Orphan Boy
by Tololwa M. Mollel
Page 1 of 2
Many cultures of the
world believe that their daily activities are connected and affected by
mysterious occurrences within the universe. This relationship between humans and
celestial bodies is often expressed by people in myths, legends, and folk tales.
This theme will focus on a legend told by a pastoral people known as the Maasai.
The Maasai inhabit the grasslands of Kenya and Tanzania, and their story
provides us with a very beautiful explanation about how the planet Venus helped
save an old Maasai man by turning into an orphan boy. It is a very powerful tale
of people and nature working together. |
Enrichment Activities
Internet Resources
Books by Tololwa M. Mollel
Enrichment Activities
Parts of a Legend
Legends are stories
respected by their tellers as true. They usually take place in secular settings
and portray human characters within historical situations. All cultures create
legends and most of these legends become part of the oral tradition passed down
from generation to generation.
Like most stories, legends have a setting, a problem, and a
resolution. Discuss the setting, problem, and events leading to the final
resolution of this Maasai legend.
Star Gazing
The beauty of a starlit
sky belongs to all people inhabiting the earth. As we share in that beauty, many
of us experience the same feelings of solitude, tranquility, and harmony with
the unknown. We may also occasionally make a wish upon a star in the hope of
bringing happiness to ourselves or someone we love. Maybe our wish, like that of
the old Maasai man, will bring us prosperity and good fortune.
Encourage students to recall a "stargazing" experience they shared with a friend or relative. What was special about their evening with the stars? What did they learn about the stars relative to the sun, moon, and planets? How did their experience compare with that of the old Maasai man and the orphan boy?
Star Wishes
Have
students close their eyes and pretend they are stargazing. Ask each child to
contemplate and then write five wishes they would make and how these wishes
would change their lives. When the class has completed assignment, discuss their
wishes in the context of the Maasai legend, The Orphan Boy.
Star Stories
Create a story, as a class or individually, about a boy
or girl who wished upon a star and had his or her wish come true.
Celestial Legends
Have your class write and illustrate a book titled
Celestial Legends Around the World by having each student collect a
legend from a different country. The legend should focus on the relationship
between human and celestial bodies within a cultural or historical setting.
Pictures in the Sky
Have you ever seen a whale, a lion, or a swan in the sky?
They are there, just waiting to be seen, when the stars come out, and the sky
turns into an enormous picture book. These pictures are created by the stars
themselves and finding them is an activity to be shared by young and old from
anywhere in the world.
Using illustrations and reference guides, discuss how stars form constellations. Encourage students to become familiar with several of the constellations and what they look like in the sky. Use the Pictures in the Sky worksheet to help reinforce the outlines of these specific constellations. Assign an evening "star watch" to have students attempt to locate the constellations they have been studying.
Orirginal Star Pictures
Draw your own pictures in the sky. Plot stars on a
piece of paper and have classmates connect the stars to make a picture.
Star Poems
Write a new version of the old poem "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little
Star."
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the
world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little
star,
How I wonder what you are.
