Ouelessebougou Education Trunks

Form to Request Toolbox at bottom!

Background Information

Ouelessebougou is a Utah Sister City. Since 1985 the Ouelessebougou-Utah Alliance has helped provide resources and support to the Ouelessebougou region, which is located in the country of Mali in Western Africa. The images and text on this website are designed to help students to compare life in Ouelessebougou to life in their own community.

Students will want to visit the five main sections:

The supportive text for each of the images includes background information, and in most cases, questions for students to answer.

The Ouelessebougou-Utah Alliance has created educational trunks including items such as 2nd grader sized clothing, musical instruments, common household items, money, a flag, photos, a copy of the Ouelessebougou video, and a copy of Discover Ouelessebougou, Mali, a 124-page manual for teachers. One of these trunks has been given to each school district's media center. For Utah teachers, you can contact your district media center to check out a trunk, free of charge. The following materials are included in each trunk:

  • Discover Ouelessebougou, Mali Education Manual 
    This 124 page manual was designed by Utah educators and is loaded with fascinating information on Mali and hands-on activities to help second graders learn more about Ouelessebougou, Mali. 

  • Ouelessebougou Video & "Ouelessebougou At A Glance"
    The Ouelessebouogu video has great visuals and background music. There is no narration, so teachers can discuss the content with students as they watch it. The 10 minute video gives great "real life" examples of daily activities, and can be used in connection with trunk supplies. Ouelessebougou At A Glance is a 4-page resource summarizing background information about daily life and culture in Ouelessebougou. 

  • Photo Packet
    The packet includes 19 8" x 10" laminated color photos of life in Mali with explanations of each photo.

Contents:

  • Map

  • Mali Money

  • Kolon/Kolongaln

  • Talking Drum

  • Boubou

  • Gourd Instrument

  • Well Dipper

  • Mask

  • Malian Toothbrush

  • Soap

  • Gourd Dipper

  • Doll or Toy

  • Millet

  • Jewelry

  • Mudcloth

  • Mali Flag

Teacher Tips

Teachers can choose to use this site in a variety of ways:

  • Whole Group: Using a PC/TV converter box or a video projector, display the computer screen so that the whole class can view the web site. Either read the text to your students or have them take turns reading aloud. Give your students a chance to answer the questions and discuss how life in Ouelessebougou compares to their life. Be sure to talk about similarities, as well as differences.

  • Student Partners: Send a pair of your students (perhaps a good reader and a less skilled reader) to your classroom computer and instruct them to go through each of the five main sections of this web site. They should spend time viewing the photos, answering the questions and developing their own questions to share with their classmates. After about 15-20 minutes, send two new students to the computer. Continue this rotation until your whole class has had an opportunity to visit this web site. Note: Be sure to monitor the students' computer screen to ensure that they stay on this web site.

  • Computer Lab: If this is an option, take your whole class to the computer lab to visit this web site. You can choose to go through the five main sections of this site as a whole class, or you can allow students to explore the site on their own. You should be constantly wandering around the lab and monitoring the students' computer screen.

  • Home Activity: More and more Utahns have Internet access at home. Encourage your students to share this web site with their parents or guardians and other family members. This activity will give students an opportunity to practice their reading skills and it may generate a family discussion about their local community.

Teacher Resources: Trunks, Videos and Web Sites

Below are a few Internet web sites to help you and your students learn more about Ouelessebougou and Mali, Africa.

Special thanks to Marianne Jones, a Utah educator, for providing the images and supportive text used on this site.