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Art and Life in Africa Project

Unit Design Databank

Title/Lesson/Theme: To identify what it means to be Yoruba? Describe to the class the characteristics of Yoruba culture, drawing on images and text from several chapters and essays by different scholars.

Designed by: Christopher Roy, The University of Iowa

Grade level/Discipline: 9-12/Social Studies

Estimated Time: three class sessions

Objectives (what will be assessed?): The effectiveness of students' understanding and presentation of the religious, political, educational, and other cultural characteristics of a particular group of people, in this case the Yoruba. What are the oldest Yoruba objects illustrated in the program, how do such objects reflect Yoruba ideas about kingship, how is art used to represent the spirits that mean success or failure in Yoruba life, how is art used to determine the course of life through divination, and how does Yoruba art appear at various points in the cycles of life?

Description/Background: The idea is to look at one group of people in-depth. A similar project could be designed for any people, and two groups of students could pick different peoples and compare the ways they do things. Bring together data from several parts of the program to describe what it means to be Yoruba (or Kongo, or Luba).

During first class cover Yoruba religion, during the second class Yoruba kingship and history, on the third day, key moments in Yoruba life. Use the "index and slide show" from the "Tools" menu to search for Yoruba by placing "Yoruba" in "People" field. Be sure the Objects, Media, Field photos, and Text boxes are checked. 162 objects are found. Highlight several of the objects of one type, first "Ibeji (twin figure)" then "Shango" then "Divination" then "Gelede", then all textiles (Aronson), all "Ife", in turn and move them to the lower window. Arrange them so that all of the objects of one type (eg "Ibeji", Egungun") are together by sliding them up or down in the list. As you pick objects, find the text that describes the objects in the chapters and move them too.

Assignment in CD (essays, chapters): Essays by Margaret Drewal, Henry Drewal, John Pemberton and Lisa Aronson.

none

Orisha, Oba, Ife, babalawo, Ifa, Eshu, Sango

Have each student do a presentation of "his own people" in class. Give each student an opportunity to speak about the people he studied, or if the class does one people, such as Yoruba, ask each student to present a different aspect of Yoruba life. One student can discuss kingship, another divination, a third twins, etc.

If you search on Yoruba in the bibliographic database you will find 58 references, most of which will be available in the University of Iowa library, and one or two of which might be available in public libraries in Cedar Rapids or Des Moines. If these sources are available, "The Yoruba Artist" by Rowland Abiodun and Henry Drewal is excellent, and Margaret Drewal’s "Yoruba Rituals" is also excellent. Several articles by either of the Drewals appear in African Arts magazine, which is available in Iowa City, Ames, and Des Moines, at least. Several excellent articles and books by Robert Farris Thompson, including "Black Gods and Kings" have been published over the years and may be available locally. Also, try the internet under African art, Nigeria, Yoruba, and the "Art and Life in Africa" project.