COUNTDOWN

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COUNTDOWN When Two Cultures Collide
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Who is Ben Mikaelsen?
Author Ben Mikaelsen, has won the International
Reading Association Award and the Western
Writer's Golden Spur Award. His novels include
Rescue Josh McGuire, Sparrow Hawk Red, Stranded,
Countdown and Petey.
Ben's articles and photos have appeared in
numerous magazines around the world. His novels
have been carried by Scholastic and Troll book
fairs, and are recorded on unabridged audio tape
with recorded books. His novel, Rescue Josh
McGuire, has also been optioned for big screen
use. Ben and his wife, Melanie, live in a log
cabin near Bozeman, Montana, with a 700 pound
black bear they have adopted and raised for the
last eighteen years http//www.benmikaelsen.com/a
bout_ben.htm
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Take 3 minutes and discuss with a neighbor at
least 3 differences between the American culture
and the African culture that you can think
of! Ready, GO!
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Facts about the Maasai culture
The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000
square kilometers with a population of
approximately one half million people The
Inkangitie or homesteads are our traditional home
settings and are arranged in a circular fashion.
Traditionally, homesteads are shared by more than
one family. The Maasai houses, Inkajijik, are
loaf-shaped and made of mud, sticks, grass, cow
dung and urine.
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More Facts
Women are responsible for making the houses as
well as supplying water, collecting firewood,
milking cattle and cooking for the family.
Warriors are in charge of society's security
while boys are responsible for herding
livestock. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic
people who live under a communal system. The
movement of our livestock is based on seasonal
rotation According to our traditional land
policies, no one should be denied access to
natural resources such as water and land
Traditionally, the Maasai rely on meat, milk and
blood from cattle for protein and caloric needs.
People drink blood on special occasions
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More Facts
The cow is slaughtered as an offering during
important ceremonies marking completed passage
through one age-grade and movement to the next..
Maasai diviners (laibon) are consulted
whenever misfortune arises. They also serve as
healers, dispensing their herbal remedies to
treat physical ailment and ritual treatments to
absolve social and moral transgressions. In
recent years Maasai laibon have earned a
reputation as the best healers in Tanzania. Even
as western biomedicine gains ground, people also
continually search out more traditional remedies.
Maasai are often portrayed as people who have
not forgotten the importance of the past, and as
such their knowledge of traditional healing ways
has earned them respect.
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Pictures!

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Pictures!

As you can see by these traditional Maasai
people, in contrast to our culture, the women
shaved their heads while the men grew out their
hair. Also, both men and women wore similar
clothing.
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NASA!

October 1, 1958, the official start of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), was the beginning of a rich history of
unique scientific and technological achievements
in human space flight, aeronautics, space
science, and space applications NASAs human
space flight efforts then extended to the Moon
with Project Apollo, culminating in 1969 when the
Apollo 11 mission first put humans on the lunar
surface Overall, while the tremendous technical
and scientific accomplishments of NASA
demonstrate vividly that humans can achieve
previously inconceivable feats, we also are
humbled by the realization that Earth is just a
tiny "blue marble" in the cosmos. http//history.n
asa.gov/
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NASA PICTURES!

The moon setting over the Earth
Earth Rise
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NASA PICTURES!

Bluford on Treadmill
lt--Challenger exploding
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COUNTDOWN SUMMARY!

Summary Two fourteen-year-old boys, an astronaut
from the United States and a Masai herder from
Kenya lead very different lives. They connect via
shortwave radio when Elliott is in space aboard
the space shuttle Endeavour. The two boys, in
parallel stories, move towards maturity within
their own cultures, while questioning the old
ways. Their conversations result in arguments
over cultural differences, but lead them towards
a greater understanding of their similarities.

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Some interesting things that happen!


Elliot, a 14 year old gets to go into
outerspace! Vincent hunts lions and goes
initiation ceremonies such as the Embolata
Olkiteng as he goes into manhood. You get to
learn cool information about space and the Maasai
culture! There is a possible shuttle crash!

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Before we start reading, after learning a little
bit about the Maasai culture and about NASA, what
are some issues you think might come up with the
two boys?

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NOW, you get to read! Please get out your books.
We are going to read as a class!