[ QUILOMBINHO: A PLACE OF TRANSFORMATION ]
Aperte o PLAY +
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Here you will find: ► Illustrations ► Story (text, audio, video) ► Lesson plan
— GOOD MORNING, DONA MARIA! GOOD MORNING, DONA MARIA! What a lovely sunny day!
Every day it was the same thing with Luna. She got up, quickly got dressed, and left for work. She greeted Seu Zé, the doorman in her building, and always found a minute to have a cup of coffee with Dona Maria, her neighbor.
— Luna, I think you have an incredible job! You are like a fairy. Everyone who meets you always becomes better and happier! said Dona Maria.
Luna is a bit embarrassed and explains that that is what her job is about: you get in one way and leave in a different way.
—- True, Dona Luna! I see the children walking into your space and keep admiring them… I wish I had had this when I was younger! sighed Seu Zé, affectionately hugging the fairy – rather, Luna!
— Let Luna go now, Seu Zé! What will she come up with today? I always stay here, at my window, watching the children in my neighborhood. We know exactly who has been taken care of by Luna. All you have to do is look at the child and see the smile on their face: that’s Luna’s job!
Luna followed her way, and all the children greeted her!
— Hi, Luna! I’m coming in today! I want to turn into a princess! said enthusiastically a five-year-old girl.
— Luna, Luna! My mom is also taking me! I’ve grown my hair! Look! – That was Dom, a seven-year-old boy, feeling very excited. – Today I want to look like a king!
So have you figured out what Luna’s job is? What does she do that transforms the lives of the people she takes care of?
Let’s unveil this secret now! Luna has just gotten to work. She opens the gate, and now we can read what is written on the sign:
QUILOMBINHO — BEAUTY SALON FOR BLACK KIDS.
Aaaah! Luna is a hair stylist! That’s why she has fairy hands… Look what’s written on one of the walls of her salon: MY BLACK IS MY CROWN. She opened a beauty salon to bring together the black children in the neighborhood and show everyone that our hair means strength, power! It shows who we are.
Do you want to see it?
Look what she’s done to Paulinho’s hair! He came in with one look… and left looking completely different! The name of this hairdo is Nagô. Look closely and notice that it looks like a map, full of ways, right? That’s how Nagô appeared: the black people intertwined their hair with the place where they came from, or drew escape routes to the Quilombo communities! This is a way to always keep in mind where we came from and where we are heading for.
Now look at Mariana! She always wore her hair tied back, always feeling very shy and self-conscious. All it took was Luna working on her hair and letting it loose for the girl to become a chatterbox. She began to feel prettier and more self-confident. That’s what Quilombinho does! Uniting, transforming, empowering!
Luna’s hairstyle is what we call “pineapple crown”. All the curls are fastened at the top of the head. Beautiful, isn’t it?
Oh, a client has just come into the salon! It’s Jonas, and he’s ready for change!
— Hi, Luna! I’m here because I want to look even more good-looking!
They all roar with laughter at the boy’s attitude! They start looking at various photos of hairdos so they can choose one that suits Jonas best.
How about helping them choose? Today we are going to get together to make Quilombinho happen!
[ LESSON PLAN AND RESOURCES ]
[ LESSON PLAN AND RESOURCES ]
PEDAGOGICAL AIM
PEDAGOGICAL AIM
TO TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY
to promote collective well-being
Socioemotional skills
I take care of the community and promote well-being in racial relations because:
I recognize relevant demands and opportunities for my social group.
I question the imposed reality.
I acknowledge situational demands and opportunities.
I engage in projects aimed at collective well-being.
I envision futures free from prejudice and racism.
I foster communities that support each other so that black individuals feel welcomed, heard, and valued.
I participate in activist discussions, valuing the black people around
Maker skills
I am curious to learn;
I experiment, test, make mistakes, and learn;
I am proactive and use unconventional ways to enhance my relationships with others and the world.
The environment
The school as a welcoming space that celebrates diversity and the various forms of black beauty.
1) ACTIVATE TO ENGAGE:
Take the class to a cozy place, preferably in nature, and let the children play freely. After a while, gather the children and tell them that all human beings have a very important toolbox for creating happiness. What could be so important in our toolbox?
Allow them to guess. We have our voice, our energy, our body, imagination, and cooperation! Today, we'll use our bodies to play! But first, let's list some emotions. How do we feel when we look in the mirror and find ourselves beautiful and well-groomed? That's pride! Now, use your ENTIRE BODY to express that feeling:
What does it mean to use the whole body and not just the face?
Think about how you use:
Space (high, medium, low / directions);
Energy (fluid, loose, focused, heavy, restrained, vibrant, dull).
Continue the activity, taking this opportunity to help children identify positive feelings such as joy, lightness, and belonging.
>> Before the story:
When the children begin to get tired, tell the group that you will share the story "Quilombinho: a place of transformation." Present the illustrations available here.
Show the illustrations and explore them with the children:
What do you see?
What do you think about what you see?
‘What do you imagine?
LET’S SIT DOWN BECAUSE HERE COMES A STORY!
Time for Apertar o PLAY! Choose between telling the class the story or presenting the audiobook with the dubbed version of the story. These are different challenges to the readers: listening to the audiobook without the images, or holding a story-telling session performed by the teacher with illustrations. There is a third option: press play for the story, either in English or in Portuguese, and at the same time present its scenes. Choose the option that will suit your class best!
