Popular alternatives can foster social inclusion and economic equity

Literacy is required for being able to develop alternatives in the interest of the masses

Define literacy (various definitions used in US and in Senegal)

As students discuss Senegalese artifacts, clarify cultural uses

Discovery – examine literacy artifacts from Senegal and attempt to identify ways Explain the various ways that literacy plays out in their lives and work

Westby (2004)

Freire & Macedo (1987)

Artifacts from box labeled Language Policy and Literacy

• Quranic writing board (used by very young children, 5 – 6 years, to learn to read and write text from the Quran)
• Small Chalk board (used in adult literacy classes)
• Mud cloth (symbols have meaning – form of literacy)
• Dogon door (contains symbols – form of literacy)
• Children’s books (various forms of literacy including Arabic text)

Using social theory, develop language and literacy mini-lesson that exemplifies definitions of literacy and incorporates the literacy artifacts from West Africa, and addresses the consequences of globalization on language use and literacy.

Artifacts from box labeled Globalization, Language and Literacy

• #7a & 7b: Fabric – Veiled Challenges and Hand of Leper
• #5 & #6: Books about messages in cloth
• #8: Baobab tree painting

Note: Information in this lesson can be supplemented with web page content, Language Policy and Literacy (Hyter), and Senegal: Language and Diversity (Ruddy).

Web page is located at http://www.cultureconnections.org