HOW IT WORKS
African Safari! is the final project in a month-long study on the different physical regions of Africa and its animals. The safari is divided into three regions: Grasslands, Rainforest, and Desert. The class breaks up into groups to study each region’s terrain and animals. After all the research and reports are finished, the students turn the class into a safari for other classes to come and experience. The regions are decorated with murals and 3-D sets that the students make based on their studies of the physical terrain. In each region, half of the students are in costumes, which they have created, that look like the animal they studied, and their partners are the safari guides who present information about the animals to the visiting lower grades. The visitors leave the class having experienced a safari while learning about the terrain and animals of Africa. 

THE STUDENTS
An entire class of 25 students with a wide range of academic levels participates in the program. All work is done in the classroom, except for the research, which is done in the library and the computer lab or at home. Due to the extensive research and nonfiction reading that has to be done, this is a project that is better suited for the upper grades. It is also better to do this with a whole class rather than a small group in order to get the full effect of the safari. This project covers a wide range of skills including research, writing, art, and dramatic act. This makes it a program where all kinds of learners can be successful.

THE STAFF
Molly Horne is a third grade teacher who is beginning her third year of teaching. In her first year, this program was done only in her classroom. Last year, the entire third grade participated. Extra hands, via parents or paraprofessionals, can be very helpful but not completely essential. A computer teacher or librarian can also help the students do their research. 

WHAT YOU NEED
African Safari! can be done in your very own classroom. You will need lots of books and photographs about the terrain and animals of Africa, along with computers with Internet access in order for the students to do research. The program includes lots of student-friendly Web sites that are also helpful. Additionally, there are lots of different worksheets and maps to help with the research as well as the field trips to the Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo. You will need fabric for the costumes and cord stock or oak tag for the masks. You should have the rest of the supplies (paint, markers, a roll of brown paper, tissue paper, etc.) in your class. 

OVERALL VALUE
This program provides a product that the entire school can enjoy and learn from. It’s about children learning, and enjoying what they learn, so they can teach other children and be proud of their work.