Writing Assignment #1

PROMPT
Many changes happened in Okonkso’s village and the surrounding areas. You, as a young member of the
village, want to institute yet another change.
Your assignment is to think of a change you would make in the daily life/customs of the village. Present your
ideas to the egwugwu to persuade them to approve of your idea.

Study Guide Questions for Chapter's 1-13

I strongly suggest that you read this twice daily

Chapters 1-4
1. Why was Okonkwo famous?
He was a well known, successful wrestler when he was young. As an adult, he was a wealthy
farmer and strong warrior.

2. Describe Unoka.
He was Okonkwo’s father. He was lazy and improvident. He constantly borrowed money
that he didn’t repay.

3. Why had the men of Umuofia called a meeting?
The men of Mbaino, a neighboring village, had murdered a woman of Umuofia, and the men
wanted revenge.

4. Where does the story take place?
It takes place in the village of Umuofia, in Africa.

5. What influence did the oracle have on decisions made in Umuofia?
The men didn’t go to war unless the reason was accepted by the oracle.

6. What were Okonkwo’s greatest fear and greatest passion?
He was afraid that he would resemble his father. His greatest passion was to hate everything
his father loved.

7. What upset Okonkwo most about his son, Nwoye?
Nwoye was lazy, not ambitious.

8. What did Okonkwo bring home from his trip to Mbaino?
He brought home a boy from the village. His name was Ikemefuna.

9. How did Okonkwo begin his prosperous career?
He took gifts to a wealthy man in the village and asked him for some yam seeds.

10. How did Ikemefuna react to living with Okonkwo’s family?
At fist he tried to run away, and refused to eat. The family treated him well and he began to\
get used to living with them.

11. What unheard of thing did Okonkwo do during the Week of Peace?
He beat his second wife.

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Short Answer Study Questions-Things Fall Apart, p. 5
12. How did the people view yams?
Yams stood for manliness, and one who could feed his family on yams all year was a great man.

Chapters 5-7
1. Describe the Feast of the New Yam.
The Feast of the New Yam was held yearly before the harvest. It honored the earth goddess,
Ani, and the ancestral spirits of the clan. New yams were offered to these powers. The old
yams of the previous year were disposed of. All cooking and serving utensils were washed.
Yam foo-foo and vegetable soup were the main ceremonial dishes.

2. Who was Okonkwo’s favorite child, and what did he often say about the child?
His favorite child was Ezinma, daughter of Ekwefi. He often said it was a shame she wasn’t
a boy.

3. What unacceptable thing did Okonkwo do just before the Feast of the New Yam?
He beat his second wife, Ekwefi, then fired his gun at her.

4. Who was Chielo, and why was she important?
She was the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves.

5. What sport did the villagers enjoy watching during their feasting?
They enjoyed watching the young men of the village wrestle.

6. What influence did Ikemefuna have on Nwoye?
Ikemefuna acted as an elder brother. He made Nwoye feel grown up. Nwoye began acting
more like a man.

7. How did Okonkwo feel about Ikemefuna’s influence on Nwoye?
He was inwardly pleased, although he would not show it. He did, however, invite the boys
to sit with him and told them stories of the land.

8. How did the villagers feel about the coming of the locusts, and what did they do about it?
They were delighted to have the locusts. They caught as many a possible, roasted them, and
ate them as a delicacy.

9. What did the village decide to do with Ikemefuna?
The oracle decided that the villagers should kill him.
18

Short Answer Study Questions-Things Fall Apart, p. 6
10. Who struck the last blow to Ikemefuna, and why?
Okonkwo did, because he was afraid of being thought weak.

Chapters 8-10
1. What did Okonkwo do whenever he thought of his father’s weakness and failure?
He thought of his own strength and success.

2. What did Okonkwo tell himself about his part in Ikemefuna’s death?
He said he was becoming a woman. A man who had killed five men in battle should not fall
to pieces over the death of a boy.

3. What did Obierika tell Okonkwo about his part in Ikemefuna’s death?
Obierika said it was the kind of action that would not please the Earth; that the goddess
would wipe out an entire family for such an action.

4. Describe the meeting to determine Obierika’s daughter’s bride price.
The suitor, Ibe, his father, Ukegbu, and uncle met with Obierika, his brothers, his son, and
Okonkwo. They ate kola nuts and drank palm wine. Then Obierika gave Ukegbu a bundle
of thirty short broomsticks. Ukegbu and his clan took the sticks outside. When they returned
they gave a bundle of fifteen sticks to Obierika. He added ten more sticks and gave the bundle
back. The two groups finally agreed at a bride-price of twenty bags of cowries.

