Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide

Teacher Resources:
• Oral Tradition – in Background section of Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide Grades K-5
• “Uncle Bouki Gets WOW-EE” - in Supplementary Materials section of Haitian Culture
Curriculum Guide Grades K-5
• Chart paper
Procedures/Activities:
1. The class sits in a circle. Tell students that today the class will explore a story from Haitian
culture called “Uncle Bouki Gets WOW-EE” about the unexpected. Explain that the story,
which you will tell today, is from Haitian oral tradition. Use the Oral Tradition (in
Background section of Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide Grades K-5) to inform your
discussion. Point out that the story you will tell students today is a folktale. Review the
definition of a folktale. Talk with students about folktales told in American culture. Give
examples.
2. Review unfamiliar vocabulary from “Uncle Bouki Gets WOW-EE” (tremendously, politely,
delicious).
3. Orient students to the traditional opening of a Haitian story: “Krik?” “Krak!” Use the Oral
Tradition background to inform your explanation. Tell the folktale “Uncle Bouki Gets
WOW-EE” to students, using the Krik? Krak! opening, which is traditional in Haitian culture.
(Folktale is in Supplementary Materials section Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide Grades
K-5.)
4. Ask volunteers to retell the story in their own words.
5. In pairs, students write a four-sentence summary of the folktale. Inform students that you will
ask volunteers to share their writing. Write along with your students.
6. Volunteer pairs share their summaries. Use the summaries to find gaps in students’
comprehension of the folktale. Then, engage in class discussion of “Uncle Bouki Gets
WOW-EE.”
7. As a class, write a paragraph summary of “Uncle Bouki Gets WOW-EE” on chart paper;
display the summary at the front of the classroom.
Assessment:
• Answers to discussion questions on “Uncle Bouki Gets WOW-EE”
• Students’ retelling of story in their own words
• Student illustrations of folktale
Follow-up Activity:
Students draw pictures to illustrate a particular part of “Uncle Bouki Gets WOW-EE.” Pictures
could be collected and bound into a picture book, which could be reread throughout the year.
31