Introduction
Teachers across the UK face the challenge of embedding global learning across the curriculum. The Makutano Junction project provides an exciting range of teaching materials to help teachers meet these targets.
Based around a real, popular Kenyan TV soap opera, Makutano Junction, classroom activities include viewing extracts from the soap opera, which help engage young people with global issues; discovering similarities, challenging stereotypes and raising awareness.
Brief overview
The Makutano Junction project provides innovative teaching materials which help you develop the global dimension across the curriculum.
There are nineteen activities at present, with more coming soon. Themes addressed include social justice, human rights, youth and relationships, as well as comparisons between soaps in UK and Kenya. Some of the topics covered are Malaria Matters, Living with HIV/Aids, Exploring Kenya, Soaps and Stereotypes. The materials are suitable for Key Stages 3 and 4, and can be used in a wide range of subject areas including geography, English/drama, media studies, ICT and citizenship.
Follow-up studies showed the activities had a positive impact on changing students’ perceptions about poverty, Africa and our global interdependency.
Some comments from UK students
“It’s lush!”
“We expected Kenya to be really poor, but there are skyscrapers and that as well.”
“When Red had her nails and hair done, I wouldn’t have expected them to have that – we wear fake nails; I didn’t think they would.”
“I thought the men would dress in dresses, but they don’t – they wear trousers. some wear jeans, like us.”
“I didn’t expect there to be market stalls, like in Eastenders.”
Key aims
The key aims of Makutano Junction are:
- to use soap opera to explore key issues facing young people here and in Kenya
- to help teachers develop the global dimension in their school curriculum
- to raise awareness of the eight Millennium Development Goals.
Activities
Nineteen classroom activities havew been developed, including lesson plans, resources and curriculum links. See www.makutanojunction.org.uk .
Contact James Ridgway for more information.
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