5. The men began discussing rumors about white men. Who did they think the white men were?
The polite word for leprosy was “the white skin.” The men in the hut thought the white men
were lepers.

6. Describe the relationship between Ekwefi and Ezinma.
It was more like the companionship of equals, rather than that of mother and daughter.

7. Describe Ekwefi’s difficulties in getting pregnant.
She had borne ten children, but nine of them had died in infancy. She began giving them
names like “Death, I implore you” and “May it not happen again.”

8. What did the medicine man tell Okonkwo after the death of Ekwefi’s second child?
He said there was an ogbanje, a wicked child who, when it died, re-entered its mother’s
womb to be born again. He said Ekwefi should go and stay with her people when she became
pregnant again.

19

Short Answer Study Questions-Things Fall Apart, p. 7
9. Describe the burial of Ekwefi’s third child, and the reason for it.
The medicine man ordered that there be no mourning or funeral. He mutilated the dead child
and buried it in the Evil forest. He said this would make the ogbanje think about coming
again.

10. Explain the significance of Ezinma’s iyi-uwa.
This was a special kind of stone that formed the link between an ogbanje and the spirit world.
If it were discovered, then the child would not die. When Okagbue found Ezinma’s iyi-uwa,
the people knew Ezinma’s troubles were over.

Chapters 8-10 continued
11. How did Okonkwo cure Ezinma’s iba illness?
He brewed a potion made of leaves and herbs, then put her over the steam.

12. What was the purpose of the ceremony described in Chapter 10?
A woman’s birth family was having a dispute with her husband because he was mistreating
her. The only decision the man would accept in the case was that of the symbolic meeting
of the clan spirits.

Chapters 11-13
1. What did Chielo want with Ezinma?
Chielo wanted to take Ezinma to see Agbala.

2. What did Ekwefi do?
She followed Chielo and Ezinma to the cave of Agbala.

3. What did Okonkwo do when Chielo took Ezinma?
He followed her, too, with his machete.

4. What was the purpose of the uri ceremony?
The family of the suitor was bringing palm-wine to Obierika and his extensive group of
kinsmen.

5. What was the significance in the amount of wine the family brought?
They were thought to be behaving like men if they brought a generous amount.

6. What happened at the end of the ceremony?
The bride-to-be went to live with her suitor’s family for seven market weeks.

20
Short Answer Study Questions-Things Fall Apart, p. 8
7. Describe Ezeudu’s funeral.
He was the clan elder, so there was a great ceremony. There was a lot of shouting, drum
beating, and firing of guns.

8. How did the author describe a man’s life?
A man’s life was a series of transition rites which brought him closer to death and his
ancestors.
9. What happened during the frenzy?
Okonkwo accidentally shot a boy.
10. What was the result of Okonkwo’s action?
He and his family were forced to leave the clan for seven years. The men from Ezeudu’s
quarter demolished Okonkwo’s houses and barn, and killed his animals.
11. What was the reason for the clan’s actions against Okonkwo?
They were cleansing the land which Okonkwo had polluted. It was not revenge.
12. What did Obierika think about after this calamity, and what was his conclusion?
He wondered why a man should suffer because of an inadvertent mistake. He also wondered
why he had to throw away his wife’s twins when they were born. He concluded that the clan
had to punish offenses so that the Earth would not loose her wrath on all the land, instead of
just on the offender.

Working effectively in groups

§

§The First Step

§CALM DOWN- Group projects can be very challenging if you possess a poor attitude from the very beginning.

§

§The Collective Group Project Agreement and Assessment.

§Benefits:

úYou will get to know you team members and know their expectations as well as your individual expectations.

ú

úAll group member’s will possess the contact information of each group member.

ú

úThe ground rules will be set by everyone involved so that there is less confusion.

§Flexibility and Goal Setting

§Your group should begin with the end result in mind. How do you want to present your work? Who is going to do what?

§

§Also you have to be flexible while working in groups. Assess whether or not everyone has the same capability, and unforseen circumstances can and may occur.

§Determine strengths and work with them.

§First, figure out what needs to be done on the project. Then assign each person in your group a responsibility according to their abilities.

§Set deadlines

§Set deadlines for each group member to get their assignments done by. This establishes clear boundaries and helps to prevent stress caused by leaving everything to the last minute.

§
Take the lead if needed.

§So what if you get stuck in a group with a couple slackers in it who really don't care about how the project goes?

