Even when I was a little kid, I would skip alongside my uncles and observe how they were able to keep the herd together and safe from dangers.
~ words from Alex that keep us thinking and wondering ~
Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
Notice what you notice. Wonder what you wonder. There is no quiz, no right way. Read until something stays.
this film has no words. notice what you notice. notice what you wonder. wonder out loud. and don't forget to notice what you feel, too.
Unexpected Teachers
I have been herding my whole life here in Kenya. Even when I was a little kid, I would skip alongside my uncles and observe how they were able to keep the herd together and safe from dangers. I learned to whistle when I was a young child too. The whistle of the Maasai people is very unique; we use it to communicate to our cattle. It is almost like a song. Depending on how I whistle, my cattle will know if it’s safe to graze and relax, or if there is a possible danger nearby telling us we need to move to a safer place.
There are many ways to communicate.
Of course, talking is the most obvious, but can you think of other ways humans communicate?
Why is it important to pay attention to other ways we communicate?
For example, I know that body language can tell us a lot about how people are feeling.
I also can see when my cattle are nervous by the way they act.
Our cattle are mixed together with cattle from other families who live nearby. We identify the cattle by each family’s signature brand mark that we sear into the flesh when the cattle are young. We all take turns caring for the herd so that we can also go to school, go to the market, fix our homes, and do other things needed to survive. Someone always needs to stay with the animals if they are out grazing. This is because we have to watch for predators and move the cattle to the watering spots or away from land that is off-limits. I’m the oldest boy in my family so the responsibility lies with me when it is my family’s turn to herd. My younger brother is learning about herding but he is not good at it yet; he constantly gets distracted and has lost some cattle in the past. I try to teach him but he is more interested in drawing in the dirt with sticks!
Our herd is big! There are 3 hundreds + 5 tens + 2 ones. How many cattle is that? Why do you think it might be important we keep count? Sometimes I count cattle by family, meaning I’ll count my family’s first, and then the next, until I’ve counted all. Then I know where one is missing if they do not add up correctly. If I tell you that I counted all 64 of my family’s cattle and 32 of another family’s, how many have I counted total? In another area I notice that all the cattle comes from two families. If I count 93 total, and 40 come from one family, how many does the second family have?
Sometimes my friends and I are all free at the same time and we join together to take care of the herd. We usually talk quietly so our ears will still be able to hear the sounds of approaching dangers. I love to have the company of my friends when I’m herding, but I am also very used to being by myself. The whistling is one way I pass the time when I’m all alone.
Do you prefer to spend time with your friends, or by yourself?
Or a mix of both?
Does it depend on the day, or what activity you are doing?
Can you share some of the other factors that might impact whether you want to be with other people or alone?
I feel so lucky to be a herder even though it is not always easy. I spend most of my time with the cattle. I listen to them crunching on the long grass and to their hooves slowly moving across the flat land. There are so many sounds in the Maasai Mara. I have learned to listen so well that sometimes I can hear animals in far off distances. Once I heard a cheetah chasing a small antelope. I couldn’t see the scene because it was too far away but I could hear the growl of the cheetah and the call of the young antelope, as well as the grass being crushed under their feet and the quick turns they made to try to escape or capture. I could see the whole thing play out in my mind just by using my ears to hear what was going on. It is like I have a TV in my mind!
Do you ever feel like you have a TV in your mind?
What type of things do you like to imagine?
Do you ever draw these things in real life?
What are some ways you can share your imagination with others?
It’s impossible not to feel at ease in this moment as the giant sun sits on the horizon sending golden rays across the flat earth. However, the approaching nightfall and occasional whooping sound of a hyena remind us what other animals share this land. I’m not afraid of hyenas because they are more afraid of humans. The gazelles' delicate hooves barely touch the ground as they spring to safer areas for the night. The birds are like a ruckus chorus as they settle into the branches of the few trees. The water sloshes in the containers on my aunt and mother’s heads as they return from the water hole. I don’t have to herd tonight since my cousin is doing it, so I go help my mother take the heavy water container off her head. We wash the sweat and dirt from our hands and faces. We sit down for a minute together and talk about what else needs to be done before sleep. My sister is already cooking something over the open fire in the kitchen. There is always so much to be done, but we are never in a rush. We all have our roles to play in the family, and we know how important it is to work together in order to achieve everything.
