Nelson Mandela's Rainbow

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Plunge your students into the heart of post-apartheid South Africa with "Nelson Mandela's Rainbow," a touching and accessible illustrated story. Through the story of Lerato and Chloe, two teenagers who are opposites in every way, students will discover the concept of the "Rainbow Nation" in a concrete and human way. This resource is ideal for addressing strong themes like history, reconciliation, and the power of art, while developing reading comprehension in a rich cultural context.

In short

CEFR level :B1

Class level :Level 3, Level 4, Level 5

Type :Stories

Cultural themes :Countires & Landscapes, Arts & Feelings

A narrative resource for your class

Spark your students' curiosity with this ready-to-use story. It is specifically designed to address and illustrate key points of Anglophone culture.

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Pedagogical Guide

Objective & Plot Summary

This sequence aims to lead students to understand the historical and social concept of **Nelson Mandela's "Rainbow Nation"** through a story of friendship and artistic creation. The narrative features **Lerato**, a young artist from **Soweto**, and **Chloe**, a shy teenager from a wealthy Johannesburg suburb. They must collaborate on a mural celebrating South African unity, but their different social backgrounds create an initial conflict over the project's vision. Lerato wants to represent the past and the heroes of the struggle for freedom, while Chloe imagines symbols of renewal. It is by reading together a quote from Mandela on the promise of a united and dignified nation for all that they find common ground. They then decide to combine their ideas: Lerato will paint the historical scenes, and Chloe will integrate photos of current community life. Their joint work transforms a gray wall into a vibrant masterpiece, and their burgeoning friendship becomes a living symbol of the "Rainbow Nation" they illustrated.

Suggested Lesson Flow

Before the Activity (~5 min): ACTIVATE KNOWLEDGE

Start a brainstorming session on the board with the keywords "**South Africa**," "**Nelson Mandela**," and "**Apartheid**." Gather students' knowledge and representations.
Project the first image of the document. Ask students to describe the two characters and hypothesize about the setting and subject of the story.

During the Activity (~20 min): READING AND EXPLORING THE NARRATIVE

**Step 1: Silent Reading.** Students read the text individually. Invite them to highlight the passages that describe the differences between the two girls and the key moments of their collaboration.
**Step 2: Comprehension Check.** Ask targeted questions to guide students: "Why was Chloe nervous at the beginning?", "What were Lerato's and Chloe's first ideas for the mural?", "What specific quote from Nelson Mandela helped them?", "How did they finally decide to mix their two ideas?".

After the Activity (~15 min): DISCUSS AND OWN IT

Start a class **debate**: "In your opinion, what does the quote from Nelson Mandela mean?". "How is the final mural a good symbol for the 'Rainbow Nation'?".
In pairs, students imagine a project (artistic or otherwise) they could run in their own school to "**build a community where everyone feels safe and important**". They present their idea to the class.

Adaptations

**To Simplify:** Provide a short list of essential vocabulary beforehand ("mural," "suburb," "poverty," "freedom," "dignity"). The reading can be done aloud, by the teacher or by volunteer students, with pauses to clarify meaning.
**To Extend:** Suggest a research project in small groups on one aspect of the history: life in **Soweto**, the **biography of Nelson Mandela**, or the concept of **socially engaged art**. Students prepare a short oral presentation of their findings.