DETAILED LESSON PLAN

“AFRICA by David Diop”

I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
a. Know more about the author.
b. Identify author’s purpose.
c. Familiarize the poem.
d. Comprehend and appreciate the theme of the poem.
II. Subject Matter
Topic:
“Africa” by David Diop

References:

Learner’s Material: Grade 8 English Time Module 4 th Quarter

Other References:

https://folukeafrica.com/africa-my-africa-by-david-diop/
https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&source=video&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjDm4nRjcz
vAhVYc3AKHfemAQgQtwIwAHoECAYQAw&url=https%3A%2F
%2Ffolukeafrica.com%2Fafrica-my-africa-by-david-diop
%2F&usg=AOvVaw1CUZJZSp8wFIM9894GT2Nt

Instructional Materials: Television, pictures, visual aids

III. Learning Procedure

Teacher’s Activity Student’s Activity

a. Routine activities
 Prayer and Greetings
Good morning class! Good morning Ma’am!

Everybody stand and let us pray. Can somebody

please lead the prayer? Ma’am I will lead the prayer.

Yes Catheryn lead the prayer. In the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit….

(The students will do the sign of the

cross.)
‘‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your
kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
today our daily bread. And forgive us
our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil
one.”
Amen.

Before you take your seats kindly arrange your chairs,

make sure that your area is free from any trash.
(Students will arrange their chairs and
 clean their place.)

 Checking of Attendance
(The teacher will look who is not around today.)
Ma’am, no one is absent today.
Very good no one is absent today!

b. Review of the previous lesson

Yesterday we had a very productive they. I am happy
that you were able to present through a graphic
organizer the things you can do to make a change,
heal the world and make it better.
Before we begin our new lesson, can you state what
you had written in your graphic organizer on how you
can heal the world and make it better?
Ma’am!

Yes, Trishia.
I will not throw the recyclable
materials; instead I will make
something new out of them.

Excellent answer!
How about you Lylibeth?
Ma’am I will conserve water.

Very well said!

It really shows that you want to take your part in
saving our Mother Earth.

c. Motivation
Class, I want you to pay attention and read the
quotation that I will flash. Then, give your insights
about it.

(The student will read the quotation.)

Kindly read it aloud Veronica. “I wake up every morning believing
today is going to be better than
yesterday.”
- Will Smith

The students will show eagerness in

giving their insights about the
Thank you Veronica. quotation)
Now, can someone explain as to how you understand
the quotation?
 Ma’am, for me it tells that hope is the
most important possession we have
Yes, Cristina. Please stand up. because we can always be someone
and change anything.

Great answer Cristina!

With courage nothing is impossible. We can turn our
dreams into realities when we hope and of course
when we do our parts and responsibilities.

Ma’am, hope, our courage and inner

motivations in everyday life can affect
our lives and our future as well.

Nice answer!

d. Presentation of the Lesson

In connection with the word--hope you mentioned,

recently, today we will be discussing a poem by David
Diop entitled “Africa”

Are you aware of this poem, class?

Have anyone read this one?

If none then, let’s proceed!

But before that at this moment, allow me to introduce

to you the author of the literary text that we will be
discussing later. Are you ready to listen?

Everyone say hi to David Diop. ( show author’s

picture)

Let us not have a deeper and closer look to the life

of the author.

Would you like to read ?

Yes, Abelita. David Léon Mandessi Diop was born in

1927 in Bordeaux, France, to a
Senegalese father and a Cameroonian
mother. During his literary career, he
was a proponent of Negritude. This was
a political philosophy/literary
movement whose scholars included
statesman-poet Leopold Sedar Senghor.
Negritude was a reaction to the French
 colonial administrative policy of
assimilation; this policy was predicated
on the belief that Africans possessed
neither culture nor history and
therefore French culture could be used
to civilise them. Negritude desired a
deep and almost essentialist re-
grounding of Africans in the history,
values, cultures of the Black people,
while being open to friendship with
other civilisations. The poem below by
Diop reflects those values. David Diop
died in an airplane crash in 1960. He
was 33.

Thank you.

What can you say about the author? (Students shall share opinions about
the author)

Thank you for sharing.

I have here a video narrating the poem.

Let us watch the video and delve to what David Diop is
trying to convey. Yes, ma’am.
Are you ready?
(The students will watch the video)

**the poem
Africa my Africa
Africa of proud warriors in ancestral Savannahs
Africa of whom my grandmother sings
On the banks of the distant river
I have never known you
But your blood flows in my veins
Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the fields
The blood of your sweat
The sweat of your work
The work of your slavery
Africa, tell me Africa
Is this your back that is unbent
This back that never breaks under the weight of
humiliation
This back trembling with red scars
And saying no to the whip under the midday sun?
But a grave voice answers me
Impetuous child that tree, young and strong
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers
That is your Africa springing up anew
springing up patiently, obstinately
Whose fruit bit by bit acquires
The bitter taste of liberty.