Begin this lesson with a short ‘dance party’ to a favorite song, with the agreement that students must sit down and focus as soon as it ends.
“When I say ‘teacher,’ what comes to your mind?” Let students call out things that come to mind in response to this question. You may find they describe you or other colleagues in your school.
As their enthusiasm dies down you can ask, “Now, in what way might a dog be a teacher? Or your best friend?” Feel free to include other examples that are culturally relevant. You want to begin steering them toward recognizing how teachers can show up in “strange” places.
“Now we get to watch a short video about a boy’s life in the Maasai Mara of Kenya! As you watch, try to pick out who may be the important teachers in Alex’s life.
“After watching "I am Alex" (above), you can then dive into Alex’s Learning Journey story, "Alex’s Family Role". After watching the video, ask students, “Who did you see in the video? Other than humans, what other living beings did you notice?” Ask them to silently choose one being they saw in the video -- could be the lion, a calf, a friend of Alex’s -- and ask them to think silently for one minute about something Alex may have learned from that person/animal. Then invite them to share if they feel like they came up with a good idea. “What else do you want to know about Alex’s life?” Keep track of their questions and, as you read “Alex’s Family Role,” address their questions where you can. Suggest, “Let’s look for teachers in Alex’s life where we may least expect it!” Make it an interactive experience wherein you invite students to stand up silently when they hear something in the story that may reveal a teacher in a surprising place. Pause the story and let the student explain the teaching role they identified. After finishing the story, ask students to go back to the original question: “Now what comes to your mind when you think of a teacher? What has changed? How would you define ‘teacher’ now?”
Imagine what it is like to take care of such a huge herd while working with hundreds, word problems, and strategies for adding and subtracting within 100.
If students did not identify the cattle as potential teachers, now is an opportunity to do so yourself (they teach how to look for water sources, active listening, observation skills, etc.). “Alex is often in charge of a lot of cattle! Let’s try to imagine what it is like to keep track of this many cattle: what does the landscape look like? What are you paying attention to?” Encourage students to be really imaginative and envision themselves in the Maasai Mara. Then, share the data about cattle. Alex provides some numbers regarding the herd. Begin by identifying the cattle count by practicing recognizing place value and hundreds. Please note that while 352 is an accurate count of the herd, the other numbers are fictional and estimated for the sake of practicing math. Please feel free to change up the numbers to practice different strategies for adding and subtracting. Ask students, “What might Alex learn from his herding experience? Could herding itself be a teacher? Why or why not?”
“Let’s think about some of the teachers we may find in unexpected places in our own lives!” Give students 10 minutes to think creatively about the different types of teachers in their lives.
They could choose to draw a picture, write a story, write a letter to that teacher, or another creative idea you may have. At the end of the lesson invite students to share about this unique teacher in their life. Remember, not all teachers are obvious- or even human!
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Law & Order
Does this seem fair to you? It is complicated, because the natural parks and conservancies want to protect the land, which is a good thing. But my people have lived like this forever. We know how to protect the land too. Why do we have to follow these laws? Are there restrictions like this where you live? Why do they exist?
One time when we sold a cow at the market, the person paid us with the following bills (USD): two 20 dollar bills, five 10 dollar bills, and two 5 dollar bills. For how much did we sell the cow? We had to exchange some of the bills for coins for our ride home. What combination of coins could we receive for 1 dollar? Can you draw them please? (If you are not familiar with U.S. currency, your teacher can help!)