"Become the group leader”. By taking leadership, you will get the chance to expand your leadership capabilities and also ensure that work gets done.

And what if your other group members have nothing to contribute?

"Usually everyone has something to say, "But if group members aren't responding, encourage them to contribute by asking them directly by name for their ideas."

§Resolving Group Conflict

§First and foremost, talk the situation over soon after it occurs. And do it soon!

From my experience, people begin to talk about what happened even sooner afterwards.

Good, step in the right direction, right? Well, not always… particularly when the talking isn't with the person involved, but with other friends or acquaintances. People begin to pick sides. The gossip circulates and all of a sudden, friends become enemies. Suddenly everyone is mad at everyone else.

So, be sure to talk with the person with whom you are upset without the interference of people who aren't really involved.

§

§Stay positive about your group.

§Refrain from gossiping about other members and try to help one another as much as you can. After all, who knows? You may even come out of the experience with a friend or two.

§Resolve it the day it happens

§Resolve it the day it happens. One rule my parents follow in their marriage is that they don't go to bed angry with each other. They always attempt to resolve things the day it happens so that in the morning, it's a fresh start with no past grudges.
.
Whatever you do, don't let things ride for too long.

§Regardless of how you may personally feel about a group member, you are still responsible for communication with them.

§Learn to Agree to Disagree

§Even when you don't see eye to eye, agree to disagree. Tell them that while you may not agree with what they're saying, you still value their friendship.

§
Focus on the bigger picture. Successfully facing and working through the discomfort of conflict in a friendship has a worthwhile reward: a deeper relationship.

Don't accuse by using the word, "you."

Be sensitive. Try to offer solutions when appropriate, but know when to listen. Don't underestimate the importance of a listening ear.

§Last but not least

§If all else fails, speak with your instructor about the issue.

§

§However, ensure that all steps were taken in order to resolve the conflict on your own.

§

Chapters 14-19 Study Questions

Chapters 14-19
1. Where did Okonkwo take his family to live?
He took them to live with his mother’s kinsmen in Mbanta.

2. How did Okonkwo feel about his circumstances?
He thought his personal god or chi was not meant for great things. He was feeling despair.

3. Why did Uchendu talk to Okonkwo about the Mother Supreme?
He wanted Okonkwo to realize that his despair was, comparatively, not that great, and that he
owed it to his family to comfort and support them. He told Okonkwo not to refuse comfort in
his mother’s homeland, or he would displease the dead.

4. Who came to visit Okonkwo during the second year of exile, and why?
Obierika came to bring Okonkwo news of the village and money from the yam crop he was
tending until Okonkwo returned home.

Short Answer Study Questions-Things Fall Apart, p. 9
5. Briefly retell the story of the destruction of Abame.
A white man riding an iron horse had come to the village. The elders killed the man and tied his
iron horse to their sacred tree. A few months later, three white men came, saw the iron horse,
and left again. A few weeks later, on market day, the white men surrounded the market and
killed all of the people there.

6. What was Obierika’s reaction to the story?
He said he was afraid, because he had heard other stories about white men with powerful guns
who took men away as slaves.

7. What event did Obierika describe on his next visit, two years later?
The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built a church, won converts, and were
sending evangelists to surrounding villages.

8. Who had Obierika found among the missionaries?
He had found Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye.

9. What was the iron horse?
It was a bicycle.

10. Where did the missionaries in Mbanta build their church, why were they given that particular piece of land, and what happened to them?
The villagers gave the missionaries land in the Evil Forest, because they didn’t really want
them, and they thought the missionaries would decline the offer. When the missionaries were
alive and well when the villagers expected them to be dead, they won more converts.

11. What was it about Nwoye’s actions that disturbed Okonkwo so much?
He was concerned that Nwoye and his other male children would abandon their ancestors.
He pictured himself and his fathers waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice.

12. What group wanted to be admitted to the Christian church, and what happened?
The osu, or outcasts, wanted to be admitted. Mr. Kiaga agreed, on the condition that they
shave their long, tangled hair. They did so, and survived, and became strong proponents of
the faith.

Short Answer Study Questions-Things Fall Apart, p. 10
13. Describe the incident with the sacred python.
The sacred python was the most revered animal in the area. It was thought to be the
emanation of the god of water. No one had ever even thought of killing it. One of the former
outcasts, now a Christian, had alledgedly killed the sacred python, although it was never
proved. The elders decided to ostracize the Christians. Soon after this decision, the alleged
killer died, and the clan agreed not to bother the other Christians.

