Learning with granny Science for Cyberkids

Learning with Granny!
Cybertrekkers

This month we find our group making plans for the continuation of their 'Trip Through Time'.

They will be undertaking a long journey up Africa to try and find evidence of Humankind's movement as early human ancestors gradually moved up this vast continent and out of the 'Cradle of their Origin'. The aim of this part of the story is to follow the evidence of how civilizations might have developed. In so doing they aim to gain a better understanding of Human history and Humankind today..
Before we can attempt to understand other people and their history, we first need to know ourselves and something of the country of our origin.

Africa, the origin of Mankind is a wonderful starting point and we have introduced some new characters from South Africa.
Let's listen as Ann and Margie introduce us to the people who will be with us on the next stage of our Trip.

New Characters

"I'll go first - I'm Ann," she said, putting her hand on her chest. "This is my big brother Lee and this is Mommy." She smiled and turned to a friendly looking man with a twinkle in his eyes.
"This is Shilling," she went on, "he can trace his family tree right back to the 18th century."

Shilling interrupted her: "Even further back. My family have Khoi-San, Madagascan and European connections," he added proudly. "I speak most of the 11 official languages of South Africa as well as some of the Indian languages like Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati. I can also make conversation in Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Arabic and a little Russian," he stopped for breath. "I can speak and read a little Hebrew and am teaching myself to transcribe hieroglyphics."

"Wow!" said Vinny breaking the speechless silence. "Oh yes," Shilling was on a roll, "I can communicate in sign language and I can do Pitman's Shorthand. I was a 'tracker in the Kalahari for some years and had to live off the land."

"Please stop Mr. Shilling and tell us what your real name is," begged Margie who had never heard of hieroglyphics or any of the other strange things Shilling spoke of.

"That's Shilling my little friend - just Shilling. Don't you worry yourself with what my 'other names' are. My parents gave me some long fancy names when I was born. However my sister changed that for me when my Aunt put a lovely shiny silver shilling piece (10c) in my hand for luck. I closed my fist - so the story goes - and wouldn't open it, even when they bathed me. After a few days, my sister had an idea. She asked my father if he had a shiny 'ten bob' piece. He managed to produce one and my sister held it over my tightly clenched hand. My father's eyes got bigger as my little fingers opened like a flower and he grabbed the shilling and his 'ten bob' too before that was lost. My mother ran for the soap and a cloth to wash my hand and my sister hugged me and called me her 'Little Shilling' he concluded. I always got a shilling for doing errands when I was growing up."

"The best 'bob a job' kid on the block' - you're on board for sure" said Grandpa with a big smile "Have you got a passport?"

"Of course I've got a passport - with all my names on. I even forget them myself sometimes. One shouldn't have to worry with things that one has no need to know. Keep your mind alive and free to remember all the important stuff you will learn as you go through life.

"What's a shilling and what's 'ten bob,'" asked Margie. "Ask Grandpa to tell you," said Ann, impatient to introduce her next new characters. (Suggestion to readers - ask your parents or grandparents!).

"This is Frikkie," she announced, giving the tall blond man a little shove. "He's a motor mechanic and he lived in a castle in Germany while he worked on the cars of well known International racing drivers. Now he is also a big game farmer. He'll help with the vehicles and he knows all about animals."

"I am from an Afrikaans family. We have traced our family tree back to the Dutch Voortrekkers who came to the Eastern Cape. I am fluent in Xhosa - as many people are in my area. I am keen to see the animals in Africa - like all those on the Serengeti Plains and am interested in the apes in the north. I am especially interested to learn about the ancient people who originated in the 'Cradle of Africa' who trekked out of Africa.

They all agreed that Frikkie would be great to have on the trip with them.

"Come on Margie - whom do you have to introduce us to?" asked Granny. "You all know Mom - she is different to Mommy - who is Ann and Lee's mother." This is my sister Terry (she is really Theresa) - she's the oldest, then comes Vinny (Vincent) and I'm Margie or Margaret. I'm the youngest of all the children.