Do you like to read? Have you ever experienced a time when your ability to read was extremely important? I’m grateful that I have learned to read in school because now I can make sure that no one takes advantage of my parents and asks them to sign something that they cannot read or understand.
Have you ever lost something or someone that was really important to you? How did you feel? What did you do about it?
What do you think I mean by that, “keep the balance and harmony between all three”? What might that look like? What can we do to balance all three? What might it look like where you live? Do you feel like this is important? Why or why not?
Have students close their eyes and picture hiking at night. Would they be scared? What types of animals might they encounter?
“Why are laws and rules important?” Ask students to think of an example from there life where a rule or a law helped them out. Consider providing an example from your own life.
Then ask some other big questions, like: “What is the difference between a law and a rule? Who makes laws and rules? Do laws and rules ever do harm? Can they ever be changed?” In this lesson you’ll be exploring answers to these questions.
“We’re going to learn about Alex’s life on the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya and how laws have impacted his lifestyle.” Begin by watching the video "I am Alex" so that students get a sense of what the Maasai Mara is like.
Then begin reading the story, "Alex: My Cattle are My Bank Account". Read the beginning section where Alex describes how their lifestyle and herding has changed with the formation of conservancies and National Parks. Check for reading comprehension by asking, “How has Alex’s family’s life changed with the formation of these laws? Does this seem fair to his people? Why might these laws have been formed? What might be the lawmaker’s perspective? Why did the Maasai Mara people not get to have input with the rules and laws? ”
Practice counting money, addition within 100, and adding 1s and 10s by helping Alex sell a cow. In the middle of the story you’ll find a prompt from Alex regarding selling their cow for $100.
Cows actually typically sell for $150; you can decide whether your students are ready for numbers larger than 100 and change the amount accordingly. By adding up the amount of bills to determine the price of the cow, students can practice addition within 100, adding 1s and 10s, and money challenges. For greater practice with 1s and 10s, consider providing students with additional prompts once they calculate the amount of bills. For example, “Actually, the cow sold for 10 more. How much would that be?” Consider linking math to the theme of the lesson by asking, “In what way might we consider math equations to be a rule or law?”
Wrap up the lesson by asking all students to stand where they are and tossing one a ball, exclaiming, “Play ball!” At some point they will probably grow frustrated with the lack of knowing rules or what game they are playing.
In response, suggest “Great, let’s make up some rules!” Encourage them to be creative and write down all the rules, no matter how silly. The longer the list, the better. Once they begin playing with these rules, they may again get frustrated with the sheer amount. Use this energy to facilitate a debrief discussion, “Which rules were helpful? Which rules were not? Was it any fun without rules? Who made the rules? Why?” Be sure to point out differing opinions and ask students why they may have different perspectives.
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Where Things Come From
I wake up just as the sun starts to rise over the savannah at 6:30 in the morning this time of year in Kenya. My family’s home is one rectangle separated into two rooms: one room where we sleep and one room where we have our belongings. There is another small building a short walk away that is our kitchen. I hear the sounds of the cattle and the whistle of my friend who was watching the cattle all night. It will be my turn to tend to the herd this coming night. When I’m not tending the cattle at night, I sleep laid out on the tightly woven mat on the floor of our home with colorful blankets and extra shukas for warmth. This is how we all sleep. If I have to be awake all night herding, then I come home and sleep in the shade of the home in the day.
Try drawing a picture of what you imagine our home to look like!
Keep in mind our home is divided into halves.
Can you also identify which lines are parallel?
Why do you think these might be common shapes for homes?
What shapes are involved in your home?
My mother and sister are making tea. It is the traditional tea made with cow’s milk over an open fire. It is made up more of milk than any tea herbs, but we call it tea anyway. Sometimes it is easier to get cow’s milk than it is to get water since we live 3 kilometers away from the closest water source. Besides the nutrition we can get from our cows, we are dependent on food produced in other areas such as maize meal, rice, potatoes, and cabbage.