14. What did Okonkwo do before he left Mbanta when his exile was ended?
He held a great feast to thank his mother’s kinsmen for their hospitality.

15. What was the one elder’s message to those at the feast?
He told them he feared for their generation because they didn’t understand how strong the
bonds of kinship should be. He was concerned because they had let this strange religion start
to break apart their clans.

List of Characters

List of Characters

Okonkwo (Oh-kawn-kwoh) The central character of Things Fall Apart. A young leader of the African Igbo community of Umuofia (Oo-moo-oh-fee-ah), he is known as a fierce warrior as well as a successful farmer. He is determined to overcome the stigma left by his father’s laziness and wastefulness.

Unoka (Ooh-no-kah) Okonkwo’s father, known for his weakness and lack of responsibility.

Nwoye (Nuh-woh-yeh) Okonkwo’s oldest son, age twelve at the book’s beginning. He is innately a sensitive young man.

Ikemefuna (Ee-keh-meh-foo-nah) A boy of fourteen who is given to Umuofia by a neighboring village to avoid war. He is a clever, resourceful young man.

Ekwefi (Eh-kweh-fee) Okonkwo’s second wife; the mother of Ezinma, her only living child.

Ezinma (Eh-zeen-mah) Daughter of Ekwefi and Okonkwo; Ekwefi’s only surviving child.

Ojiubo (Oh-jee-ooh-boh) Okonkwo’s third wife; the mother of several of Okonkwo’s children.

Obierika (Oh-bee-air-ee-kah) Okonkwo’s best friend, who often represents the voice of reason. He is the father of Maduka (son) and Ekueke (daughter).

Chielo (Chee-eh-loh) A village widow who is also the priestess of Agbala.

Agbala (Ahg-bah-lah) The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves, who influences all aspects of Umuofian life. She is based on the real Oracle at Awka, who controlled Igbo life for centuries.

Mr. Brown The first white Christian missionary in Umuofia and Mbanta. An understanding and accommodating man, he is inclined to listen to the Igbos.

Mr. Kiaga (Kee-ah-gah) The native interpreter for the missionaries. He is a teacher and a leader of the new church in Mbanta.

The Reverend James Smith A strict, stereotypical white Christian missionary, he takes over the church after Mr. Brown’s departure.

The District Commissioner A stern, stereotypical white colonial administrator of Umuofia. He follows regulations to the letter and possesses little knowledge or understanding of the people for whom he tries to administer a new government

Summary of the Book

About the Novel

A Brief Synopsis

Things Fall Apart is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture. Okonkwo is a respected and influential leader within the Igbo community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. He first earns personal fame and distinction, and brings honor to his village, when he defeats Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. Okonkwo determines to gain titles for himself and become a powerful and wealthy man in spite of his father’s weaknesses.

Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was a lazy and wasteful man. He often borrowed money and then squandered it on palm-wine and merrymaking with friends. Consequently, his wife and children often went hungry. Within the community, Unoka was considered a failure and a laughingstock. He was referred to as agbala, one who resembles the weakness of a woman and has no property. Unoka died a shameful death and left numerous debts.

Okonkwo despises and resents his father’s gentle and idle ways. He resolves to overcome the shame that he feels as a result of his father’s weaknesses by being what he considers to be “manly”; therefore, he dominates his wives and children by being insensitive and controlling.

Because Okonkwo is a leader of his community, he is asked to care for a young boy named Ikemefuna, who is given to the village as a peace offering by neighboring Mbaino to avoid war with Umuofia. Ikemefuna befriends Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, and Okonkwo becomes inwardly fond of the boy.

Over the years, Okonkwo becomes an extremely volatile man; he is apt to explode at the slightest provocation. He violates the Week of Peace when he beats his youngest wife, Ojiugo, because she went to braid her hair at a friend’s house and forgot to prepare the afternoon meal and feed her children. Later, he severely beats and shoots a gun at his second wife, Ekwefi, because she took leaves from his banana plant to wrap food for the Feast of the New Yam.

After the coming of the locusts, Ogbuefi Ezeuder, the oldest man in the village, relays to Okonkwo a message from the Oracle. The Oracle says that Ikemefuna must be killed as part of the retribution for the Umuofian woman killed three years earlier in Mbaino. He tells Okonkwo not to partake in the murder, but Okonkwo doesn’t listen. He feels that not participating would be a sign of weakness. Consequently, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna with his machete. Nwoye realizes that his father has murdered Ikemefuna and begins to distance himself from his father and the clansmen.

