Africa Group Work (F Block)

Student Learning Objective- Students will develop a clear picture of what the current African nations are like and why due to this compiling, reciting and writing of ancient history and geographic facts.  Students are urged to try to understand and explain info rather than memorization.  

World Regions and Cultures 11- Africa Group Work

Group 1- Bolcome, Burke, Connolly, Donahue, Graffeo

Group 2- Verga, Palazola, Piraino, Quince, Silva
Group 3- Scuderi, Stasio, Ulrich, Wood, Marrone

Group 4- P. Cook

Group 5- P. Cook

Directions: Complete your assigned section in class or for homework.  All groups will present their answers on 1/26 and 1/27.  Students will receive a homework grade for presenting the correct answers.  All members of a particular group should have all of their group's answers.  If other people are absent, someone must present.  Create a google doc for your group and share it with the members of your group only.  Agree who will answer what and make sure your questions are all answered and answered correctly.  Check anything with Mr. Cook during class 1/25 or via email.  Ask questions.  No excuses 1/26 and 1/27.  On 1/26 and 1/27, all other groups will take notes when your group presents.   Get it done and do a good job and always ask questions!

Group 1- The Shape of the Land- pages 59-64 in Global Mosaic

1. What towers 19,340 feet over the ground on the equator in Tanzania, but is so high it is capped with snow?
2. What is the only continent bigger than Africa?
3. How many nations are in Africa?
4. What bodies of water are on each side of Africa?

5. What are the subregions of Africa?

6. What gives each subregion its own identity?
7. What subregion is most similar with the Middle East?  Why?
8. The most common landform in Africa is the first one listed because many other landforms are on these. _______________
9. What giant fault runs down the Eastern part of the continent from the Red Sea to the ZambeziRiver?
10. What do rivers provide for Africa?
11. What is the longest river in the world at 4,160 miles long?
12. What direction does the Nile run?
13. Where did the earliest civilizations develop?
14. Why were the Nile’s yearly floods good?
15. What is built on the Nile now?
16. Where is the Congo River?
17. Where is the Zambezi River?
18. What are the natural resources of Africa?

Group 2- Climate and Diversity- pages 64-71 in Global Mosaic

19. Africa is the most _____________ of the continents
20. _____________ varies from one part of Africa to the next though
21. In Botswana they call their money “pula” which means ______________
22. 80 percent of the continent is in the _____________
23. The coolest regions are found in the _____________
24. What are the 4 climate zones of Africa? __________________________, __________________________, __________________________, and __________________________
25. __________________________ thrive in the wet tropical region
26. Constant heavy rains dissolve and wash away the soil’s nutrients.  This is called __________________________
27. The tropical wet and dry climate region is the ______________ in Africa
28. The _____________ or grassland covers this region and much of Africa
29. Overpopulation and droughts are big problems in the Savanna.  The worst is the turning of semi-arid land (semi-dry or semi-desert) into desert land.  This process is called __________________________
30. _____________cover 40 percent of Africa
31. The _____________ and Namib deserts are in Southern Africa
32. _____________ means desert in Arabic
33. The Sahara is larger than the _____________
34. Even though it is in Southern Africa and not on the body of water it is named for, people say this area has a __________________________ climate
35. Summers are hot and _____________ and winters are cool and moist
36. The population of Africa is _____________ million which is more than twice the population of the US
37. Africans speak more than _____________ languages
38. English and French are spoken in many African nations as a common language for different tribes to be able to communicate.  What language serves as a common language in Eastern Africa? _____________

Group 3- Early Civilizations of Africa- pages 71-76 in Global Mosaic

39. How old was the human bone that was found in the Great Rift Valley indicating that the original man probably lived in Africa?
40. Early records were engraved in _____________
41. The _____________ art of the Sahara shows us how people once lived
42. Over many years in the Sahara, less rain fell, lakes and rivers dried up and people probably migrated to the _____________ river valley
43. People stopped being _____________  and gave up hunting and food gathering by moving around for farming communities
44. The Nile Valley civilization developed _____________ years ago
45. The leaders of ancient Egypt were called _____________
46. Egyptians were _____________ which means they believed in many gods
47. The most important was Amon-Re, the _____________ god
48. The afterlife was very important to them.  They built elaborate _____________ for their dead leaders
49. Taxes were collected in the form of _____________
50. During the 3 months or roughly 100 days that the _____________ flooded every year, men would work for the Pharaoh.
51. Egyptians were the first to brew _____________ from barley or grapes
52. They had a form of writing called _____________
53. They produced a calendar with _____________ day years
54. They had advanced medicine for the ancient world and even performed _____________
55. Trade flourished between Egypt and the people to the south, Nubia and _____________
56. Another kingdom, even farther South from Kush was _____________
57. King Ezana of Axum converted to _____________ and that is why Ethiopia is so Christian to this day

Group 4- Trading States and Kingdoms- pages 79-84 in Global Mosaic

58. _____________ was a famous city with streets of gold and a center of trade and learning.
59. _____________ and salt were traded between West Africa and the Middle East, even across the mighty Sahara
60. The savanna of West Africa lacked _____________ which is a necessity for human survival but had plenty of gold
61. What West African kingdom was between the Senegal and Niger rivers?
62. The ruler was called “_____________ of the gold”
63. The _____________ were merchants from the desert that brought goods
64. After the breakup of Ghana, _____________ set up Mali
65. __________________________ was an outstanding leader of Mali
66. Mansa Musa converted to _____________ and made the trek to Mecca, Saudi Arabia as Muslims are supposed to!
67. Many _____________ were built in Africa because of this and Islam is now the most popular religion in Africa
68. As Mali declined, _____________ flourished
69. Askia _____________, the leader of Songhai was also a Muslim and also made the trek to Mecca.
70. _____________ came under control of Songhai and flourished
71. _____________ was a forest kingdom
72. “Great Stone House” or _____________  was a great society in southern Africa

Group 5- Patterns of Life- pages 85-92 in Global Mosaic

73. In farming and herding societies people lived in _____________ families
74. In villages, extended families often shared a common living area or _____________
75. The eldest _____________ led the family
76. Several lineages form a _____________ which traces back to a common ancestor
77. There were strong leaders who ruled kingdoms like Mali and Songhai, but in most areas, decisions were made by _____________ leaders or villagers came to a _____________ through debate and meetings
78. Most villagers were _____________ farmers which means they did not have a surplus, but just enough to live on
79. In areas free from the _____________ fly many people are herders
80. In farming societies _____________ do a lot of the planting, weeding and harvesting and are central to family life
81. In some of Africa, tribes practice _____________, where men can have more than one wife
82. Some Muslim societies believe that men can have up to ________ wives
83. In Africa women are married typically at age _____________ and their family has to give a gift to the groom’s family
84. Some societies trace their lineage through the woman’s line.  This is called _____________.
85. _____________ societies trace their heritage through the man’s line
86. _____________ is a traditional African religious belief where every living or non-living object is filled with a living spirit, they respect nature because they believe the Supreme Being created all things.  They believe that such spirits are responsible for the well-being of the whole group.  The spirits cause people to get sick or healthy, crops to wither or grow, whether a hunt succeeds or not, etc.  Also, they respect and pray to their ancestors to influence the spirits in a good way. (found in “Our World” on page 54-55, not Global Mosaic”)