Last year, I was introduced to the West Africa symbol art called Adinkra. These beautiful symbols each represent something different to the people of the region. Mrs. Swannigan, the GMS art teacher who retired last year, told me to simply look through her Adinkra book and wait for a symbol to "speak" to me. I laughed and started flipping pages and, much to my surprise, a symbol did jump out at me.
This symbol was the "Nyansapo" or "Wisdom Knot". It's meaning did speak to me....it was about being a life long learner in order to seek wisdom! When I introduced this art form to my students and had them look for the symbol which 'spoke' to them, they too were surprised at how often the meaning seemed to fit their personality. Give it a try:
Adinkra Symbol Index Clicking on the symbol's title will lead you to more information about its meaning.
This week in social studies class we learned much about the history of West Africa and focused on one of its most important leaders, Mansa Musa. This music video was made by a teacher who is, apparently, even crazier than me. ENJOY!
I'm Mansa Musa Music Video
Here's how MY African Adinkra Art turned out. Not bad for someone who has NO artist ability!
Mrs. Bess
