Cultures and Perspectives: Songs from the Ivory Coast

On Monday, 16 October, students in the BFI Terminale had an amazing opportunity to speak to our own Mr. Seydou Sogodogo of FIS about his experiences living and growing up on the Ivory Coast in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Mr. Sogodogo crafted and delivered a fantastic presentation arranged by Ms. Veronica Rowley and facilitated by Ms. Rowley and Mr. Michael Lin-Mruk. Students had a chance to learn about the cultures, customs, traditions, architecture, dress, and cuisine of this famous region and asked questions in order to make connections to one of our Terminale texts, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This delightful event was concluded with a generous helping of sweet potatoes provided by Ms. Rowley and a Q and A. Students had a chance to sample some food similar to local delicacies and to make a delicious and intellectual connection to yams which feature prominently in our novel. Our students asked several intriguing and stimulating follow-up questions which Mr. Sogodogo generously answered, taking the time to respond to each student and connect their questions back to his presentation. This experience will prove invaluable to our students when they participate in the Terminale Oral Exam at the end of the academic year and this presentation is a testament to the academic rigor and collaborative spirit we experience everyday at FIS. It is unique experiences such as these that showcase the intellectual curiosity of our learners and our team approach to learning, allowing our students to go beyond the text and engage in lived experiences of the text. Thank you to all involved!