Okonkwo becomes depressed after killing Ikemefuna, so he visits his best friend, Obierika, who disapproves of his role in Ikemefuna’s killing. Obierika says that Okonkwo’s act will upset the Earth and the earth goddess will seek revenge. After discussing Ikemefuna’s death with Obierika, Okonkwo is finally able to sleep restfully, but he is awakened by his wife Ekwefi. Their daughter Ezinma, whom Okonkwo is fond of, is dying. Okonkwo gathers grasses, barks, and leaves to prepare medicine for Ezinma.

A public trial is held on the village commons. Nine clan leaders, including Okonkwo, represent the spirits of their ancestors. The nine clan leaders, or egwugwu, also represent the nine villages of Umuofia. Okonkwo does not sit among the other eight leaders, or elders, while they listen to a dispute between an estranged husband and wife. The wife, Mgbafo, had been severely beaten by her husband. Her brother took her back to their family’s village, but her husband wanted her back home. The egwugwu tell the husband to take wine to his in-laws and beg his wife to come home. One elder wonders why such a trivial dispute would come before the egwugwu.

In her role as priestess, Chielo tells Ekwefi (Okonkwo’s second wife) that Agbala (the Oracle of the Hills and Caves) needs to see Ezinma. Although Okonkwo and Ekwefi protest, Chielo takes a terrified Ezinma on her back and forbids anyone to follow. Chielo carries Ezinma to all nine villages and then enters the Oracle’s cave. Ekwefi follows secretly, in spite of Chielo’s admonitions, and waits at the entrance of the Oracle. Okonkwo surprises Ekwefi by arriving at the cave, and he also waits with her. The next morning, Chielo takes Ezinma to Ekwefi’s hut and puts her to bed.

When Ogbuefi Ezeudu dies, Okonkwo worries because the last time that Ezeudu visited him was when he warned Okonkwo against participating in the killing of Ikemefuna. Ezeudu was an important leader in the village and achieved three titles of the clan’s four, a rare accomplishment. During the large funeral, Okonkwo’s gun goes off, and Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son is killed accidentally.

Because the accidental killing of a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo and his family must be exiled from Umuofia for seven years. The family moves to Okonkwo’s mother’s native village, Mbanta. After they depart Umuofia, a group of village men destroy Okonkwo’s compound and kill his animals to cleanse the village of Okonkwo’s sin. Obierika stores Okonkwo’s yams in his barn and wonders about the old traditions of the Igbo culture.

Okonkwo is welcomed to Mbanta by his maternal uncle, Uchendu, a village elder. He gives Okonkwo a plot of land on which to farm and build a compound for his family. But Okonkwo is depressed, and he blames his chi (or personal spirit) for his failure to achieve lasting greatness.

During Okonkwo’s second year in exile, he receives a visit from his best friend, Obierika, who recounts sad news about the village of Abame: After a white man rode into the village on a bicycle, the elders of Abame consulted their Oracle, which told them that the white man would destroy their clan and other clans. Consequently, the villagers killed the white man. But weeks later, a large group of men slaughtered the villagers in retribution. The village of Abame is now deserted.

Okonkwo and Uchendu agree that the villagers were foolish to kill a man whom they knew nothing about. Later, Obierika gives Okonkwo money that he received from selling Okonkwo’s yams and seed-yams, and he promises to do so until Okonkwo returns to Umuofia.

Six missionaries, including one white man, arrive in Mbanta. The white man speaks to the people about Christianity. Okonkwo believes that the man speaks nonsense, but his son, Nwoye, is captivated and becomes a convert of Christianity.

The Christian missionaries build a church on land given to them by the village leaders. However, the land is a part of the Evil Forest, and according to tradition, the villagers believe that the missionaries will die because they built their church on cursed land. But when nothing happens to the missionaries, the people of Mbanta conclude that the missionaries possess extraordinary power and magic. The first recruits of the missionaries are efulefu, the weak and worthless men of the village. Other villagers, including a woman, soon convert to Christianity. The missionaries then go to Umuofia and start a school. Nwoye leaves his father’s hut and moves to Umuofia so he can attend the school.

Okonkwo’s exile is over, so his family arranges to return to Umuofia. Before leaving Mbanta, they prepare a huge feast for Okonkwo’s mother’s kinsmen in appreciation of their gratitude during Okonkwo’s seven years of exile.

