Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin - Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

The University of Kalahari Presents:
African Geography, Art & Culture
5 – 8 Grade
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Karibu! (Swahili for “Welcome!”)
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Kalahari Resorts’
version of a classroom. At the University of Kalahari, we traditionally spend
our time molding and shaping our associates – but today we share that
same passion with you and your students.
To successfully complete this class, you’ll need some help, and you’ll have
to complete some pre-work in your school. Just as we expect our
associates to do, you’ll have to: have an open mind, be willing to work, and
ask good questions when you run into some speed bumps.
Our job is to serve our guests – and to give them Beyond Expectations
moments. Your job is to use your tools from this mini-course to increase
your skills in the classroom. You’ll need to complete some of the activities
in our public spaces.
The University of Kalahari strives to be a win-win. We hope that you take
this amazing opportunity and have fun while you are on our campus. We
also expect to you work diligently with your teachers to apply what you
have learned in the classroom to completing the activities in our park. We
employ an old motto around here – “work hard, play hard”. There will be
plenty of time for both.
Thank you for selecting Kalahari, and welcome to A World Away!
Learn everyday,
Professor Kenya
University of Kalahari Educational Team Lead
We PROMISE to Deliver Products and Services Beyond Expectations
Set-Up
The following should be discussed in the classroom, as a lead-up to your trip to Kalahari
Resorts & Conventions. The terms, activities and videos are a pre-cursor to all that you will
find in our resorts, and setup the students to experience a “world away” visit.
Please review activities ahead of time to determine what is appropriate for the ages and
levels of your specific students. The articles are meant to be printed separately , and
discussed in class.
What is Africa?
We find that a percentage of visiting students can’t define where Africa is, or “what” it is. Many
learn about Africa in the same way that they learn about Japan, Norway and Brazil – as a singular
country.
Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent. At about 11.7 million
sq. mi., including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth’s surface and makes up 20% of the
total land area.
With 1.1 billion people (2013), it counts for about 15% of the human population. Africa is
surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the northeast, the Indian Ocean on the southeast and
the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Included in Africa, are 54 fully recognized sovereign states
(countries), nine territories, two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition,
Madagascar and various archipelagos*. Africa’s population is the youngest of all continents.
Fifty percent of all Africans are 19 years old, or younger. Central Eastern Africa is widely
regarded as the place of origin of humans and great apes. The earliest Homo sapiens found in
Ethiopia date back to around 200,000 years ago. Africa straddles the equator, and encompasses
numerous climate areas. It’s the only continent to stretch from the North Temperate zone to
the South Temperate zones.
Africa is home to a variety of ethnicities, cultures and languages. In the late nineteenth century,
European countries colonized most of Africa. Most modern states in Africa originate from a
process of decolonization in the twentieth century.
* Vocabulary word found later.
What is Kalahari’s Connection to Africa?
The first indoor water park in the United States was built in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin at the
Polynesian Hotel. It was built in 1994 with the goal to make the Dells a "year-round
destination"; as the Wisconsin Dells tourist season was typically from Memorial Day to Labor
Day. Taking a page out of the Polynesian-playbook, Todd Nelson built a small hotel, called the
Raintree, in the back parking lot of the two successful Wisconsin Dells businesses he owned at
the time (Brothers-In-Law and Pizza Pub). Expanding twice within 13 months, Nelson sold the
Raintree to pursue bigger plans he had in mind.
When he and his family purchased the land adjacent to I-90 in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, they
knew that the large park had to stand out. The theme needed to be something different than
the many log-lodges and rainforests that already existed.
On a suggestion, the family headed to Africa to see if they were interested in theming their
property based on the people, art and culture of the area. As CEO, President and Owner, Todd
Nelson recalls, “we weren’t there five minutes before we fell in love. We knew that this was it,
but we wanted to do it right. No pink hippos, nor yellow elephants.”
The naming the resort is a fun story. There was no science behind it, just list after list. Nelson
and family chose Kalahari because it’s an easy-to-pronounce African word that fits well with
waterpark and convention center. The funny part is that the namesake of our resorts, the
Kalahari desert, is the third-largest subtropical desert in the world, and it’s derived from the
Tswana word Kgala, meaning “the great thirst”, making the name of America’s largest indoor
waterpark resorts a bit of an oxymoron.
The first Kalahari Resort opened in Wisconsin Dells on May 4, 2000. On opening day, the
waterpark was 65,000 sq. ft. and was America’s largest. Today, it is America’s third largest at
125,000 sq. ft. In recent years, the company has attempted to better connect with the areas that
represent the theme of the resorts. Those six countries are: Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, South
Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Videos: Kalahari Goes To Africa
Videos: One World
(See University of Kalahari staff for video access. Provided after a signed contract.)
The Languages of Africa
There are 1,250 to 2,100 - and by some counts over 3,000 - languages spoken natively in Africa.
These languages fall into several major language families:

