visitor

A Visitor from Ghana

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Mr. Gideon Barden, a native of Ghana, visited Golden Lake Elementary School and shared his musical instruments and songs with students. Mr. Barden is currently living in St.Paul, MN. He is a high school science and biology teacher. He also has a degree in landscape horticulture, but says there is not much landscape work in Minnesota in the winter. He speaks 5 languages and was very eager to share his music and instruments from Ghana with Golden Lake students.

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Map	Photos
Information on Ghana
Mr. Gideon Burden

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Mr. Gideon Barden.

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A Talking Drum.

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This Talking Drum is made with strings
wrapped around the drum.

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When you squeeze the strings,
the Talking Drum makes a deep sound.

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A selection of drums from Ghana.

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A large Djembe.

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Other drums from Ghana.

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Bells.
Years ago the bells were used to call the village
together or warn when there is danger.

In songs today the bells are important because
they keep the rhythm of the music.
A disciplined person is in charge of the bells.

A Gourd Rattle.

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The rattles are made out of gourds.
A hole is cut on top.

The contents, similar to the insides of a pumpkin,
are scooped out. It is kept in the sun to dry.

A xylophone.

The xylophone is made with wood and gourds.

Golden Lake students enjoying Mr. Barden's instruments from Ghana.

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1			History Ghana is the first African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence in 1957.

2			People and Culture There are approximately 100 ethnolinguistic groups,these are further subdivided into numerous cultural and linguistic units.

3			Geography and climate Ghana, shares borders with three French speaking nations of Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Togo to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north.

4			Tourism Undisputedly, Ghana's greatest asset is its people who are renowned the world over for their warmth, cheerfulness, and hospitality.

5			Economy The economy is coming out of a very turbulent two-year period but today, the domestic economic situation is decidedly different. The economic aggregates and indicators are pointing in the right directions. Inflation is coming down, interest rates are easing downward, exchange market volatility has diminished.

6			Education Ghana has one of the best-developed educational systems in the whole of Africa.

7			Health Government’s objectives and efforts are to ensure basic health care access for all and to improve and enlarge the district hospital network.

8			Political System Constitutional orders in the Gold Coast and Ghana have been highly transient after the end of the Second World War.

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