>> After the story:
Prompt reflections on the story with some questions:
What feelings emerge in the story?
Which tools from your toolbox does Luna use in the story?
2) PLAY TO CREATE:
2) PLAY TO CREATE:
Shall we play Quilombinho Salon?
Quilombinho beauty parlor in our school! - Engage in conversations and share stories about the importance of taking care of one’s hair with love:
What do we need to ask to learn about hair care?
How many types of hair are there?
How can we take care of our hair to keep it healthier?
How many types of hairstyles are there, including Afro hairstyles?
What are Nagô braids?
If possible, visit online platforms of salons that specialize in caring for the hair of famous black individuals. Also, explore social media accounts of black children who feel welcomed, heard, and valued to research tutorials and tips.
Encourage experimentation so that children can learn to hydrate, nourish, and protect their hair using products specifically designed for curly and coily hair, especially for those with beautiful curly hair.
HOT TIP!
Share your plans with both the children and the school's administration. Most likely, everyone will want to participate in creating this community self-care project with you. Work on Afro-mathematics:
Classification and categorization: Ask the children to classify Nagô braids according to different criteria, such as color, size, thickness, or style. This helps develop classification and categorization skills.
Geometry: Use images of Nagô braids to explore geometric shapes. Show the children how different shapes, like triangles, squares, or rectangles, can be found in the braids. Ask them to identify and describe the shapes they find. Have them build a 3D model using sticks and playdough.
Read with the children the “Manual de penteados para crianças negras" (Hairstyle Manual for Black Children), by Joana Gabriela Mendes and Mari Santos (Companhia das Letrinhas), a step-by-step guide to self-care and love for curly hair. The authors provide valuable tips and interesting facts to further engage the children with their own appearance!
3) REFLECT TO SHARE:
3) REFLECT TO SHARE:
Our class has been chosen to create a photo album to promote Quilombinho Salon at school and help others look after their hair with care and love. After everyone has their hair done, choose an item to practice taking photos. It could be a child with a new hairstyle from Quilombinho Salon, a toy, or a doll. Show them how to look through a lens and take a photo. Also, make sure to demonstrate how to delete the image. Take some photos of your subject in different ways. How can you change the image?
Here are some ideas:
Position the camera up close or from a distance;
Place the object in the center of the image or off to the side;
Angle the camera;
Save the photos you like the most and delete the rest.
How will you make your photo a bit different and more interesting? What feeling do you want to convey? How can we use our tools (body, energy, cooperation, and imagination) to make our photos even better?
Don't have a camera on your phone? No problem! Use paper, colored pencils, EVA foam, and stickers. Create a little scrapbook where you can draw your favorite hairstyle, what you've learned about hair care, and how you feel about your natural hair.
[TAKING IT FURTHER]
The Gallery Hour - Conceição Evaristo
“It's time to blacken the references," as stated by Lélia Gonzales, philosopher, anthropologist, intellectual, and activist in the black and feminist movements. That's why we've created a GALLERY for children, bringing in prominent black figures and references that need to be present in schools. We come from a Eurocentric education, and decolonizing is a complex process. It's important to see and recognize your body, your hair, and your peers; to see successful black individuals; to understand their potential. Every time you, as an educator, are building a project, choosing a story, introducing new references, how about reflecting on these questions:
What representations do we present to our children when we tell them a particular story?
Do the stories I tell portray black characters in secondary or supporting roles? Have I ever told a story with black people as protagonists in prominent positive roles in society?
With these questions and the urgent need to enrich children's repertoires and references with black representation in mind we created Aperte o Play. And the Gallery is one of the actions we developed.
Click >>HERE<<
to download the Gallery kit.
Inside, you'll find the scenery to set up with the children. The scenery, of course, is the school, the space we want to transform! The kit includes various toy art characters. Each illustrated personality allows the children to play with it, introducing and valuing new representations.
In this round, our featured character is
Conceição Evaristo.
[ Conceição Evaristo ]
[ Conceição Evaristo ]
is an invaluable voice in Brazilian literature. Conceição is a writer and poet whose works investigate the complexities of life, identity, and the black resistance in Brazil. Conceição’s rich and compelling literary works offer deep perspectives on social, racial, and gender issues, which makes them an essential source of learning and inspiration.
Image: Conceição Evaristo with changes | Font: Wikipedia
Print the toy art from our kit and build Conceição Evaristo's .little doll with the children. They will be collectible toy arts, and each student can have their own. The teacher may also suggest that it be a collective collection.
Present the toy to the class and ask if anyone knows that personality. Encourage conversation by asking if they can imagine what he does in life. What does he work with? Why is he important?
Right after that, present the real story of the character in question, always valuing his contribution to the world.
With this activity, we want to put into practice, in a playful way, what the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Educação das Relações Étnico-Raciais e para o Ensino de História e Cultura AfroBrasileira e Africana (National Curricular Guidelines for Education in Ethnic-Racial Relations and for the Teaching of Afro-Brazilian and African Culture) say:
[...] “to strengthen, among blacks, and awaken, among whites, the sense of black awareness. Among blacks, they can offer knowledge and security to take pride in their African origin; for whites, they can allow them to identify the influences, contributions, participation, and importance of the history and culture of blacks in their way of being, living, and relating to other people, notably blacks.”
(2004, p. 16-17)
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