14 Cows for America

By Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah with Carmen Agra Deedy

Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez 

"A child asks if he has brought any stories. Kimeli nods. He has brought with him one story. It has burned a hole in his heart."

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on American, Kimeli Naiyomah returned home to his Maasai village in Kenya, after spending some time in New York City. He told his village of the awful attack that he saw. The Maasai used to be warriors but now raised cattle the cattle to them symbolize life so they sent some of their cattle to America.Thi heartwarming story sheds light on the different cultures in the world and how they can come together and help each other.

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers Copyright: 2009

 

Reading Level: 2rd- 5th Lexile: AD540L

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Vocabulary: Marvel, Embassy, Ritual, Fierce, Injustice, Diplomat, Embassy, Fierce, Mournful, Nomadic, Ritual, Sacred, Injustice

Electronic Resources:

http://14cowsforamerica.com/ The books website offers more information about the book the Maasai

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/books/review/Kristof-t.html this article about the book gives a great description of the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YRdKYadnnA This is a video about the book, this can be a great before reading activity to get the students familiar with the topic or a great after reading activity to support what they just read and further comprehension.

http://www.islma.org/2012BluestemResources/14Cows.pdf This is a great resource that offers some great activities to do with the students as well as information about the author and the book, vocabulary and other books that are related to the topic.

Activities to Increase Comprehension:

Before Reading: This book is a good book to read to the class when they are learning about 9/11 or interactions between countries or civilizations. Have the students do research about the background of either 9/11 of the Maasai village in Kenya or both to get a bit of background before they read the book. An anticipation guide would also be a good before reading activity for this book to see what the students think about the topics of cultural interactions and 9/11.

After reading: Showing the students where Kenya is on a map will help them understand the distance between the two countries. Have a discussion about the way the Maasai live and the way we live here in America, have the students compare and contrast. Students could even to a think pair share about the differences. Ask the students to think about how countries or people that are different can help each other and benefit from each other.