Afroasiatic is spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and
parts of the Sahel

Nilo-Saharan is centered in Sudan and Chad

Niger–Congo covers West, Central, Southeast and Southern Africa

Khoe is concentrated in the deserts of Namibia and Botswana

Austronesian is spoken in Madagascar.

Indo-European is spoken on the southern tip of the continent.
There are several other small language families, as well as obscure languages that have yet to be
classified. In addition, Africa has a wide variety of sign languages.
About a hundred of the languages of Africa are widely used for inter-ethnic communication.
Arabic, Somali, Berber, Amharic, Oromo, Swahili, Hausa, Igbo, Fulani and Yoruba are spoken by
tens of millions of people. If clusters of up to a hundred similar languages are counted together,
twelve are spoken by 75 percent, and fifteen by 85 percent, of Africans as a first or additional
language.
The Kalahari Resort often uses Swahili when creating internal culture pieces and names for
additions. As an example, you can often find associates saying “karibu” (welcome) or “asante”
(thank you). Additionally, the daily internal newspaper that the associates create as a
communication piece at all of the resorts is called the “Gazeti”, which means magazine.
It’s your turn! Use Google Translate https://translate.google.com/ to recreate this sentence in
Swahili. I want to visit the Kalahari!
Have fun trying to say it to each other! 
African Geography
In this activity, locate the six countries from which the Kalahari draws its inspiration. They are:
Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
African Topics & Terms:
Define each of the terms listed below.
Archipelagos:
Apartheid:
Big Five Game:
Continent:
List the continents by size.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Decolonization:
Kalahari:
Karibu:
Nelson Mandela:
Rand:
Subtropical:
Swahili:
Ubuntu:
African Topics & Terms: Key
Archipelagos: A sea or stretch of water containing many islands.
Apartheid: (In the Republic of South Africa) a rigid, former policy of segregating which
economically and politically oppressed the nonwhite population.
Big Five Game: In Africa, the big five game animals are the African lion, African elephant, Cape
buffalo, African leopard, and White/Black rhinoceros. The term “big five game” (sometimes
quoted as "Big Five") was coined by big-game hunters, and refers to the five most difficult
animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty
involved in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.
The 1990 and later releases of South African rand banknotes feature a different big-five animal
on each denomination. Sadly, poaching (illegal hunting, killing, or capturing of wild animals) of
these wonderful creatures has become a big business. The world is dealing with an
unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade, threatening to overturn decades of conservation
gains in 2011. Ivory, in the amount of more than 23 metric tons—a figure equivalent to 2,500
elephants—was seized in the 13 largest seizures of illegal ivory in history. Poaching also
threatens the last of our wild tigers, which number as few as 3,200.
Continent: One of the seven main continuous expanses of land.
List the continents by size.
1) Asia
2) Africa
3) North America
4) South America
5) Antarctica
6) Europe
7) Australia
Decolonization: The decolonization of Africa followed World War II, when colonized peoples
agitated for independence, and colonial powers withdrew their administrators from Africa. View
an animated .gif of independence here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decolonization_of_Africa#/media/File:African_nations_order_of_independence_19501993.gif
Kalahari: The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in southern Africa extending
350,000 sq. mi. covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia (previously South West Africa), and
South Africa. The highest point in the dessert is the Brandberg Mountain at 8,850 ft. above sea
level.
Karibu: Swahili for “welcome”.
Nelson Mandela: A South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist
who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
Rand: The rand is the currency of South Africa.
Subtropical: Relating to the regions of the Earth bordering on the tropics, just north of the
Tropic of Cancer or just south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Subtropical regions are the warmest
parts of the two Temperate Zones.
Swahili: Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is the first language of the Swahili people. It is spoken
in the African Great Lakes region and other parts of Southeast Africa, including: Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ubuntu: A term roughly translating to "human kindness." It is an idea from the Southern African
region which literally means "human-ness," or "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that
connects all humanity". The Kalahari, a hospitality company, believes in the ideals of Ubuntu.
Computers & Art: Mud Cloth
In Kalahari Resorts, the art piece that shows up most often is authentic mud cloth.
Growing up, making textiles isn’t much of a thought to most people. We live in houses filled
with plenty of blankets for the bed, curtains on the windows, comfortable upholstered furniture
and cushy rugs underneath our feet. We’re so surrounded by textiles, most of us don’t realize
that wasn’t always the case.
In fact, for much of human history, textiles were the most precious and valuable item a person
could own. Textiles express the individuality of a place in a way that is completely unique. Mud
cloth, or bogolanfini, is one of the best known African cloth traditions. Bogolanfini is a
handmade, Malian cotton fabric that is dyed with fermented mud, that dates back to twelfth
century.
How Bogolanfini is Made
Traditionally, the men were responsible for weaving the narrow strips of plain fabric that
were then pieced together into a larger rectangular cloth.
1. The cloth is first dyed in baths of the leaves and branches of trees (this dye acts as a
mordant).
2. The now-yellow cloth is sun-dried, and patterns are painstakingly painted on to them
with a special mud, which had been collected from ponds during the previous seasons and
left to ferment.
3. As the cloth dries, the dark black mud turns gray and the cloth is washed to remove any
excess mud. This process is repeated numerous times, and with each application, the mudpainted area of the cloth becomes darker. The yellow areas are then painted with bleach,
which discolors the yellow patterns. The cloth is then left to dry in the sun for a week.
