God Grew Tired of Us
lit vocab for 2014 summer reading: Girl in Translation and God Grew Tired of Us
John Bul Dau was one of the Lost Boys of Sudan during the Civil War that started in 1983 and ended in 2005. Dau's story begins in 1987 and transitions to America in early 2001. His story is one of pain, faith, hope, and inspiration.
Background Information
The Lost Boys of Sudan are a group of Dinka youth who fled civil war in their native country, spent a decade growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp, and were eventually resettled in the United States. The Dinka are the largest ethnic group in southern Sudan.
Music
Cattle Camp 2011
Abdel Gadir Salim Traditional/Folk Music
and more
Vocabulary:
civil war conflict between groups in the same country or nation.
emigrant person who moves from their existing country or region to a new country or region
human migration the movement of people from one place to another.
immigrant person who moves to a new country or region.
refugee person who flees their home, usually due to natural disaster or political upheaval.
resettlement transportation of people to a new residential area, usually following a natural or man-made disaster.
acculturation the process of adopting the traits of a cultural group.
assimilation process by which people acquire the culture and habits of the dominant group.
cultural identity the way a person views themselves in relation to the learned characteristics and behaviors of a group or community.
cultural landscape human imprint on the physical environment.
cultural marker unique characteristic of a community.
culture learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods.
diaspora community of people scattered from their homeland
displace to remove or force to evacuate.
human migration the movement of people from one place to another.
I. This is a live link of a map of Sudan; also below is a Sudanese map
From examining the map in the book, you can see the routes the Lost Boys took in their migration journey from Sudan to Ethiopia. Track all the routes taken on their journey to the US using the live link maps above and below. What were the physical changes of those routes and those changes on the Lost Boy's mind and soul?
Other Maps: Africa map ; World Map ; and USA map
Dinka homelands in southern Sudan to refugee camps in western Ethiopia
refugee camps in western Ethiopia, across the border into Sudan, and to Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya
Kakuma, Kenya to Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya to Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium to New York City
The Lost Boys have settled in eighteen states in the United States, including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Add routes from New York City to those states.
II.
Sudan is still in tenuous circumstances: view the NG photos of Sudan's Shaky Peace
You will be divided into 3 groups. Each group will view 5-6 photos, discuss them, and express thought to the class.
III.
God Grew Tired of Us Documentary
during it or following it :
The Lost Boys’ Cultural Identity
You may be asked to download/print this worksheet to direct your thinking and to take "notes" during the documentary.
IV. Class Seminar
V. Test
VI. For fun on your own:
I really don't intentionally try to promote a movie, but this one gives you a flavor or what education was/is really like in Africa. it is based on a true story.