Emergence of Complex States

Lesson notes

Curriculum details

Strand

States and Societies in Pre-Colonial Times (Strand 2)

Sub-strand

Emergence of Complex States (2.1)

Content standard

1.2.1.CS.3 - Demonstrate knowledge of the complex social, political, and scientific systems of selected states and kingdoms in Ghana. 1.2.1.LO.1 Use relevant historical evidence to reconstruct the emergence of complex human cultures in Pre-Historic Ghana. 1.2.1.LO.2 Use relevant historical evidence to analyse the diverse migration accounts and draw conclusions on why and how the peoples of Ghana created settlements; recounting the key factors that led to their rise and decline. 1.2.1.LO.3 Use relevant historical sources in the environment to reconstruct the unique socio-cultural, political, and scientific systems of selected indigenous Ghanaian states and kingdoms and compare with contemporary Ghanaian society.

Indicator

1.2.1.LI.3 - Explain the unique methods of providing health care in pre-colonial Ghana.

Suggested placement

Semester 2, Week 4 (Week 24 of the year)

Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.

Source document note

The official curriculum document has a fault in this entry, so the curriculum text above is transcribed exactly as printed:

• indicator text - p.48: the document prints this learning-indicator code as "1.2.1.L1.3" - a digit one where the I of LI belongs. Settled from the file, not from the rendered stroke: the page's content stream draws the code as the TJ operands (1.2.) (1.L1.) (3) with a WinAnsiEncoding simple TrueType font that carries no ToUnicode CMap, so the byte after the L is 0x31, DIGIT ONE; in this face the digit one and the capital I are different outlines with twice the advance width (1024 against 512); and every L1 code run in the document measures 64 px wide against 60 for every LI run of the same length. Filed under LI, which is the document's own code vocabulary (CS|LO|LI|AS)

Curriculum reference

NaCCA curriculum document, p. 48

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Enquiry Routes: What was conceived as a disease in pre-colonial Ghana? What were some of the beliefs associated with the causes of diseases and illnesses in pre-colonial Ghana? What were some of the diseases that afflicted the people of pre-colonial Ghana? How did pre-colonial Ghanaians treat diseases? What are the similarities and differences between indigenous medical practices and modern medical practices?
Experiential Learning:
- Learners look around the community to identify Indigenous health care providers and investigate the methods they use in providing health care to members.
- Learners create a database of all Indigenous health care providers in their community, the kind of health care they provide, mode of acquisition of skills, the method they use and the effectiveness and importance of their work.
Collaborative Learning:
- In small groups, learners compare the work of health care providers in pre-colonial Ghana to health workers in Ghana today.
- Using the talk for learning approach, learners identify and discuss the role of women in pre-colonial health care delivery and practices.
- In groups, learners prepare a picture chart of some common diseases that existed in pre-colonial Ghana and show how they were treated.
- Working in pairs, learners create a mind map that describes the significant features of pre-colonial medical practices in Ghana.
- Learners in groups analyse primary and secondary sources on the history of medicine as practiced in Southern and Northern Ghana during the pre-colonial era.
- In mixed-ability groups, learners prepare a PowerPoint presentation on the benefits and challenges of indigenous medical practices.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Documentaries on some socio-cultural practices such as festivals, rites of passage, etc.
- Primary source data on family structure, kinship, rites of passage, etc.
- Internet access
- Computers/ laptops, LCD projector/screen/ Smart Phone
- Stationery
- Primary and secondary sources of iron and brass artefacts, pottery works, baskets, carved artefacts, etc.
- Documentaries showing the processes of indigenous gold mining, wood carving, weaving, pottery making, etc.
- Historical maps of Ghana.
- Audio/Tape Recorder
- Sample Interview Guide
- Documentary on indigenous health care providers.
- Resource persons including Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)
Assessment (1.2.1.AS.3). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 2 Skills of conceptual understanding.