When the bleach solution is washed off with water, what remains is the characteristic
white pattern on a dark background.
We’ve found no better way to interactively learn about the process than to let you try it on this
amazing Smithsonian site, where you can virtually design your own mud cloth.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/mudcloth/index_flash.html
The Stereotypes of Africa
Often times – even in school or at home – people come to assumptions that just aren’t true.
Sometimes people make decisions about others based on the way they dress, the cars they
drive, the way they talk or the homes in which they live.
Listed below are some common mistakes people make when thinking about the lands and
people of Africa. Consider how the people of this great land must feel as others make
generalizations and mistakes about them, and their way of life.
Are there any stereotypes that you can think of in your school? Are there any in your
community?
1) Everyone in Africa lives in a mud house in the middle of nowhere.
Where would you guess this
city is located? The United
States? Europe? Nope - this is
Lagos, in Nigeria, and it has a
population of 21 million. In
2008, 39% of the African
population lived in urban
areas, and this number is
rapidly increasing.
2) Africans have no access to modern technology.
Technology in Africa is actually
an incredibly fast growing
market. Did you know that
people in Kenya are four times
more likely to own a mobile
phone than to have access to a
toilet? As of 2013, 80% of
African people had access to a
mobile phone.
Mobile technology is also being used in very innovative and exciting ways to help end
extreme poverty across Africa.
3) It’s hot, dry and sunny all the time.
“There won’t be snow in
Africa this Christmas” is a
classic line from “Do They
Know It’s Christmas?”, but it’s
not entirely true. Africa is a
diverse continent with a
huge variety of landscapes and temperatures. Take a look at this stunning snowy
landscape on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania!
4) Africa is poor and it always will be.
Yes, 47% of people in SubSaharan Africa live on less
than $1.25 a day. However,
this number is falling. One in
three Africans are defined as
‘middle class’, and while some
Western economies are in
crisis, Africa’s economy
continues to grow. Did you
know that 6 of the 10 fastest
growing economies in the
world, are African?
5) Africa is all savannah and wild animals.
In 2014, Delta Airlines made a
huge social media mistake.
Attempting to congratulate
the U.S. World Cup team on a
victory over Ghana, they used
a photo of a giraffe to
represent the African nation.
Unfortunately, for Delta there
are in fact no wild giraffes in
Ghana.
Nelson Mandela
Since South Africa is so close to the hearts of all Kalahari associates, and one of the six countries
used in the theming of the resort, it’s difficult to ignore the contributions and life of Nelson
Mandela. Also, inclusion is such a huge part of the company’s objectives, we feel compelled to
include his moving story.
Nelson Mandela was a great leader who spent his entire adult life working for equality and
justice in South Africa. Mandela has inspired people around the world to work non-violently for
a better life. Mandela is affectionately known by his clan name "Madiba," or by "Tata", which
means "father."
Mandela was born on January 18, 1918, in Mvezo, Transkei, in the southeast of South Africa. He
was named Rolihlahla, which means "troublemaker" in the Xhosa language. Mandela's
grandfather was the ruler of the Thembu people and his father was a local chief.
Mandela was the first person in his family to attend school, as both of his parents were illiterate.
On the first day of school, a teacher at the Methodist mission school he attended, Miss
Mdingane, re-named him Nelson. Mandela did well in school and went on to graduate from
college and attend law school at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he was the only
black African student in his class. Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world."
By 1942, Mandela was involved in political causes. He began attending meetings of the African
National Congress (ANC), a revolutionary group whose aim was to fight apartheid (laws
establishing racial separation and oppression in South Africa).
Mandela helped found the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 1944. He
organized boycotts and strikes to fight for voting rights and equality for black South Africans.
In 1956, Mandela and over 100 associates of his were arrested for treason. They were all later
acquitted.
The ANC was banned in South Africa in 1960. In 1964, Mandala was sentenced to life in prison
for fighting apartheid. After spending 27 years in prison (island shown in “Kalahari Goes To
Africa”), Mandela was released in 1990. Upon his release, Mandela worked to repeal apartheid
and stop the growing violence in South Africa. He also helped establish multiracial elections, the
first of which occured in 1994. For his work, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
In 1994, South Africa held its first truly democratic, non-segregated election and chose Nelson
Mandela as its president. Mandela championed reconciliation, the peaceful resolution of
grievances after decades of laws against black South Africans. Without Mandela's guidance,
South Africa might have lapsed into a civil war.
Mandela published his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," in 1994. The Truth and
Reconciliation Commission was formed in 1995, and it was chaired by Archbishop Desmond
Tutu. The Commission was a court-like organization that was formed in order to document the
atrocities that the Afrikan apartheid police state had perpetrated against black Africans, and thus
begin to heal the rift that had formed between the races in South Africa, and avoid a civil war.
Freedom Day, celebrated on April 27 of each year, commemorates the anniversary of South
Africa's first real democratic elections where Mandela was elected president.
Mandela served as President of South Africa until 1999, when refused a second term. Nelson
Mandela died on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. He died of natural causes after a long
illness. He will be remembered as one of the greatest peace-makers and statesmen of all time.
Visiting Kalahari Resort
Congratulations on completing the pre-work in preparing for your cultural experience at our
authentically African resort! There are presently 4,511 artifacts within our resort with which you
to explore and interact.
All five of your senses will be put to the test as you journey throughout the property. Here are
some highlights:

