Lesson Plan: Perspectives of the Gullah Geechee People - Sapelo Island

1. Before beginning the activity, draw a Gullah Speaker Graphic Organizer handout on the board (or make a transparency). Photocopy a Gullah Speaker Graphic Organizer handout and a Gullah Perspectives handout for each student.

2. Introduce Sapelo Island as the subject of the series of video segments the students are about to see. Sapelo Island, Georgia, is a community of people who are descendents of African slaves who once lived there. (Locate Sapelo Island, Georgia, on a map.) The community still embraces the music and traditions of their ancestors who lived there over 200 years ago. The video segments highlight storytelling, music, and dance during the annual Culture Day Festival held on the island.

3. Explain to students that they will be introduced to three Gullah Geechee people, who will provide their perspectives about why the Gullah Geechee culture should be preserved.

4. Introduce the Gullah Speaker Graphic Organizer, which students will use to record key words, ideas or phrases that express each person's perspective. Explain that after the segments are viewed each student will use information from their Gullah Speaker Graphic Organizer to write a paragraph on the Gullah Perspectives handout.

5. View the first series of segments where Speaker #1, Ben Hall of the Sapelo Cultural and Revitalization Society is presented:

• Segment 1: Introduces Sapelo Island After viewing, record information that you think is important on the enlarged graphic organizer. As you do this, explain to students why you include some pieces of information and not others.

6. View the second segment which introduces speaker 2, Ronald Johnson, also of the Sapelo Cultural and Revitalization Society.

• Segment 2: - Talks about the island's uniqueness

Briefly discuss this speaker's ideas and how they are similar to or different from those of the previous speaker. Continue to record information on the enlarged graphic organizer that you think is important. Students should take notes on key words or phrases for segment 2.

7. View the third segment which introduces speaker 3, Frankie Quimby, a Georgia Sea Island singer.

• Segment 3: - Discusses the creativity of the slaves

Students should take notes on key words or phrases for segment 3. Briefly discuss information students have written on their organizers. Discuss how the perspectives of the (3) Gullah Geechee speakers differ. Also discuss how their perspectives may differ from people who do not live on the island.

For students who need additional teacher guidance:

Use the graphic organizer you have drawn on the board to demonstrate and guide note taking after each segment. Explain why you choose particular ideas, and not others, to record on your graphic organizer. Ask students to contribute ideas to include on the graphic organizer. Ask students to write down the ideas you record on the graphic organizers. When they appear to understand how to choose important ideas from the video, provide less support.

1. Distribute the "Gullah Speaker Graphic Organizer" handout.

2. After viewing the video segments and completing a graphic organizer, explain to students that they will write a paragraph, using information from their graphic organizers, to summarize the reasons why the Gullah Geechee people think it's important to preserve their culture.

Portfolio: Student samples of the Gullah Speaker Graphic Organizer handout and the Gullah Perspectives handout may be added to student portfolios to provide evidence that they have met this performance indicator.