This lesson plan falls within World History (Modern), Cultural Anthropology and Human Geography strands.

Analyze the changing roles of women in modern Kenyan or Nigerian society; identify the impact of factors such as economics, family structure, home life, and the tradition on women's lives; evaluate the impact of poverty and the diversity of these cultures on individuals and groups.

With their many indigenous nations and ethno-cultural societies, both Nigeria and Kenya became multi-culturally diverse nations following the British amalgamation of those societies into colonies at the turn of the 19th century. Both countries gained their independence in the 1960s. Because of education, new formal occupations, the impact of other cultures, and changing lifestyles and habits, gender roles, family, and marriage are changing in these societies. Economic development and urbanization transform people's lives in myriad ways. Toyin Falola writes of Nigeria: "The major changes include the declining importance of extended families in favor of nuclear ones, especially among the elite; the reduction in the number of children a couple has; the increase in the participation of women in formal economic and political systems; the emergence of new child-rearing practices and emphasis on Western education; rural-urban migration; and a more democratic, rather than patriarchal, method of managing the household."

2 class periods

• Student Activity Sheet
• Cause and Effect Chart Graphic Organizer
• General Performance Rubric

Students will have an opportunity to write an Analytical Essay (see the Extension below)

What are the traditional roles of males and females in Kenya and Nigerian societies? What factors of modern life have allowed women in Kenya and Nigeria to exert greater control over their own lives? What costs might be brought about by these transitions?

Cause and Effect Students will write a play in which they explore the factors that shape women’s lives in Kenya or Nigeria. Students will research how and why women’s roles and expectations are changing in modern Africa.

Have students research the topic using the provided links. Encourage them to use the suggested graphic organizer as they read the articles.

The tasks culturally designated as those of Kenyan women include rearing children, planting, weeding, harvesting, grinding grain, collecting water, gathering firewood, and plastering the house.

To start students thinking about women's lives in Kenya and Nigeria, have them examine the photograph.

Key questions students should answer are:

• Why might these duties be assigned to women?
• What resources does this woman have available for accomplishing her tasks?
• Is this in an urban or rural setting?

Distribute the Student Activity Sheet. Have students work in groups of four and assign them one of the countries. Tell students that their play should demonstrate the factors that shape women's lives in either Kenya or Nigeria, including a changing society and cultural sphere. Tell students that they will research the following topics, reminding them to consider the impact of each on women's lives.

• Economics
• Family Structure
• Access to Education
• Marriage and Bridewealth
• Cultural Diversity
• Western Influences
• Urban or Rural Setting

Remind students that they will need to incorporate specific details about at least four of these topics from their readings into the plot and setting of their play.

Use the General Performance Rubric to assess students' performance.

Have students reflect on their performance and use the list of expectations to judge how well they met the criteria.

Have students use World Cultures Today to research a different culture and write an analytical essay evaluating the relative importance of factors shaping women's lives today.