When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia, he discovers that the village has changed during his absence. Many men have renounced their titles and have converted to Christianity. The white men have built a prison; they have established a government court of law, where people are tried for breaking the white man’s laws; and they also employ natives of Umuofia. Okonkwo wonders why the Umuofians have not incited violence to rid the village of the white man’s church and oppressive government.

Some members of the Igbo clan like the changes in Umuofia. Mr. Brown, the white missionary, respects the Igbo traditions. He makes an effort to learn about the Igbo culture and becomes friendly with some of the clan leaders. He also encourages Igbo people of all ages to get an education. Mr. Brown tells Okonkwo that Nwoye, who has taken the name Isaac, is attending a teaching college. Nevertheless, Okonkwo is unhappy about the changes in Umuofia.

After Mr. Brown becomes ill and is forced to return to his homeland, Reverend James Smith becomes the new head of the Christian church. But Reverend Smith is nothing like Mr. Brown; he is intolerant of clan customs and is very strict.

Violence arises after Enoch, an overzealous convert to Christianity, unmasks an egwugwu. In retaliation, the egwugwu burn Enoch’s compound and then destroy the Christian church because the missionaries have caused the Igbo people many problems.

When the District Commissioner returns to Umuofia, he learns about the destruction of the church and asks six leaders of the village, including Okonkwo, to meet with him. The men are jailed until they pay a fine of two hundred and fifty bags of cowries. The people of Umuofia collect the money and pay the fine, and the men are set free.

The next day at a meeting for clansmen, five court messengers who intend to stop the gathering approach the group. Suddenly, Okonkwo jumps forward and beheads the man in charge of the messengers with his machete. When none of the other clansmen attempt to stop the messengers who escape, Okonkwo realizes that they will never go to war and that Umuofia will surrender. Everything has fallen apart for Okonkwo; he commits suicide by hanging himself.

TRIBAL PROJECT

TRIBAL PROJECT

Group Project: Zulu, Masai, Bushmen, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani, Shona, Pygmies, Bantu,

Research and find out the following information about the various Tribes of Africa. Compare and Contrast the two tribes and present a Poster board display to show pictures and other evidence that you may find.

1. Location of the tribes (Ibo +Your Tribe) ( 6 Sentences)

-Where would you find the member’s of the tribe?

- Where are they now?

2. Language (Extra Credit: Create a Poem using the language of the tribe you select) ( 5 sentences)

- What language (s) did the member’s of the this tribe speak? Is it still spoken today? What are some of the words you have discovered while researching this project? ( Find pictures to illustrate the words.)

3. History ( 15 sentences)

- Conflicts with other tribes

- Development

- Expansion

- Customs

4. Economy ( 6 sentences)

- Form of currency

- Affluent or Poor?

- What kind of currency did they use in the past and what kind do they use now? ( provide pictures)

- Types of Labor from past to present.

5. Political System ( 6 sentences)

- How did the tribe make decisions before Colonialism? (Did they have meetings etc?)

- How do they make decisions today?

6. Style of Dress ( 4 sentences, pictures)

- What type of garments did the member’s of your tribe wear?

- Are there any special tribal markings associated with your tribe? ( If yes, find them and post or mark pictures)

7. Tribal Artwork (Pictures with captions)

- Find a mask or crest that was made from your tribe. (Mandatory)

- You may find and use other pieces of art from your tribe.

8. Religion and Ceremonial Traditions ( 10 sentences)

-Did your tribe have a God, many God’s or any organized institution that they believed in? Find pictures

- Describe in detail 3 Ceremonies performed by your tribe.

9. Comparison of your tribe to the Igbo Tribe’s traditions featured in “Things Fall Apart.” (Are they a like or different? Would there be conflict or peace? Why?)

You should have 2 slides for this task. A slide showing how they are alike, a slide showing how they are different, and a slide discussing whether or not your tribe and the Ibo tribe got along or if you think they would or would not)

Create a PowerPoint to Present to the Class. (The Poster board should be creative and essential to your project, it should tell a story to those who may not have the honor of viewing your power point)

• When your group presents, you may dress in African clothing etc.
• Fulfill the requirements, but BE CREATIVE! Use what you have J

*Use the tri fold poster boards*

Directives to be completed by January 26, 2009

1. Read Chapter's 11-19

2. Complete Writing Assignment 2: PROMPT

PROMPT

The villagers used the words “white skin” when talking about leprosy. How was the coming of the white man like leprosy to the Africans?

