This morning we went to a very special assembly all about African dancing and music. There were 4 people playing different types of drums and 2 dancers. A man named Kofi (which means Friday, the day on which he was born) taught us some words and stories from his country, Ghana. They played songs and taught us a little bit about Africa. Some children even got to play the drums and dance in front of everyone!
Here are some of the things that we learned:
- Ashay Ashay means "thank you." –Fiona
- They use lots of different types of drums when they make music. –Cate
- Some kinds of drums are made from trees. –Emily
- Kofi can speak 5 different languages. –Fiona
- Africa isn't a country. It is a continent. –Cate
- When they put their clothing on, the fabric goes underneath one arm and over the other one. –Fiona
- Their clothing tells stories. –Alex
- Women wrap fabric around their heads. One knot means that they are alone. Two knots means that there are two people. –Cate
- When you rub your head, it is a signal for everyone to be quiet. –Kailey
- The African dancers do different kinds of dances than we do. –Alice
- There are lots of movements with their arms.
- Different places have different types of clothing.
- Clothing in Africa is different than the clothing that we wear. -Sean
We wonder… (Questions):
- How many different kinds of drums did they use?
- How did they learn these different dances?
- Do they play other instruments?
- How long have they been playing this type of music?
- Do the drums hurt their hands?
- Where does the fabric come from to make the clothing?
Our favorite parts
- When they were dancing and playing the drums. –Joe
- I liked when they were dancing and playing the drums. It made me want to move my body. –Cassie
- I liked when they were playing because it made me want to go up there and play the drums. –Deanna
- My favorite part was listening to the drums because they were playing so good that I wanted to play like that. –Nicholas
- I liked when Kofi was playing the drums with his hands and I want to learn to play like that. –Jayne
- I liked the 3 drums put together. –Emily
- My favorite part was when I got to go up and dance. –Cassie
- My two favorite parts were going up to dance and learning about the different kinds of drums. –Cate
- My favorite part was when I got to go up and dance with Cassie and Alice. –Kailey
- I liked when they played the drums because in my body, it vibrated. -Fiona