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Polygamy Polygamy
 
At a Glance
Grade Level: Grades 10, 11 and 12

Subjects: Language, Life orientation, Arts and Culture

Topics: Polygamy, Marriage, Polyandry

Time Needed: 6 weeks of 80 mins per week

Key Learnings: Tolerance of other cultures, information skills, interview skills, synthesis of information, thinking skills
 
 
Things You Need
Standards:
communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral, written and/or presentation work;
identify and solve problems by using creative and critical thinking;
work effectively with others in a team, group, organisation and community;
collect, analyze, organize and critically evaluate information;
understand that the world is a set of related systems. This means that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

Resources ›
 
Unit Summary
The unit examines the issue of relationships in marriage and asks the learners to weigh up the pros and cons of monogamous and polygamous marriages. The theme is designed to progress over three grades.

Curriculum Framing Questions
Critical Question:
Is there sanctity in marriage?
Unit Questions
Why do people practice multiple marriages?


Instructional Procedures
The learners are given this project as a research project. They are expected to conduct some interviews with people who might be knowledgeable and to research from books with relevant information. They are encouraged to access information from the Internet. Photos are to be taken for future use in the power point presentation.

Sample documents can be viewed:

Polygamy Power point presentation
Brochure on Marriage Customs
Website on Weddings and Matchmaking

Steps in project:
Students are required to interview people who are in polygamous marriages and thereafter record findings in a table.

Students then interview men who are polygamists. For suggested questions and subjects to interview click here.

Students conduct internet research on polygamy and create a Venn diagram indicating pros and cons.

Students may read background information prepared by the teacher view the teacher prepared PowerPoint presentation.

Students are provided with helpful references

A helpful checklist of implementation steps for teachers is available.

Supporting exercises to give students include
1. A schedule of duties.
2. Drawing up rules for good husbands.

Prerequisite Skills
The learners at this stage should be having a clear knowledge of what marriage is.They should know that marriage is also based on love.

Differentiated Instruction
English second language speakers:
 
—will be made aware that in some cultures, marriage is perceived differently.
Advanced learners will progress to further questions:
 
—to investigate the actual reasons for many African men especially to have more than one wife.
—they will answer two further questions: Should polygamy still be practiced?
And What implications does polygamy have on the economic status of the modern man?


Assessment
Assessment Rubrics
The following sample rubrics are available:
Assessment of the PowerPoint presentation.
Assessment of the brochure.
Assessment of the website.

Outcomes for the following learning areas are assessed as follows:
Language Learning Outcome 1 and 2
The learner is able to listen and speak for a variety of purposes, audiences and contexts.
The learner is able to read and view for understanding and to evaluate critically and respond to a wide range of texts

Life Orientation Learning Outcome 1:
Personal Well-being
The learner is able to achieve and maintain personal well-being

Grade 10
    Explain different life roles, and how they change and affect relationships.
    Explain changes associated with growing towards adulthood and describe values and strategies to make responsible decisions regarding sexuality and lifestyle choices in order to optimise personal potential.
    Describe the concepts 'power' and 'power relations' and their effect on relationships between and among genders. Grade 11 Explain that relationships can influence and are influenced by own well-being.
    Explore characteristics of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, factors influencing responsible choices and behaviour in the promotion of health, and the impact of unsafe practices on self and others.
    Analyse gender roles and their effects on self, family andsociety

Grade 12
    Investigate how unequal power relations between the sexes are constructed and how they influence health and well-being, and apply this understanding to work, cultural and social contexts.
Arts and culture
The learner will be able to think critically and reflect on Arts and Culture processes and products in relation to human rights issues in Africa.

Credits
This unit of work was devised by Connie Makgabo as part of the Intel Teach to the Future programme she studied at Brooklyn Primary school in Pretoria, South Africa.

Resources

Information from the books and encyclopaedia.
Pictures relevent to their topic of discussion.
Tapes from the conversations they had with the interviewed people.

Information from the internet:
www.polygamy.com*
www.btinternet.com/~familyman/polygamy.htm*
www.biblicalpolygamy.com*

Magubane, Peter. Vanishing Cultures of South Africa. Cape Town:
Struik, 1988.
Morris, Jean & Ben Levitas. South African Tribal Life Today. Cape Town: College Press. 1987. West, Martin & Jean Morris.
Abantu An Introduction to the Black People of South Africa. Cape Town: Struik, 1976. Microsoft Encarta 2003 Sunday Times 12 September 2003


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