“Bobo” was purchased in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a large, metal, silverback
gorilla that sits in the breezeway between the Indoor Theme Park and the front desk.
He’s a popular stop for students to get their picture on and around.

The skywalk that sits on top of the convention center, leads from the main building to
the Sands building. There are several tales of tribes, their ways of life and what is most
important in their cultures.

The “Case of Treasures” sits outside the spa and features a beautiful stone carving of
Mandela, amid other true works of art.

Since you’ve had a hand in “making” your own mud cloth, be sure to check out all our
authentic mud cloth pieces that serve as window treatments throughout the resort.

Todd Nelson’s friend, Mark Jacobson, created the only five showcased pieces of art in
our resort that are not from Africa. He used a special technique called veneer mosaic to
recreate the Big Five Game, spending about 1,000 hours on each piece.

The butterfly wall in the Great Karoo Restaurant & Marketplace (named after a semidesert natural region of South Africa) features many of the species of butterfly you
would find in the region. It’s spectacular!

Authentic African drums (please don’t play) are displayed outside of the Ivory Coast
Restaurant (or Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, a country in West
Africa) – where you might also get a chance to smell some of the unique flavors from the
region.

Outside the main entrance, the loop of music that plays is a recording of the Cape Town
Philharmonic Orchestra.

There’s just so much to explore!