Our project, Discovering Africa, is an exploration of the continent of Africa and its nations which will engage students in critical analysis of a variety of resources over several weeks. Their goal is not to problem solve or sensationalize their topics but to gain a better understanding of the research process, their topic, and in addition, to discover why the continent so often falls victim to such sensationalization. Students’ research will culminate in a presentation to the class which will inform their classmates about their topic as well as demonstrate an understanding of their resources.
The understanding of resources is, in fact, the main focus of this unit. Week by week, students will be led through various activities and lessons that will teach them how to use different resources (primary, secondary, literature, poetry, film, etc.) in their research. This understanding of how to use resources will be essential to this project and to any future research students may be involved with. Fortunately, since students will be using a variety of sources, we will be able to compare those sources and discover each one’s strengths and weakness. We will ask, for example, what information does a primary source provide that a fictional account does not and vice versa? What can we gain from a poem that we may not see in a historical text book? These questions will force students to take a second look at their sources and gain a clearer understanding of what those sources provide to them.
To make the project less overwhelming, we will divide students into groups and have them focus on one of three topics. After an initial exploration of different types of sources (including a writing activity which accesses students’ prior knowledge of the differences between sources), instructors will give students several resources pertaining to their particular topic. Resources are picked by instructors in an attempt to avoid sources which sensationalize the students’ topics. However, in order to give students some practice finding their own resources, they will be required to provide at least three additional resources.
Since we realize that Africa falls victim to sensationalization, it lends itself well as the focus of this project. Our unit will deal with this problem head on, discussing why the sensationalization happens and where it comes from. Through the exploration of different sources, students will begin to see that one topic can be presented in multiple ways and from multiple perspectives. With our guidance, students will choose which of these perspectives will be most effective in creating an unbiased account of their topic. As much as this project is a cultural exploration, it is also an exercise in resource analysis and students’ presentations will discuss the various differences they discovered while working with their sources.
At first glance, our project may seem rather daunting. We realize this and will provide students with resources, time to work in class, guided activities that relate directly to what they will be putting in their presentation, and help with any problems that may arise. At the end of the five weeks, students will have a better understanding of the research process and of Africa.
