We wrapped up our African geography block last week. We took a closer look at the Maasai people and learned about some of their customs and ways of life in Kenya and Tanzania. The students continued with their oral presentations, and we saw some broad themes emerge across regions as we learned about each country. Last week, we learned about South Africa, Zambia, Central African Republic, Morocco, Libya, Eswatini, and Sudan among others.

One of our favorite topics in this block was food! We learned about many of the staple foods across the continent through student reports and the biographies and stories we read together. On Friday, we capped off the block with an African feast. I ordered a variety of west African staples and stews from a local Nigerian restaurant. The chef and staff were excited that I was teaching students about Africa. They made menu suggestions and threw in several freebies for us to try. If you have the opportunity, visit Nations Cafe in Sandy Springs and support their restaurant. We tried fufu, garri, plantain with jollof rice, yam with tomato onion stew, and a fish-based spinach stew. We also cooked over the fire and made kunde, a Kenyan stew and a thickened maize porridge known as sadza, nsima, ugali and other names depending on the country and thickness. The students embraced eating with their hands and enjoyed trying all the foods along with sharing and explaining the foods to the faculty and staff.

We've all enjoyed this block immensely! I've learned so much about Africa alongside the students. We will all be better citizens of the world with our deepened understanding of the people and places we explored.

We also wrapped up our polynomial work in algebra last week. The students worked hard on this unit over the past few weeks and will enjoy a well-earned break from math this week.

Happy Spring Break!