“Joy to the World” Traditional Christmas Carol by Isaac Watts, 1719
Curriculum is the “what and how” of education.
There is commercial curriculum. There is curriculum developed by special interests, available nationally and internationally. There is curriculum developed by teachers in the state or district for state or district-wide use, distributed broadly and may be mandated. There is curriculum designed by the individual classroom teacher to be used in that classroom for those students.
Teachers are known to be ever seeking good ideas for approaches or material that would be effective for their students.
Recently, in conversation with an elementary school teacher, we chuckled in remembering that once Thanksgiving Day happens, students’ thoughts, every day following, are in Christmas or holiday mode. So much for prescribed curriculum and usual approaches in the month of December.
During December, elementary teachers often choose to implement curriculum satisfying required guidelines, but with a holiday theme.
Professional journals can be sources for curriculum ideas, materials and approaches. An article is especially helpful when it addresses a particular curriculum need such a developing critical thinking or expanding understanding of ourselves and others.
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As the 2003-2004 school year was beginning, Momentum, the journal of the National Catholic Educational Association published an article detailing Nigerian Christmas traditions. The September-October issue was devoted to Catholic Education and American culture. If teachers would wish to add the Nigerian Christmas to their year’s unit plan to add breadth and depth to the social studies curriculum, the article’s timing was ideal.
The Nigerian Christmas article had its beginnings during a holiday luncheon for women in December 2002. Joko Akwara and I happened to be seated at the same table. Joko emigrated from Lagos, Nigeria a year or two before. We had become acquainted but never had extended conversations…until that luncheon.
Joko brought along two members of her extended family and after introductions around, we began talking about the differences between a Christmas celebration in sub-Saharan Nigeria with its varied climate, geography, and tribes and our wishing for snow for our traditional Christmas here.
The former Nigerians enjoyed our interest in their traditions and customs.
One story triggered another. Fascinating.
There is no extended giving of presents in a traditional Nigerian Christmas except for their family’s gift of full wardrobes of new clothes to wear for the holidays.
The season begins with everyone at church on Christmas Eve. “Celebration with family and friends continues 24 hours a day for the full twelve days of Christmas. No invitations. No plans. People just come and go continuously celebrating Jesus’s birth, staying as long as possible before moving to another party. Food, food, food. Music and dancing and games. It is a wonderful time!” Joko explained.
All young children sing a charming folk song, “Angels.” Big boys prepare the meat for cooking and also mash the Nigerian yam because the mashing takes great strength. With the hot climate, large tents are erected for eating meals outside.
I must have remarked that I would like to have had a second or third grade class to replicate a Nigerian Christmas as part of a December unit on holiday traditions around the world. Usually, such units are limited to European and Mexican celebrations. To be able to add an African country.
Several weeks later, I asked Joko if she would be willing to assist me in composing an article to share the information about Nigerian Christmas with American teachers. Yes, yes. Joko liked the idea.
She would use the traditional Christmas of her childhood. In the modern city of Lagos, Western influences are seen during the holiday season.
When we met, Joko had accumulated lots of details. I asked clarifying questions, taking lots of notes. Teachers would have a range of choices for creating a rich, multidisciplinary set of lessons.
Of course, the “Angels” song had to be included. Teachers would need sheet music for the folk tune. Both Joko and I immediately thought of our good friend, Patty Kyrlach, a brilliant author, musician, and home-schooling mother.
Patty knew just what to do. She asked Joko to phone her land line number and when the answering machine picked up, Joko would sing the song onto the tape.
Within a few days, we had the confirmed musical notation, the Nigerian words and the English translation. And now we added the directions for the little dance: left foot left with right foot following, right foot right and left foot following, continuing back and forth with arms bent and body moving to the music.
As a part of the unit, we added photos and a data retrieval chart for comparing and contrasting cultural traditions across countries.
When we were creating the article, I checked with Brian Gray, Momentum’s editor, who welcomed the article. The theme of the September/October issue would be perfect with its focus on the widening American culture. The timing of that issue was perfect for planning, too.
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Just last year, I met a Thomas More University student-athlete who had come from Nigeria with his family a few years before. It was fun to share the Momentum article with him.
Then, friends were attending a Nigerian wedding ceremony locally.
Nigerian emigrees could be students in our schools. Teachers just might have their own consultants in those families for recreating a Nigerian Christmas or other Nigerian holiday.
Or…emigrees from other countries? Imagine the possibilities. There is much that may be shared and learned.
Goodness multiplied. And it’s all right here.
