Brittani Havenaar

Lansing Public Schools

August 17th 2014

Curriculum Project Outline -TE491

The main focus of our project at Mnt. Hope Elementary is the integration of materials
learned within our trip to Tanzania into the current curriculum through active engagement within
our classroom. We will need to keep in mind that as a STEAM school, 50% of the students
learning must be done in a project-based manner.
Our current plans for the upcoming school year include a word of the day or week in
order to integrate Kiswahili into the classroom as well as the utilizing of the clapping method
taught at TCDC by Yusta as a way to show support to students for their hard work. The plan
discusses integration of the classroom standards of respect for the community with a classroom
as being important, as emphasized in Tanzanian culture.
When diving deeper to the curriculum itself, we discussed some of the integration
aspects. When discussing social studies, we talked about the integration of Tanzanias regions
with the regions of the United States as well as the demographics of each region. The
demographics we plan on discussing include language and culture as well as the economic
aspects from resources to homes. I love this integration as it can begin as simple as a map puzzle
we saw at the orphanage in Machame, Tanzania to a hands on 3D structure of the soil erosion
and ecosystems within a region. Within the social studies curriculum we will also discuss the
resources and relate them to the economy similar to the relationships between the United States
resources and its economies in each region.
As the governor elections come up in November, we would also like to discuss the
government, from the roles the voters play to the corruption and integrity behind each level and
the effects it plays on the citizens and the world around them. A large part of social studies is
learning about a society's traditions. We would like to see a large emphasis on the social structure
in Tanzania infiltrated into the classroom, through discussions on integrity, community, home
structures, and a hands on learning activity of making traditional foods such as ugali or chapati.
This will also help to bring about awareness of the students traditions they may see in their own
home as well and how it relates to social unity and the world around them. Another large area of
social studies includes the discussion of slavery. Within this unit we plan to bring about
awareness of how slavery affected certain areas, such as Tanzania and the roles they played in

the different trade systems found around the world. We will also discuss what slavery looked like
in Tanganyika vs. Zanzibar.
We have quite a few ideas as well for the integration of Tanzania into the science
curriculum. We plan on discussing the over usage of land and its side effects, such as land
erosion. Ecosystems and how they change based on climate and the availability of water though
the comparison of the soil types and other aspects in Machame to the arid lands the Hadzabe
hunted within etc. A large focus is also on adaptations and the roles humans play in an
ecosystem. We will discuss the roles of pollution to the drinking water found in more urban
settings such as Arusha and Dar Es Salaam compared to more rural Machame and even the
United States and how it compares with land management and waste collection processes.
When it comes to writing, we would like to integrate the use of images. An image tells a
million different stories, depending on who is looking at it. We would like to post images on the
Smart Board and have the students brainstorm what is happening and write a page or two to
share. We plan on using this form of brainstorming activity often, if not daily, in our
classroom. I also have childrens books that I purchased in Dar Es Salaam, that have both
English and Swahili translations, that I would like to have the students hear or explore on their
own or in a class discussion.
We briefly discussed integration opportunities through the topics of art and gym. In gym
we discussed integration when talking about transportation in social studies, of having the
students balance items on their heads. This is similar to the women we often saw carrying items
such as buckets of bananas on their heads. When talking about art we would like to integrate the
different styles of art into our curriculum. From the blade type painting in Mtu Wa Mbu to the
banana leaf artwork seen throughout the trip. Allowing the students to experience these styles of
artwork for themselves would be fantastic and a great hands-on project opportunity. We would
also like to look into integrating carvings into our curriculum, through a guest speaker or a local
artist coming in to help the students understand more about the pieces, methods and the historical
meaning behind them.
These are the ideas for our curriculum integration projects, within Mnt. Hope Elementary
in the 4th grade setting. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, as I am glad to
help with any clarification.