Book Detail

This Our Dark Country: The American Settlers of Liberia

Publication Information
Author:  Reef, Catherine Illustrator:  
Title:  This Our Dark Country: The American Settlers of Liberia Date:  2002
Publisher:  Clarion City:  New York
ISBN, paperback:  0-618-14785-3 ISBN, hardback:  

Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes ESOL:  
Family:   Young Adult:   Yes
Picture:  

General Information:
Book Type(s):    nonfiction

HSE Descriptor(s):    social studies

Summary:
This is a history of Liberia which was established on the west coast of Africa in 1822 as a haven for free African Americans. Some U.S. history is also included as background context. End matter includes photos, maps, endnotes, bibliography, and index. The text is illustrated with authentic photos, woodcuts, etc.

Teaching Ideas:
This text lends itself to problem-solution discussions/ writing: why Liberia was formed, problems of beginning a new country, etc. Cultural conflicts netween Liberian settlers and indigineous people might also prove an interesting focus. Creating a timeline would be very useful in organizing the sequence of events. Clustering would help to organize the main events or the connections of events and people to this era in American and African-American history. Using the K-W-L strategy would help structure learning.

Teaching Strategies:
bullet Agree? Disagree? Why?
   http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/agree_disagree_why.pdf
bullet Clustering
   http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/clustering.pdf
bullet Discussion Webs
   http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/discussion_webs.pdf
bullet Herringbone
   http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/herringbone.pdf
bullet K-W-L Instruction Strategy
   http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/k_w_l.pdf

Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
bullet Social Studies > anthropology > cultures
bullet Ethnic Groups > African-American
bullet Geography > locations > continents/regions > Africa
bullet Hardships > survival
bullet Social Studies > sociology > social issues > immigration
bullet Ethnic Groups > African
bullet Communities > new
bullet History > topic > Black History


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