The Cow Tail Switch

Next week I’ll be working with a group of first through third grade primary students on learning to tell this old Liberian story of family and memory, in which a father is killed while hunting and, after being remembered by his youngest son, is brought back to life by his children. The more I think about it, I think the entire class could jump in and explore the story for an unforgettable morning or full day. It may be too late to schedule such an event this year with the class I’ll meet next week, but here are a few ideas that will make for great involvement.

Divide the class into working groups of no more than six and have a teacher or adult volunteer to help with each group. I think small working groups with a supervising adult is essential to keep things on track.

My resource for this story is A Treasury of African Folklore by Harold Courlander. I think, with a whole, class participating, it would be fun to tell the story as you explore the pieces. The ending is a surprise. Also if you want to know what a cow tail switch looks like, get a copy of The Story of Kwanzaa by Donna Washington.

Ogaloussa Is The Father
Brainstorm what kinds of things Ogaloussa, the father, might do with his children. In core groups, have one child create a sculpture using his partner showing what Ogaloussa did with or for him or her. Combine two groups to share sculptures and switch. Before doing this activity, you will need to talk about what a sculptor does and to spend time getting accustomed to the concept that one child is in charge.

Traveling Through The Jungle
In core groups, write phrases or single word descriptions of the jungle using the senses. Children pick two from each group and create a class poem. Let each group place their words. I use long strips of paper that can be moved until it sounds just right. Another option would be to create poems in the core groups where each child makes a list of descriptions and contributes their best.

Who Receives the Prize?
In core groups, Ogaloussa’s children brainstorm the reasons that Ogaloussa should give them his cow tail switch. As family groups, they must come forward and tell or show the chief why their family deserves the gift of this prized object.