Nelson Mandela's Rainbow

Ekskluzywne treści

Dostęp do Academy

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.

W skrócie

Poziom CEFR :B1

Poziom klasy :Level 3, Level 4, Level 5

Typ :Historie

Kultura i cywilizacja :Kraje i Krajobrazy, Sztuka i uczucia

Materiał narracyjny do wykorzystania w klasie

Rozbudź ciekawość swoich uczniów dzięki tej gotowej do użycia historii. Została ona specjalnie opracowana, aby omówić i zilustrować kluczowe aspekty kultury anglojęzycznej.

To materiały premium, które są częścią The Big Challenge Academy. Wykup roczny abonament, aby uzyskać nieograniczony dostęp do setek zasobów premium.

Odkryj The Big Challenge Academy

Przewodnik pedagogiczny

Objective & Plot Summary

This sequence aims to help students 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 freedom struggle, while Chloe imagines symbols of renewal. It is by reading together a quote from Mandela about 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 historical scenes, and Chloe will integrate photos of current community life. Their collaborative work transforms a grey wall into a vibrant masterpiece, and their nascent friendship becomes a living symbol of the "Rainbow Nation" they have illustrated.

Suggested Lesson Plan

Before the Activity (~5 min): ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Launch a brainstorming session on the board with the keywords "South Africa," "Nelson Mandela," and "Apartheid." Gather students' knowledge and perceptions.
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): READ AND EXPLORE THE NARRATIVE

Step 1: Silent Reading. Students read the text individually. Invite them to highlight passages describing the differences between the two girls and 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 MAKE IT THEIR OWN

Launch a class discussion: "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 undertake 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"). Reading can be done aloud, by the teacher or by volunteer students, with pauses to clarify meaning.
To deepen: Propose small group research on an aspect of history: life in Soweto, Nelson Mandela's biography, or the concept of committed art. Students prepare a short oral presentation of their findings.