Use evidence from the book to support your paper. 300 words ( perform a word count in Microsoft word)

3. Complete the Vocabulary Worksheets AND the Study Guide Questions.

4. Choose the project that you are interested in for your GROUP project.

Obama Retakes Oath

WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John Roberts administered the presidential oath of office to Barack Obama for a second time Wednesday just to be on the safe side.

The unusual step came after Roberts flubbed the 35-word constitutionally prescribed oath a bit on Tuesday, causing Obama to repeat the wording differently than as prescribed in the Constitution.

The chief justice and the president handled the matter privately in the Map Room on Wednesday night. White House counsel Greg Craig said Obama retook the oath for the sake of caution.

"We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the President was sworn in appropriately yesterday. But the oath appears in the Constitution itself. And out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice Roberts administered the oath a second time," he said.

"We decided it was so much fun ..." Obama reportedly joked in the Map Room before Roberts donned his black robe. "Are you ready to take the oath?" Roberts asked.

"I am, and we're going to do it very slowly," Obama replied. The oath took 25 seconds.

After a flawless recitation, Roberts smiled and said, "Congratulations, again."

Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution is clear about how the oath should be recited and states:

"Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Roberts' flub on Tuesday sent the new chief executive into a verbal detour of his own.

"Are you prepared to take the oath, Senator?" Roberts asked Obama, who was holding the Bible that Abraham Lincoln used the day he became president in 1861.

The swearing in began simply enough as Roberts started reciting the oath Obama was to repeat, a few words at a time.

"I Barack Hussein Obama," began Roberts.

"I Barack," said Obama, and before he could continue, Roberts said, "do solemnly swear."

Obama: "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear"

Roberts: "That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully...

Obama: "that I will execute..."

Roberts: "faithfully execute the office of president of the United States..."

Obama: "The office of president of the United States faithfully..."

At that point, Roberts got back on course, leading as Obama followed with "and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"So help you God?" asked Roberts.

"So help me God."

By tradition, the presidential oath is administered by the chief justice, and in Roberts' case, it was his first inauguration.

Later, as he and Obama chatted briefly before lunch in the Capitol, Roberts appeared to take responsibility for the error.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28780417/

Obama's Inauguration Speech

January 20, 2009

Transcript

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address

Following is the transcript of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions:

PRESIDENT BARACK Thank you. Thank you.

CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...

(APPLAUSE)

... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

(APPLAUSE)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

(APPLAUSE)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality...

(APPLAUSE)

... and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

MR. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

(APPLAUSE)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

(APPLAUSE)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

(APPLAUSE)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those...

(APPLAUSE)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

(APPLAUSE)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.

These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

(APPLAUSE)

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river.

The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

And God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

Inauguration Assignment -MANDATORY

In the event that you do not complete this assignment and email it by 8:00am Wednesday January 21, 2009, you will make up the day on the following Saturday. TUESDAY IS NOT A FREE DAY! YOU ARE ALLOWED TO STAY HOME TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT!

1. Watch the Inauguration (Take Notes)
2. Watch and listen to President Obama's speech.(Take Notes)
3, Find 5 main points from Obama's speech.
4. Write a Paragraph Summarizing each point.
5. Find a online article that discusses one of the main points that you chose.

You will be required to show your notes and have your assignment ready before class. Humanities 9 format is required for the PAPER.

Announcement

The vocabulary homework for Chapter's 5-7 have been uploaded to my digital portfolio.

In addition the study questions have been provided as well, you may complete them in your binder. This is optional, it is entirely up to you to secure your success.


Also Chapter's 8-10 are there too. They will be due this week as well. Please stay on task.

Best of Luck!

* Look in the Things Fall Apart Folder*


Writing Assignment: Many changes happened in Okonkso’s village and the surrounding areas. You, as a young member of the
village, want to institute yet another change.
Your assignment is to think of a change you would make in the daily life/customs of the village. Present your
ideas to the egwugwu to persuade them to approve of your idea.

DUE BEFORE CLASS

Things Fall Apart - A Brief History of Nigeria- READ

The history of Nigeria is bound up with its geography. About one-third larger than the state of Texas, Nigeria is located above the inner curve of the elbow on the west coast of Africa, just north of the equator and south of the Sahara Desert. More than two hundred ethnic groups—each with its own language, beliefs, and culture—live in present-day Nigeria. The largest ethnic groups are the mostly Protestant Yoruba in the west, the Catholic Igbo in the east, and the predominantly Muslim Hausa-Fulani in the north. This diversity of peoples is the result of thousands of years of history; as traders, nomads, and refugees from invaders and climatic changes came to settle with the indigenous population, and as foreign nations became aware of the area’s resources.