Now that you have watched the video. I will spare 5

minutes for you to internalize and give your insights ( Students will internalized the poem
afterward for 5 minutes and share insights)

Thank you.

This poem is a dramatic monologue where the

speaker seems to be in conversation with Africa. The
poem can be thematically divided into three parts; pre
colonial Africa, colonial Africa and post colonial Africa.

Now, based form what you have just watched, what

can be perceived in the life of the author? What do
you think he is trying to convey? What is the poem
about?

Anyone from the class who would want to share? Diop recognizes the importance of
acknowledging Africa's history, but he is
Yes, Jenny wary of burying himself and his visions
of Africa in it. On the contrary, he
prefers to see a path to a brighter
African future, clear of the shame of
Africa's colonial history.

Exactly! Very Good, Jenny! Ma’am (student raises a hand)

Any other thoughts, class?

Yes, please do the pleasure. And it is this compassion that shines

through, and which is likely the reason
for the poem's enduring legacy across
and beyond Africa. But, as this poem
shows, love is about more than just
profoundly feeling emotion; it is also
about human and generational
liberation.
Indeed.

The poem is about the negative impact of colonialism

on Africa. It traces Africa's pre-colonial past, then
depicts the torment that Africans endured under
colonization, and how Africa is reborn like a young
tree.

Any other? Yes, Gilbert. David Diops Africa is a discourse

between a young poet and a mature or
grave mind. It is a patriotic poem that
actually describes The bitter taste of
liberty for Africa. The poet, on the other
hand, has never known of the nation.
The poet boasts that he has African
blood coursing through his veins.
Very Good! .

Now let us explore the poem to further understand

it. What does the symbol ‘that tree young and strong”
suggest?
First and foremost, the symbol denotes
Africa. It implies that, after colonialism,
Africa started to re-grow like a young
tree.

Excellent. Do you agree, class?

Okay. Why do the fruits acquire a bitter taste of
liberty? Why does liberty taste bitter?
Since emancipation of the deprived is
not an easy task, the fruits develop a
bitter taste. It necessitates sacrifice and
perseverance. Some people die as a
result of the phase. As a result, liberty is
never pleasant in such a situation, but
rather bitter memories.

Very well said. Why does the poet say that “black
blood flows in his veins”? Yes, Dan.
In this poem, black blood represents
African nature since there is no blood
that is black in color. As a result, he
demonstrates that, despite growing up
in France, he is still conscious of his
African identity.

Okay! Very good. Another, what is the tone of the

poem?
From the beginning, the mood is
positive; but, by the middle, it has
changed to a sad tone. As a result, the
sound becomes nostalgic, and the
mood becomes optimistic.

Precisely! Now, let’s jump to the themes present in

the poem? Do you have any clarifications before we
proceed? None, ma’am.

What do you think is the theme of the poem?

The theme of the poem is to reveal all

injustices done to Africans.

Very good. Any other?

David Diop was one of the most
promising French West African poet.
The poem talked about his hope for an
independent Africa.

Brillant answers, class! Now, I am convinced that you

are really into our discussion and that you have
understood well the poem.
e. Generalization
Before we proceed to your activity, may we
have a short recap? From the beginning. Yes,
Dave.
Excellent, what else Giro?
Absolutely, any addendum Marie?
How about the ending of the poem? Yes, Pau.
I do really hope you all comprehend the poem
Africa by David Diop.
f. Evaluation
The opening line of the poem expresses
the poet persona’s love for his nation,
Africa. The poet persona regrets for
not being a part of olden Africa,
wherein it had many warriors and rich
savannahs. The poet persona has
heard of the glorious past, about which
he comes to know through the folk
songs of his grandmother.
The poet persona is proud with his self-
recognition of his ancestors’ blood
running in his vein. He is proud of his
color and race. He happily announces
the color of his blood as black. The
poet persona says that their black blood
irrigated the entire grounds of Africa.
The persona vehemently transfers his
pride about the country into a rage.
The colonizers, who enslaved the
Africans, drained all the blood, which
was exerted from the Africans in the
form of work and sweat. The persona
becomes ferocious and questions the
silent submission of the Africans. He
cannot digest the thought and sight of
the Africans being bent, with scars for
the whips held by the colonizers.
The persona listens to a voice that talks
about a tree, which is found alone
amidst white and faded flowers. The
voice addresses the persona as an
angry man. The voice says him that the
tree is Africa, the persona’s own Africa.
Like the tree, growing patiently,
Africans would also taste the fruits
liberty.