Teaching Missions

From SPARK

Brief Summary

Case history for the book "From Akebu to Zapotec"

Introduction

I have used this delightful picture book, From Akebu to Zapotec, its CD and poster, many times with technologically-aware children from North America and Northern Europe and Korea. These elementary-aged children were in various groups such as VBS, Sunday Schools, and summer kid’s club programs. In this case study I will focus on a group of children I worked with during a linguistic training course held at the University of North Dakota.

Key Factors

• Each morning 14 children (ages 5-9 years) would gather and listen to the CD section describing a single people group.
• At the same time they looked at the illustration for the people group.
• After the first two days, without encouragement from me, the children began to accurately repeat the names of the people groups.
• Each day as they repeated the lengthening list, they began to memorize the names of the people groups.
• The children were able to remember what country each people group lived in.
• I used a large colorful cloth map of the world to help them locate the countries.
• The children learned to correctly pronounce the names of the people groups and the countries. For example:
  • Hrusso & Vadar - India
  • Elkei & Umeda - Papua New Guinea
  • Quechua - Peru

The equipment used included:

• A copy of the book and CD
• A CD player
• A colorful poster of the book
• A colorful cloth map

What Was Done

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Results

• During the final week of the 10-week adult linguistics course the children presented the morning chapel.
• Each child had picked a favorite people group.
• Each child memorized a brief bit of information about that group.
• They each located the country on our world map.
• We closed by singing the familiar Disney tune, Its A Small World and then invited the adults to join us in singing In Christ There Is No East or West.
• The children enjoyed the study.
• The adults were impressed with what had been learned.

Helpful Information from the Author

The same summer the children were learning more about these people groups, a woman's prayer group used the book as a guide for praying for Bibleless people.

By: Submitted by: Vida

Date entered: 2003

Date range of story: June through August 2003

Location: University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA