The Queen of Sheba and the Quest for Knowledge


The
Queen
of
Sheba
and
the
Quest
for
Knowledge
A
lesson
plan
to
accompany
the
book
Makeda,
The
Queen
of
Sheba
English
Language
Arts,
Grades
2‐4
Overview
of
the
Lesson:
Makeda,
the
Queen
of
Sheba,
was
a
legendary
African
leader
during
the
10th
Century
B.C.E.
Her
journey
from
her
kingdom
in
Ethiopia
and
Southern
Arabia
to
visit
King
Solomon
in
Israel
is
retold
in
several
religious
texts,
including
the
Bible,
the
Koran,
and
the
Kabra
Nagast.
This
Ethiopian
religious
text
is
the
source
of
the
story
told
in
Makeda,
the
Queen
of
Sheba.
In
this
book,
Makeda
embarks
on
a
quest
for
wisdom
to
better
serve
the
people
of
her
kingdom.
After
reading
the
book
or
listening
to
the
audio
CD,
students
can
identify
the
elements
of
the
archetypal
hero’s
journey,
or
quest,
in
a
story
map
and
connect
their
knowledge
to
their
own
experiences
by
writing
and
sharing
their
own
quest
narrative.
Connections
to
the
NYSED
Curriculum:
Standard
2:
Students
will
read,
write,
listen,
and
speak
for
literary
response
and
expression
Standard
3:
Students
will
read,
write,
listen,
and
speak
for
critical
analysis
and
evaluation
Standard
4:
Students
will
read,
write,
listen,
and
speak
for
social
interaction
Cognitive
Objectives:
Students
will:
•
•
•
Read
and/or
listen
to
the
book
and
map
the
plot
elements
of
a
quest
story.
Use
oral
and
written
language
to
narrate
their
own
quest
narrative.
Share
their
narratives
with
classmates
and
teacher
and
listen
to
the
narratives
of
their
classmates.
Affective
Objectives:
Book
and
doll
will:
•
•
•
Broaden
students’
understanding
of
the
culture,
achievements,
and
contributions
to
world
history
of
ancient
African
empires.
Motivate
students
to
develop
leadership
qualities
by
examining
the
stories
of
courage
and
leadership
of
historic
African
women
leaders.
Provide
images
of
beautiful,
intelligent
and
powerful
African
women
as
positive
models
for
students
of
all
backgrounds,
and
especially
for
girls
of
African
descent.
2
Materials:
•
•
•
•
Makeda,
The
Queen
of
Sheba
(book,
doll,
and
CD)
Story
map
for
a
quest
story
Tools
for
writing
Construction
paper,
scissors,
tape,
pencil,
and
crayons
for
crown
Anticipatory
Set:
•
•
•
Provide
students
with
a
copy
of
the
story
map
and
explain
the
quest
narrative
and
the
elements
to
look
for
in
Makeda’s
story.
Exhibit
the
Makeda
doll
and
accessories
and
provide
a
brief
biography.
Read
aloud
or
listen
to
the
CD
of
the
book
Makeda,
The
Queen
of
Sheba.
Web
Resources:
•
Queen
of
Sheba:
New
World
Encyclopedia:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Queen_of_Sheba
•
Overview
of
a
heroic
journey/
quest
story:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom‐resources/student‐interactives/hero‐journey‐30069.html
•
Story
Map
for
quest
story:
http://home.rmi.net/~seifert/id22.html
Direct
Instruction:
After
reading
the
book
and/or
listening
to
the
CD
of
the
story,
teachers
and
students
can
choose
from
the
following
learning
activities
depending
on
the
amount
of
time
allotted
to
the
lesson:
•
•
•
Discuss
and
map
Makeda’s
story
as
an
example
of
a
literary
quest:
Assist
students
in
identifying
the
elements
in
the
story
and
recording
these
on
the
story
map.
Encourage
students
to
describe
the
traits
and
characteristics
of
Makeda,
the
heroine
of
this
story.
Discuss
the
following:
• Why
does
Makeda
go
on
her
quest
to
visit
King
Solomon?
What
is
her
goal?
• What
obstacles
and
difficulties
does
she
face
along
the
way?
• What
qualities
help
her
overcome
those
difficulties?
• What
is
the
result
of
her
journey
on
her
kingdom?
Write
a
short
essay
in
response
to
the
discussion
of
the
quest
story.
Ask
students
to
think
about
a
quest
they
would
like
to
undertake.
What
would
be
the
goal,
what
would
be
the
destination,
what
are
the
obstacles
along
the
way,
and
what
qualities
would
they
need
to
be
successful?
Also
ask
students
to
identify
people
along
the
way
who
could
help
them
be
successful
in
their
quest.
Role
Play
King
and
Queen
for
the
Day.
Have
students
make
a
crown
decorated
with
a
symbol:
Fold
a
piece
of
construction
paper
in
half
and
cut
along
the
fold
line.
Tape
the
pieces
together
and
fold
this
3
strip
in
half
lengthwise.
Unfold
the
strip
and
cut
slits
on
one
side
of
the
strip
up
to
the
fold
line.
Assist
students
in
selecting
a
symbol
that
represents
their
“royal”
qualities
and
have
them
draw
and
paint
that
symbol
in
a
repeated
pattern
on
the
crown.
Closing
and
Assessment:
Students
will
wear
their
crown,
explain
the
symbol
used,
and
read
their
quest
narrative
before
the
class
or
in
smaller
groups.
The
teacher
will
determine
appropriate
assessment
of
student
learning
Extending
the
Lesson/The
Queen
of
Sheba
Doll:
Students
can
form
a
council
to
plan
a
celebration
for
the
arrival
of
the
Queen
of
Sheba
in
your
town.
Ask
them
to
consider
the
following:
•
•
•
•
•
How
would
you
incorporate
the
doll
into
a
celebration
in
your
classroom?
Study
the
clothing
and
accessories
of
the
Makeda
doll
for
ideas
about
designs
and
decorations
she
might
like.
Locate
an
Ethiopian
restaurant
near
you
to
plan
the
menu.
What
kinds
of
gifts
would
you
offer
the
Queen?
What
kind
of
entertainment
would
you
include
in
the
celebration?