This is one of a series of lesson ideas provided by Gill Chesney-Green from Derbyshire in the UK. (Thanks a plenty Gill! - Kim Flintoff - Webmaster)
LESSON: AKILI TRIBE
AIMS:
LESSON:
Discuss leadership, what it is and what makes good and bad leaders. Look at the various leaders we have in our lives from gang leaders to heads of state.
LEADER HAS DIED
With class in whole group as the members of the Akili tribe and teacher-in-role as a middle ranking member of the tribe, let them know that their old and respected leader is now dead. Say that he died in the night as a result of something that happened the previous day eg a hunting accident.
Encourage the group to discuss what sort of qualities made him a good leader for them.
In small groups: devising scenes to show why he was so respected. Show work and ask for comments in role if possible.
CHOOSING A NEW LEADER
Whole group: speaking about what he was like and why he will be missed. What was so good about his leadership qualities. Realising that we will have to choose a new leader (before we can bury the old one) and wondering how we will do this.
Out of role: How do we choose a new leader?
Depending what the class decide we will have to go through this process.
Some groups opt for voting and speeches given from the candidates, other groups want to devise a series of tests to put the important qualities to some sort of proof eg if wisdom is thought to be important they devise some sort of test based on problem solving. Some go for a combination of the two although this process may last for more than one lesson.
BURYING THE OLD LEADER
How is he to be buried? Where is he to be buried? What sort of rituals? How will the new leader be involved in this ritual? (Teacher may need to give some ideas of the ways in which various people across the world deal with the burial or disposal of their dead eg Tibetan sky burials as there is little wood for burning and hard ground making it difficult for burials, the priests cut up the body and feeds it to the birds so that the energy remaining in the body can go back to the cycle of birth and death.)
Reflect on why it was done that way in the class drama.
(This is often a part of the drama that, once it has been performed the class wish to repeat again. It seems that ritual, with or without words is strangely moving.)
THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY
Teacher-in-role as representative from a foreign oil company who wants to drill for oil in a place important to them - the burial place?. How will they negotiate with this person? Will they accept the scenario that is painted for them or will they be suspicious?
POSSIBLE DIRECTION:
the group could split into small groups and show 'dreams' of the people as to what it would mean for their community (good and/or bad)
THE MEETING OF THE SHAREHOLDERS
The teacher in role as representative from the company goes back to the company with news of the outcome. How do the class in role as shareholders react to this news?
POSSIBLE DIRECTION
the representative from the oil company could bring back to the tribe some of the shareholders so that they could see what they were destroying.
There is no definite ending to this drama, as such, it could go on in many directions or it could stand as a piece on leaders and/or environmental issues. In either case, the learning needs to be consolidated.
RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Writing a newspaper article about the tribe that has been discovered.
Drawing their story in simple form (as in cave paintings) for the less able.
Finding out which tribes from which parts of the world are under threat and for what reasons. Giving information about various organisations which monitor and try to stop the damage.
ASSESSMENT POSSIBILITIES:
Many years later one of the members of the tribe is interviewed about that time and what changes, threats or difficulties the tribe has experienced since then . This can be done in pairs. The interviewer can be a young member of the tribe or can be someone from outside. ... depending on the class decision as to the outcome of the drama.
CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS: Humanities: History and R.E., Health, Environment, Citizenship