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Lesson 2 the People of Madagascar LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES online mission trip Curriculum LESSON 2 THE PEOPLE OF MADAGASCAR 660 MASON RIDGE CENTER DRIVE, SAINT LOUIS, MO 63141 | LHM.ORG 0117 LHM – MADAGASCAR Lesson 2 – The People of Madagascar Population On the map, Madagascar is very close to the eastern edge of Africa. This closeness would lead people to conclude that the inhabitants of Madagascar are predominately African. This is not true. The native inhabitants of Madagascar are the Malagasy (pronounced mah-lah-GAH-shee), who originated in Malaysia and Indonesia and reached Madagascar about 1,500 years ago. The language, customs, and physical appearance of today’s Malagasy reflect their Asian ancestry. Nearly 22.5 million people live in modern Madagascar. The annual growth rate of three percent combined with an average life expectancy of only sixty- four years gives Madagascar a young population. About sixty percent of the Malagasy people are less than twenty-five years old. Thirty-five percent of the adult population is classified as illiterate. More than ninety-five percent of the population is of Malagasy origin. The other five percent is made up of French, Comorians, Indo-Pakistanis, and Chinese peoples. The Malagasy are divided into 20 distinct ethnic groups, each of which occupies a certain area of the island. These groups originally started as loosely organized clans. Each clan remained apart from each other clan, marrying only within its clan. The clans developed into separate ethnic groups. Today there is an increased amount of intermarriage between the clans blurring the lines of distinction. All groups consider themselves as equally Malagasy. The largest group is the Merina. Their name means “Elevated People.” They live in the central highlands and have the national capital in their territory. Many of the Merina have pale brown skin, delicatebone structure, and long straight hair. They have long dominated Malagasy politics and society. They are accomplished artists. The next largest group are the Betsimisaraka. This group of people live in the lowlands and are farmers that grow commercial crops for export or rice for local consumption. The Betsileo people live in the highland south of the Merina people. They are accomplished rice farmers and are mainly Christian. The Antandroy group of people are famed herdsmen whose zebu cattle are the largest and the best on the island. The Bara people are also herdsmen. They frequently move their herds to find suitable grazing land. The Bara are also know for their prowess in cattle rustling which they consider to be a legitimate expression of their tough existence. Families Malagasy families tend to live close together often with several generations living in one house. Women marry in their teens and are responsible for child rearing, tending the garden or field, shopping, cleaning, and cooking. Men have traditionally been the cattle herders or farmers, but today may hold office of factory jobs. LHM – MADAGASCAR,LHM – CAMBODIA, LESSON LESSON 2 1 LHM – MADAGASCAR Lesson 2 – The People of Madagascar (continued) Food Malagasy food is very similar to Indonesian food. Rice – usually fried or steamed with chopped vegetables, bits of chicken or beef, and peppers and other spices – is the basis of every meal. Like the food of Southeast Asia, Malagasy dishes are often ex- tremely hot and spicy seasoned with chilies, peppercorns, cloves, garlic, and coriander. Oranges, lemons, papayas, and bananas are enjoyed by the Malagasy. Education All children between the ages of 6 and 11 are required to attend primary school. Education is free in Madagascar. Classes in the cities are held in school buildings, while in the country, classes are often held in churches or religious missions. Salaries for teachers are paid by the state. Although children are required by law to attend at least five years of school, many do not. Some children leave school to work on their family’s farm, others do not wish to leave home and travel the great distance to school. Only about 12 percent of the population go on to secondary school. This lack of education results in the country’s poor literacy rate. More Malagasy women are illiterate than men due to the view that boys should stay in school and get a job whereas girls are expected to just marry and have children. The prevailing attitude is still that education is really only needed for men. Health Health conditions are generally very poor in Madagascar. There are few facilities outside of the cities due to a severe shortage of doctors. Madagascar’s biggest health problems are malaria and parasitic diseases such as schistosomiasis. Leprosy and tubercu- losis cause many deaths among the Malagasy. The government is committed to improved health care and improved educational programs for the people. LHM – MADAGASCAR,LHM – CAMBODIA, LESSON LESSON 2 12 LHM – MADAGASCAR Lesson 2 – Lesson Plan – The People of Madagascar PRE-K GOALS FOR THE LESSON PRE-K LESSON PLAN DETAILS PRE-K SUGGESTED MATERIALS The students will learn about five groups of With the children gathered at the listening center, • Blackline Master 2-1 Malagasy (pronounced mah-lah-GAH-shee) near the Madagascar bulletin board (if such was • Scissors people, those groups being the Merina, the designed), or remaining in their seats, review Mada- Betsimisaraka, the Betsileo, the Antandray, gascar as the great red island of Africa. Use a child’s • Crayons or colored pencils and the Bara people. The students will be footprint of the island made last session or refer to the • Glue able to name rice and cattle as the two bulletin board, if available. • Popsicle sticks main industries of Madagascar. The students Show the Blackline Master 2-1 of five people. Explain will learn about the education system in the different ethnic groups of the people to the children. Madagascar. The students will cut out paper figurines to place on yesterday’s maps. 1. Merina – the largest group, name means “elevated people” – also “people of the highlands where the view is wide”, live in the central highlands, accom- plished artists. 2. Betsimisaraka (pronounced Bay-tsee-mee-shark) – name means “the many inseparables”, live in the lowlands, farmers 3. Betsileo – name means numberless invincible – live in the highland south of Merina, rice farmers, Christians 4. Antandray – name means “people of the thorny brambles”, live in the arid south, famed herdsmen who raise Zebu cattle – the best on the island 5. Bara (pronounced Bar) – live in the southern high- lands, herdsmen who move from place to place, wood sculptors, dancers, athletes Tell the children that rice is a major industry and is also an important source of food for the Malagasy people. Also tell the children that cattle raising is important. Tell the children that some children go to school for five or six years but many do not. Only one child is twelve attends secondary school. (Show your children this by having one child stand alone and eleven in a group.) Most of those children who continue their education are boys. Give the children an opportunity to color and cut out CLOSING PRAYER the set of people. These can be blued in appropriate areas on paper footprints from last session. If clay Dear Jesus, Thank You for the people in landform models were made, these may be glued Madagascar. Please, help us tell them onto toothpicks or halved Popsicle sticks and stood about You. Amen.. up on the maps by using clay and placing them in the appropriate locations. LHM – MADAGASCAR, LESSON 2 3 Lesson 2 – Lesson Plan – The People of Madagascar PRIMARY LESSON PLAN DETAILS PRIMARY PRIMARY GOALS FOR THE LESSON SUGGESTED MATERIALS The students will learn the origins of the Mala- Display the picture of fast food. Ask if anyone would like a hamburger • Picture of food from a fast food gasy people. The students will learn about the for lunch. Ask it they woke up and ever wondered what mother was restaurant lives of the Malagasy children. The students will cooking for breakfast. A Malagasy (mah-lah-GAH-shee) boy or girl • Light blue or blue construction have a “taste” of Madagascar. knows every morning what his mother is making for breakfast. RICE! paper They know what mother will make for lunch, too. RICE! And what do you think they will eat for dinner? RICE! The question is not, “Shall • Multi-colored strips or small we eat rice?” but, “What will we have in our rice?” Let’s find out more pieces of construction paper about the girls and boys who live in Madagascar. • Sosoa and Bananan Fritters Tell about the Malagasy origins using the facts about everyday life in recipes Madagascar. • Recipe ingredients (see recipe) • The birth of a Malagasy baby is very important because God has been generous to the family. The baby is given a Christian name and also a Malagasy name. • Malagasy children dress as you do. Many people also wear a lamba. This is a long piece of cloth made of silk or cotton and worn around the shoulders and sometimes over the head. • Everyone from six to 14 years of age is required to go to school. Chil- dren go to school from 7 to 11 and then from 3 to 5. They have a long noon hour because it is too hot to be in school. The teachers speak French and the schoolbooks are written in French. When children are thirteen, they learn English. They hope this will help them get better jobs when they are older. • Children learn playful language to help them with questions and answers. They do this with riddles. Here are two riddles. Can you solve them? • “What are five men with round hats?” – fingers • “What are white chicks filling a hole?” – teeth • Books are very expensive and there are very few libraries • City children have more opportunities than the rural children.
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