Sankofa – First Grade

Instructor | Mama Adia | Adia Tamar Whitaker

Email | awhitaker@friendsseminary.org

The 1st grade Sankofa curriculum is anchored by the history and folklore of dance and music storytelling traditions from Haiti, the Caribbean, North America, and Africa. Sankofa introduces students to empowerment anthems, affirmations, movement, rhythm, storytelling, and mindfulness tools to create new folklore and develop healthy ways to navigate community through care, change-making, conflict, collaboration, compassion, compromise, creativity, and the imagining of a world that ought to be.

As dancers, students alternate between the roles of drummers and dancers as they clap and dance while learning musical note values. 

While the Kindergarten Sankofa curriculum introduced students to the continent of Africa, the 1st grade Sankofa curriculum introduces students to the African diaspora.

Unit 1 | Igbo/Ibo | Skills and Big Ideas

Dance Making | Counting | Dance as Storytelling | Drum Language | Community | Standing up for who you are and what you believe in despite the opinions and beliefs of others. | Equality | Integrity | Flexibility | Forgiveness 

Unit 2 | Djouba | Skills and Big Ideas

Stewardship for the earth and our communities. | Cycles and Seasons | Gratitude | Teamwork | Directions | Rhythm | Levels | Simplicity | Stewardship

Unit 3 | Yanvaloy | Skills and Big Ideas

Call and Response | Dance Making | Reciprocity | Water Protection | Patience | Kindness |  Simplicity | Care | Peace

1MK

1JS

1MC