HISTORICALLY SPEAKING GHANA PATCH PROGRAM
complete 3 requirements to earn this patch
1. Ghana was a colony of Great Britain until 1957. It is known as the Gold
Coast. Locate Ghana on a map. What continent is it on? What is the capital
city? What is the monetary unit they use for buying items? Why is it called
the Gold Coast? Identify Ghana's flag.
2. The official language of Ghana is English. Other major languages spoken
in Ghana are Twi, Fante, Ga, Hausa, Dagbani, Ewe and Nzema. Try writing
or saying a word using a language that is not familiar to you or research
where the languages derived from.
3. The people that live in Ghana are derived from six main ethnic groups:
the Akan (Ashanti and Fanti), the Ewe, the Ga-Adangbe, the Mole-Dagbani,
the Guan, and the Gurma. Find out more about their culture or region that
they reside in.
4. Many residents of Ghana are known for their skill in a variety of specialized crafts. Choose a native craft to learn more about. Complete a craft depicting
the Ghanese culture. Some examples are kente cloth, Adinkra symbols, ceramics,
weaving, woodcarvings, African dolls, stamped cloth, and pottery.
5. Ghana is often known as a land music and traditional dances. They use
their music to teach values and to share knowledge. They use a wide variety
of materials to create their unique musical instruments. Some of these
instruments have interesting names and structure. Learn more about one
of these instruments, listen to a song, create an instrument or make up
a dance. Examples are: Gankogui, gong; Axatse, rattle; or kaganu, drum.
6. Ghana is known for their colorful festivals that are held throughout the
year. Some examples are: Bakatue, fish harvesting; Fetu Afahye, harvest;
Homowo, Thanksgiving; and Edina Buronya. Visit a cultural celebration
or re-creation representing Ghana OR learn more about the celebration
of a holiday or festival. For extra fun, you can create a drawing, or
art project.
7. The Ashanti in Ghana are well known for their gold jewelry and brightly
colored fabrics called kente cloth, a cloth woven from cotton and silk
threads. Learn more about the design of Ghana clothing. Draw a picture
of the clothing, create a piece of jewelry or design your own kente cloth.
Examples of clothing are located in the manual. (Kente cloth and pottery
are located on the patch)
8. Ghana has many traditional toys and games. Many of their games assist
them in team work, counting or strategy. One of the sports played in Ghana
is football. Some other traditional games are Ampe, Mankala, Achi, or Pilolo.
Play a game or with a toy from the Ghanese culture.
9. Myths and legends are true stories that explain the creation of the country or ethic groups. Ghanese folk tales promote courage, teamwork, friendship and intelligence. Read a traditional myth, legend or folklore from the Ghanese culture. You may also create your own folktale that has a moral at the end.
10. Ghana is a large producer of the cocoa bean. Find out other foods they
make or enjoy. Try a traditional food from Ghana or create something made
from the cocoa bean, like chocolate. Some examples are: Fufu, plantains, or chocolate dipped fruit.
11. Take a walk on a canopy bridge located in the treetops of the rain forest
in Ghana. There are more than 300 birds and 550 butterflies to explore.
Choose 2 animals to learn more about or research more about the levels
of a rain forest. (Canopy bridge, butterflies and bird are located on the patch.)
12. The forts and castles along the coast of Ghana date back to the 15th Century. Today some of these castles have been restored and are open to the public.
Research a landmark of Ghana, national park, or city.
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