. It is about a boy from London, England (have a student point to England on the world map) who goes to visit his family in Nigeria. Ikenna describes his trip through Nigeria. While the teacher is reading, the students will have to pay attention to things in the book that describe Nigeria AND Wisconsin or just Nigeria. One their note cards they need to record three observations they made in the book that ether describes both Nigeria AND Wisconsin or just Nigeria. Their observations can be in both categories or in one category.
After the students are done recording their thoughts/observations, they will take turns taping their note cards into the appropriate circle in the Venn diagram and reading their ideas to class (optional). As a class, we will then complete the side of the Venn diagram of things that would happen in Wisconsin but not Nigeria.
Share additional background information about Nigeria, and as a class determine if that information would fall under “Nigeria” or “Wisconsin and Nigeria” on the Venn diagram.
Have a brief discussion about their reactions to the book. Was there anything in the book that surprised you about Nigeria? Was there anything in the book that you expected to be there? How does the information in the book connect with our assumptions about Africa that we talked about yesterday?
Assessment
Formal
Were students able to make comparison between Nigeria & Africa?
Did the students have an understanding of how to use a Venn diagram?
Number of observations from the book
3 2 1
Observations put in correct location on Venn diagram
3 2 1
Time needed: 60 minutes
Essential question of the unit being addressed in this lesson
How do these stereotypes affect our understanding of people, cultures, practices, countries, history, and politics in Africa? How accurate are the stereotypes about Africa?
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to…
- understand a simple map of the world, Wisconsin, and Nigeria
- compare detailed information about Wisconsin and Nigeria, identifying the similarities
and differences between the state and country
- evaluate previous assumptions about Africa by acknowledging newly gained
information about Nigeria
MMSD standards
Geography
2. Read and interpret simple maps.
Behavioral Sciences
7. Compare and contrast the culture of our local community to a different world culture
9. Recognize the commonalities of global cultures
NCSS standards
I. Culture and Cultural Diversity
- enable learners to assess the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and across
groups
III. People, Places, and Environments
- enable learners to use, interpret, and distinguish various representations of Earth such
as maps, globes, and photographs, and to use appropriate geographic tools.
Materials needed
- World map
- Map of Wisconsin terrain
- Map of Nigeria terrain
- Ikenna Goes to Nigeriaby Ifeoma Onyefulu
- Note cards (3 for each student)
- Dry erase board (with marker) or chalk board (with chalk)
Instruction/Activities
Compare/contrast map
Show students a map of the world. Ask them if they can point to the United States? Wisconsin? Madison? Africa? Have one student search in Africa for the country of Nigeria (spell the word on the board first). Place a small sticker on Nigeria.
After looking at the world map, display the terrain maps of Wisconsin and Nigeria. Review the directions N-E-S-W. Have students describe the things they see on both maps. Ask students to describe any major differences or similarities they see between the two maps. Encourage students to ask questions about anything on the map that they might find confusing.
Ask the students how the land might impact the people living on it. What kind of land do we have in Wisconsin (hills, farmland)? How does that affect people living in Wisconsin? What kind of land does Nigeria have (show photos to supplement map)? How might this affect people living in Nigeria?
Venn Diagram comparing Nigeria & Wisconsin
Briefly review Venn diagrams with the students. Draw a large Venn diagram on the board, labeling one circle ‘Nigeria’ and the other ‘Wisconsin’. Pass two note cards to every student.
Explain to the students that the teacher will be reading a book aloud titled, Ikenna Goes to Nigeria. It is about a boy from London, England (have a student point to England on the world map) who goes to visit his family in Nigeria. Ikenna describes his trip through Nigeria. While the teacher is reading, the students will have to pay attention to things in the book that describe Nigeria AND Wisconsin or just Nigeria. One their note cards they need to record three observations they made in the book that ether describes both Nigeria AND Wisconsin or just Nigeria. Their observations can be in both categories or in one category.
After the students are done recording their thoughts/observations, they will take turns taping their note cards into the appropriate circle in the Venn diagram and reading their ideas to class (optional). As a class, we will then complete the side of the Venn diagram of things that would happen in Wisconsin but not Nigeria.
Share additional background information about Nigeria, and as a class determine if that information would fall under “Nigeria” or “Wisconsin and Nigeria” on the Venn diagram.
Have a brief discussion about their reactions to the book. Was there anything in the book that surprised you about Nigeria? Was there anything in the book that you expected to be there? How does the information in the book connect with our assumptions about Africa that we talked about yesterday?
Assessment
Formal
Were students able to make comparison between Nigeria & Africa?
Did the students have an understanding of how to use a Venn diagram?
Number of observations from the book
3 2 1
Observations put in correct location on Venn diagram
3 2 1