What type of foods do you most commonly eat?
Are you also dependent on others producing food you can buy or do you grow your own?
I’d love to hear more about where your food comes from.
Maybe you can illustrate or write a story that will help me imagine how the food you eat gets to your plate?
And I’ll try to help you imagine a part of my life.
If we sell one of our cows at the market, we will make 100 Kenyan Shillings (KSh). (Note: KSh are almost equal to 1 USD.) Then we can use it to buy the foods I mentioned above! Let’s say during one trip to the market we buy 2 KSh worth of potatoes, 1 KSh of cabbage, 2 KSh of rice, and 3 KSh of maize meal. This will last us a while! How much money do we have left?
I get up and put on my shuka, which is fabric that I can wear in many different ways. My parents used to have shukas made out of animal skins like cowhide but now we all use cotton. The shukas are a variety of colors but most all of them have some red as it helps us camouflage with the red dirt in this part of the Maasai Mara. I also like to wear beaded bracelets that my mother and aunts have made. My mother is the best at making beaded accessories. She will sometimes sell these items in the town if we need money. They are so well made and strong that if someone buys one of her items, it will last for their entire life. The Kenyan jewelry is very unique and I think they look good.
Are there any cultural items that are unique to your country?
Do you know how to make them?
Why are they important to you?
For me, the jewelry is part of my identity, which I am proud of.
I have a cell phone that I can charge through a small solar system at one of the houses in my community. There are also a few solar charging stations in the town if I am there for school or for the market. I tuck my cell phone into my shuka when I go herding. I am 14 years old and I go to school in the nearest town, which is a long walk from where my family lives. I go to school for as long as I can, but when my family needs me to return to help with the cattle, I come back and stay at home in the Maasai Mara. I will be able to graduate some day but it might take me longer than other students because I also need to work with my family. I have to balance the time I get to spend on my education with the time I need to work at home. It is very important for our survival.
What type of responsibilities do you have in your family?
Are there things your family does that are important for your survival?
Is education important to you and to your family?
Why or why not?
Begin this lesson taking a few collective deep breaths to encourage focus.
“Where does your food come from?” Some students may have an answer and others may not. Keep prodding them to trace the food back further.
If they say “from a store,” ask them, “How did the food get to the store?” If their family grows a lot of their own food, ask them, “Where do the seeds come from? What does it take to help them grow? Where does the water you need come from?” In this lesson you’ll explore the ecosystem of food production.
Watch the video, "I am Alex".
Ask students to pay attention to, “what you think Alex’s main food source might be and where his food might come from.” After watching the video, ask students, “What do you think Alex’s experience in getting food might be like?” Then excitedly proclaim something like, “Let’s read a little about his life to find out more!” Read the Learning Journey story "I am Alex".
Practice subtraction and identifying shapes and fractions of shapes with Alex. You’ll find a prompt for students to draw what they imagine Alex’s home to look like.
This is an opportunity to to practice identifying shapes and fractions of shapes. Students can also draw pictures of their own home and pick out the shapes that make it up. Encourage them to be detailed, such as encouraging the animals Alex describes! To practice subtraction within 100 and subtracting 1s and 10s, students can help Alex calculate how much money his family will have left after selling a cow and buying a few common food items in the market. Please feel free to convert amounts to the currency with which your students are familiar, being aware that you may no longer be working within 100.
Alex explains that he is proud of his cultural identity, which he shows off by wearing traditional jewelry. Encourage students to reflect on their own cultural identity and what pieces they are proud of.
What makes their family unique? What traditions or customs does their family participate in? Is there one thing they wear or do that really represents their cultural identity?
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
If a moment stayed, follow it. If a question rose up, hold it. The quiet teaching is still teaching.
Three or four real stories woven into one lesson, your topic, your time. Alex is one. The weaver finds the others, threads the math, the literacy, the values, the reflection.
Open the weaver →