The events in Things Fall Apart take place at the end of the nineteenth century and in the early part of the twentieth century. Although the British did not occupy most of Nigeria until 1904, they had a strong presence in West Africa since the early nineteenth century. The British were a major buyer of African slaves in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

In 1807, however, the British outlawed slave trade within their empire. At the time, they did not yet control Nigeria, and internal wars continually increased the available supply of captured slaves. In 1861, frustrated with the expanding slave trade, the British decided to occupy Lagos, a major slave-trading post and the capital of present-day Nigeria. Slowly and hesitantly, the British occupied the rest of Nigeria.

Ultimately, the British were prompted to occupy Nigeria for more than the slave trade. The British were in competition with other Europeans for control of the natural wealth of West Africa. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-85—a meeting arranged to settle rivalries among European powers—the British proclaimed Nigeria to be their territory. They bought palm oil, peanuts, rubber, cotton, and other agricultural products from the Nigerians. Indeed, trade in these products made some Nigerian traders very wealthy. In the early twentieth century, the British defined the collection of diverse ethnic groups as one country, Nigeria, and declared it a colony of the British Empire.

The British moved into Nigeria with a combination of government control, religious mission, and economic incentive. In the north, the British ruled indirectly, with the support of the local Muslim leaders, who collected taxes and administered a government on behalf of the British. In the south, however, where communities (such as Umuofia in Things Fall Apart) were often not under one central authority, the British had to intervene directly and forcefully to control the local population.

For example, a real-life tragedy at the community of Ahiara serves as the historical model for the massacre of the village of Abame in Chapter 15 of Things Fall Apart. On November 16, 1905, a white man rode his bicycle into Ahiara and was killed by the natives. A month later, an expedition of British forces searched the villages in the area and killed many natives in reprisal.

The Ahiara incident led to the Bende-Onitsha Hinterland Expedition, a force created to eliminate Igbo opposition. The British destroyed the powerful Awka Oracle and killed all opposing Igbo groups. In 1912, the British instituted the Collective Punishment Ordinance, which stipulated punishment against an entire village or community for crimes committed by one or more persons against the white colonialists.

The British operated an efficient administrative system and introduced a form of British culture to Nigeria. They also sent many capable young Nigerians to England for education. The experience of Nigerians who lived overseas in the years preceding, during, and after World War II gave rise to a class of young, educated nationalists who agitated for independence from Great Britain. The British agreed to the Nigerians’ demands and, in 1947, instituted a ten-year economic plan toward independence. Nigeria became an independent country on October 1, 1960, and became a republic in 1963.

With the British long gone from Nigeria, corruption and a lack of leadership continued to hamper Nigeria’s quest for true democracy. A series of military coups and dictatorships in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s replaced the fragile democracy that Nigeria enjoyed in the early 1960s. In 1993, Nigeria held a democratic presidential election, which was followed by yet another bloodless coup. And so continues the political pattern for the troubled, violent, most populous country in Africa.

Also visit: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107847.html

Overview of Class Today

1. All Holiday Break Projects Are STILL DUE.

2. The homework for this week can be found in my filing cabinet inside my digital portfolio.

3. It is your responsibility to get the book "Things Fall Apart" by Achebe ASAP

4. You are advised to read Chapter's 1-4 ASAP

5. Check this Blog Daily!

6. All email correspondence MUST include a subject.

7. All attached files must describe what the file is about.

Submission of the Project

Please note that the project is due tomorrow Jan. 5, 2009!

In the event that the project is not in humanities 9 format, or it does not meet the requirements, it will be returned to you and you will suffer a lowered grade for each day it is late.

The highest grade that can be achieved if it is turned in on the following days:

Tuesday 90%
Wednesday 80%
Thursday 70%
Friday 60%

Project Requirements

Project Ideas for the Kite Runner. Choose 1 of the options below!

- Write a Diary as one of the characters. Tell his/her secret thoughts, motivations, history, ideas for future and thoughts about others. (10 ENTRIES 1 page each)

- Rewrite part of the novel in song or poem form. (min 2 pages)

- Pretend you’re one of the characters. It’s 20 years from the end of the novel. Write a letter to another character in the book about what you’ve been doing with your life. ( Typed, must be at least 10 paragraphs, 9 sentences per paragraph.)

- Write a series of letter between any two characters. (min 6 letters, 5 paragraphs each)

- Write a sequel (or next chapter) of the novel. ( min 5 pages, typed)