English 9 Enriched: Kenya (Every Bone Tells a Story)

Turkana Boy, also occasionally, Nariokotome Boy is the common name of fossil KNM-WT 15000, a nearly complete skeleton of a hominid who died in the early Pleisticene. This specimen is the most complete early human skeleton ever found. It is 1.5 million years old. Once thought to be a member of the species Homo erectus; after much heated debate, it was recently classified as Homo ergaster.

His age has been estimated from 7 years six months to as old as 15 years. The most recent scientific review suggests 8 years of age.  It was initially suggested that he would have grown into 1.85 m tall adult but the most recent analysis argues for the much shorter stature of 1.63 m. The reason for this shift has been research showing that his growth maturation differed from that of modern humans in that he would have had a shorter and smaller adolescent growth spurt.

The skeleton was discovered in 1984 by Kamoya Kimeu, a member of a team led by Richard Leakey, at Nariokotome near Lake Turkana in Kenya.

source: Wikipedia (click picture for link)

Delta Class:

Click on the map to see a Prezi by Maddy about the religion of the Dorobo Tribe in Kenya.

Click on the picture to see a Prezi by Kali

This is a video that was shared by Jackson

Sigma Class:

Power Point: SRI Turkana Boy Presentation

English 9 Enriched: Expository Writing (Cultural Reports)

Group Assignments: Expository Writing 

–          The class will be divided into four groups, one for each hominid.  Each member shall choose a different aspect from the list below of the earliest culture that they can find that lived in that region (Ancient Kenyan tribes, Ancient Portugal—mostly likely the Celts—, Ancient Italian mountain villages, or Native Americans in the Northwestern region of what is currently the United States)  to report on.  Each student shall then find at least two articles from the internet, school-purchased database (see library/media webpage) or two books/periodicals—National Geographic might be a good choice—to use as sources for their reports.

Reports (expository writing) are to be divided among group members (each person select only one topic):

• geographical/environmental considerations                               
• political/economic considerations                                   
• food/clothing                                                                                           
• traditions/ceremonies                                                          
• religion/beliefs                                                                        
• work/labor considerations                                                  
• social organization/families                                                

Each group member will write a short report (at least two full pages) about what their research on their chosen topic  can tell us about the culture of the ancient people who lived in that region.

Every person will submit a works cited page.  Groups will present their reports to the class.

Academic Stretch:  If students only do the bare minimum I have asked for (the two-page paper with a works cited page and they give an oral report), that is what the average student would do; therefore, the grade is average (or a “C”).   For those who wish to strive for the “B” (above average) or the “A” (outstanding), then they need to go above and beyond the minimum requirements.  Students may complete a PowerPoint presentation to use with the oral report, or a Prezi, or posters, or anything else they feel would be going above and beyond to show their understanding of the topic.