GROUP WORK: ASSESSMENT

MODULE: PMEP 101

TASK: Task 1: Poetry: Sounds of a Cowhide Drum by Oswald
Mtshali
GROUP NAME: Sounds of a Cowhide Drum
GROUP MEMBERS
SURNAME AND INITIAL STUDENT NUMBER
Grootboom, S 210 105 356
Kilian, C 209 008 367
Lee Ching, J 207 040 881
Mpati, S 214 287 858
Toto, Z 214 350 878

GROUP ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
1 2 3 4 5 Total (20)
GROUP PRESENTATION
ORIGINALITY / CREATIVITY
TEAMWORK
INTERPRETATION


TOTAL




LESSON PLAN
LEARNING AREA: Languages
SUBJECT: English
LESSON: Poem: Sounds of a Cowhide Drum by Oswald Mtshali
GRADE: 10
DURATION OF LESSON: 40 min
LESSON OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson learners will be able to discuss the main themes of the poem.
Learners will also be able to identify the figures of speech, the different voices of the
poem, and discuss the structure of the poem.
LEARNING MATERIAL
The poem
SOUNDS OF THE COWHIDE DRUM
- Oswald Mtshali

Boom! Boom! Boom!
I hear it far in the northern skies -
a rumble and a roar as of thunder.

I prick my ears
like a buck ready to flee from an imminent storm.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
As it rolls nearer
and nearer to the northern sky
it holds my heart,
my hopes soaring high into the eagle's throne.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
I am the drum of your dormant soul,
cut from the black hide of the sacrificial cow.

I am the spirit of your ancestors,
habitant in hallowed huts,
eager to protect,
forever vigilant.

Let me tell you of your precious heritage,
of your glorious past trampled by the conqueror,
destroyed by the zeal of a missionary.

I lay bare facts for scrutiny
by your searching mind,
all declarations and dogmas.

O! Hear me, Child!
in the Zulu dance
shaking their spirits into a frenzy.

O! Hear me, Child!
in the night vigils of black Zionists
lifting their spirits into ecstasy.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
That is the sound of the cowhide drum -
the Voice of Mother Africa.

OUTLINE OF CONTENT
This lesson will have an basic introduction about heritage, followed by the reading of the
poem and a discussion about the poem. Slides will be used to discuss difficult word, as
well as the various objectives outlined.
LESSON PHASES
1. INTRODUCTORY PHASE
The teacher enters the classroom playing a drum. She then goes on to tell the learners
what the drum means to her in her culture.
The game "The Broken Telephone" is played with the learners. A group is chosen. The
first person in the group is given 2 sentences to pass on to the rest of the group. One
sentence is in Afrikaans, and the next is in English. The person may only hear the
message once before passing it on to the rest of the group. In the middle, the teacher
ads another sentence in Xhosa, and the message is passed on to the best of the
learners ability to the rest of the group.
Afterwards, the first and last student must compare the information given to them. The
class must then discuss what has happened to this message. How easy/difficult was it
to pass on? Why was it easy/difficult? What happened in the process of passing on the
message?
A short discussion takes place about heritage, and how our heritage is like this
discussion: passes on through many generations, and in the end it loses it's true
essence.
2. TEACHING AND LEARNING PHASE
TEACHER ACTIVITY LEARNER ACTIVITY
Read the poem Close eyes and listen
Discuss difficult words Make notes
Discuss the effect of the poem on heritage Think about their own heritage
Identify figures of speech Underline figures of speech
Identify different voices in the poem Identity lines in which these voices change
Use slides to present each section Pay attention to slides to guide thinking

The following pages include the various slides that will be used in the teaching and
learning phase.
The first set of slides are the slides shown to the students.
The second set of slides outlines what the teacher will do on each slide.




3. ASSESSMENT PHASE AND TASKS
Learners will be expected to be able to identify the structural features of the poem, as
well as the figures of speech found in the poem. They will also be expected to identify
the different voices present in the poem.
ASSESSMENT TASKS
1. Write down notes about the main features of the structure of the poem
2. Try and find as many figures of speech as possible in the poem. Give clear
examples.
3. Identify the different voices in the poem.
All written tasks
ASSESSMENT OF TASKS
Answers will be given the next day in class. No formal assessment will be done. The
assessment is to judge whether the learners understand the basic features of the poem.
EVALUATION OF LESSON
Jonathan Lee Ching (207040881)
What we did well
The mode of transference was good. We covered more or less everything necessary to
teach the poem well i.e. content of the poem (themes, tone etc.), various language
questions suitable for the year in question . The use of props i.e. the drum was very
helpful to get the idea of a drum call across.

The use of meditative listening was an interesting way to hear the poem where all
external stimuli were cut off to create a calm and focused environment, even if it was
done on the fly.
The manner in which the group gelled was good, assisting each other when nerves got
the better of us.

What needed improving
Participation could have been improved
The overall flow was good, but nerves did break flow somewhat
Some improvisation went well and some did not

Overall
Overall a good lesson. The introductory game was an enjoyable way to get the classes
attention by adapting a childhood game to a class situation. We used all available
sensory stimuli (text, props, PPT, reading of poem) and created an atmosphere that
kept learners engaged at all times. The group worked well together to assist if another
got stuck and the questions posed were in line with requirements for that particular
grade.

What helps learning
Visual aids - PPT - Pictures, video, props etc.
Relaxed teacher makes for a relaxed student
Teacher moves around to assist, but does not linger

What hinders Learning
Reading from slides
Long slides
No guide to lesson

Siya Mpati (214287858)
My overall reflection on our presentations is that it was clear, straight to the point and
very interesting. I believe we work well together as a group and we were able to get all
the points across that we wanted to discuss. I do know that I need to work on how to be
more confident and calm in front of the class.
Zikhona Toto (214350878)
Looking back at our first Micro lesson, I would like to think that we did an excellent job
for first-timers. The experience was terrifying yet amazing it gave me a basic idea of
what I will be doing in the next coming years.
Looking back I realize that my nerves took over. I say this because there were so many
things I had planned to do and say but somehow I didn't. I truly enjoyed the manner in
which the students took part in the lesson with that said I still think I can do more to
make sure that they don't only take part but truly enjoy the lesson. All in all I think our
first lesson went well.

Chanel Kilian (209008367)
I believe our presentation on the Sounds of a Cowhide Drum was simple, easy to
understand and engaged the class. I think the idea of playing a game (The Broken
Telephone) worked very well, and I appreciated the fact that it got the students excited
and laughing. I believe that is when you learn the most. Something as simply and silly
as a game like that, can change the attitude and tone of an entire lesson.
I feel like I contributed well to the group presentation and that I spoke better than I
expected. However, I need to train my mind to focus on what I want to get across to the
students, and create a more structured answer when answering student questions or
discussing an idea. I tend to think of 10 things at once that I could possibly say, and I
end up jumbling all the information in order to try and get my point across.
Sbongile Grootboom (210105356)
I believe that the class was a success. We were able to capture the attention of the
class with the game, and they responded well to the visual stimuli of the slides. The
lesson was well planned out and contained enough information to keep the class busy,
and was presented in an uncluttered manner.
I do feel that we all need to work on our confidence as teachers. We did very well,
considering this is our first time, but we will do even better during our next and future
lessons.