Shilling got in on the act and said, "You see little lady, you asked me what my real name was and your family also have 'nicknames' that you never told me before." Margie went red and smiled.

"This is Hettie, she was first my nanny and now she's going to be a teacher. She has stayed with us for a long time now.....where do you come from again?" she asked turning to the young woman who had been like a second mother to her. "From Zimbabwe," answered Hettie, "where I grew up on a tobacco farm where my parents worked."

"Thanks Margie," said Granny, "we know Hettie wants to come with us to find out more about her grandmother's life on a Mission station. We'll go into more detail of 'Hettie's Story' once we get to Harare. Tell us about her friend Alex next."

"This is Dr. Alex," said Margie proudly announcing the fine bronze - skinned young gentleman at Hettie's side. "I'm not a doctor yet, I'm still studying," corrected Alexander N'Zulu the Third - to give him his proper title. "My late father was the son of a Zulu chief in Natal. He went to England to study to become a doctor. After he qualified, he returned to Africa with his bride, a lovely nursing sister from the hospital where he had worked.

My sister and I grew up in the Transkei where our parents had a medical practice. My mother's family have come to visit us a number of times but we never knew our grandparents on Father's side or anything of his Zulu history. I am very interested to learn more about Traditional Healing and to understand my people better, so this trip will be of great benefit to me." Alex did a little bow and everyone clapped.

"Now is it my turn?" said a little voice. "Yes Tion I'm sure it is," said Hettie who had been holding the four year old boy on her lap.
"I'm Tion and I'm going 'trekking' up Africa, but now I'm going on the swing," with that he ran outside - Ann and Margie close on his heel.

"I'm not Tion's father," began Alex in his soft rich voice, "my mother and I are his guardians. He is the child of my late sister who died when he was just a year old. He will be fine on the trip with me and we will return home after we have been to Zimbabwe. I have to carry on with my studies. I will follow your movements and join you along the way somewhere if that suits you," he turned to Hettie. "You are welcome to do that too if you like. I know how keen you are to complete your studies to become a teacher."

"Thank you, that's suits me very well for now Alex - but who knows what plans will be made on such a trip," replied Hettie. "Glenn will be with us to help with driving too so we will be fine," said Granny.

"When are we leaving Granny?" asked Lee. "We've got our passports, our drivers, a tracker and a doctor..." he went on to be interrupted by Vinny. "A motor mechanic, an interpreter - everybody we need - we just have to pack."

Meet the new Cyberfriends Alex laughed at the two boys and said, "Unlike my African ancestors, who migrated down from the North of the continent just with what they could carry, and the even earlier 'Ancient Trekkers' - as Frikkie called them - who went up and out of Africa, we have a terrific amount of preparation to do before we can undertake a trip like we have planned. The transport, the sleeping arrangements - tents and sleeping bags and mosquito nets, the food storage and the food itself, medical supplies, communication methods, suitable clothes and especially shoes and boots. This will take some weeks to achieve. In the meantime lets go out and meet some more South Africans and learn about the descendants of Early Mankind."

"That sounds like a great idea," said Granny putting down the tea tray. "Come and help yourselves to eats here," said Hettie from the dining room.

"I'll leave you 10c in my saucer " said Shilling jokingly to Hettie. Everyone laughed. (Meet the new characters JPEG.)

Next Month...

Next month we will meet some of the people visited by the group and hear how the preparations are getting on for the Trip Up Africa to follow in the footsteps of Early Mankind.

Note from Granny

Our new characters and their stories are fictitious and don't directly relate to anyone living. On reading about them, some of you might like to share the reason why you would like to go 'Cybertrekking' with the group. We have had some letters from young people in countries around the world who are interested in hearing a story about their home country and sharing their lifestyle with others far away. We look forward to meeting you all as we travel the globe and 'trek' around cyberspace.