Social Studies Curriculum

Grade 7 - World Geography
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Unit: Africa

Time frame for unit: 3rd Quarter—4 weeks

Content Standards

National Standards for Geography:
Standards #1-#18 (See end of this document)

Alaska State Geographic Content Standards Addressed:
Standards A-F (See end of this document)

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions

1. The five themes of geography allow us to explore patterns in location, place, human environment interaction, movement, and regions.
2. Geography has a range of helpful tools that can assist us in understanding our earth and its patterns.
3. Because of the geographic characteristics of Africa, food production and resource distribution are hampered, resulting in powerful social, economic, and political consequences.
   • How do human actions modify or influence the physical environment?
   • To what extent does the physical environment influence human actions?
   • How does the unique physical geography of Africa influence its food production and resource distribution?
   • How does physical geography within a region impact social, economic, and political conditions?
4. Africa represents a diverse cultural mosaic resulting from its history of colonization, migration, and economic and political development.
   • How does Africa represent a diverse cultural mosaic?
   • What is the enduring legacy of colonization and migration within the continent of Africa?

Knowledge

The student will be able to define / apply the following terms:
AIDS, Sahara Desert, Civil War, Colonization, Slavery, Nelson Mandela, Great Rift Valley, desertification, Sahel, Sudan, rainforest, leaching, colonization, ethnic groups, urbanization, subsistence farming, hunter-gathers, grazing, Bantu, Swahili, apartheid, civil war

The student will be able to explain the significance of the following concepts:

• Main landforms of Africa.
• Physical and climatic regions of Africa.

The student will be able to describe the following:

• The effects of desertification on the lives of Africans.
• Key historical events as determiners of African history.
• Way of life is determined by available resources.

Skills

The student will be able to:

• Apply their knowledge of Africa to create mental maps.
• Illustrate cause/effect in graphic organizer and essay form.
• Use graphic organizers to mentally organize the material from the textbook.
• Interpret special purpose maps, graphs, and charts to better understand the interrelationship of each country’s peoples and geography.
• Use the Internet and library resources to research a culture in-depth.

Assessment Evidence

Example Performance Task:

• Identify with the difficulty of survival in one of the regions of Africa by taking the survival challenge in the textbook.
• Plan and participate in a festival as a representative of one African ethnic group.

Example Evidence:

• Oral or written response to one of the Essential Questions.
• Test on using key terms in context.
• Quizzes and Tests over unit knowledge.
• Self-reflection logs on participation and value of the performance tasks.

Example Learning Activities:

1. Read and discuss Ch. 20-24 in the Holt text.
2. Create, label, and analyze maps of Africa.
3. Design a three dimensional model of the continent of Africa with geographic features displayed to scale.
4. Create a timeline of events comparing African and U.S. history. Read and summarize either a book or short stories“Anansi’s Riding Horse” (Holt Elements of Literature), “Kelfala’s Secret” (McDougal Littell Literature and Language), Journey to Jo’Burg.
5. Compare historical maps of Africa.
6. Have a food festival and students bring in traditional African foods. Optional: dress in traditional clothing.
7. Create an ideal zoo with African animals and plants.
8. View and discuss a video, for example. “Understanding Each Other,” “National Geographic- Man of the Serengeti.”
9. Research where HIV/AIDS started and spread throughout Africa. Map infant mortality rate, the birth and death rates, life expectancy, and average age for three countries influenced by HIV/AIDS.
10. Conduct research on how forced immigration (slavery) of Africans has influenced customs, religion, politics, language, and food of a particular U.S. region.
11. Provide students with opportunities for self-evaluation such as reflective writing, rubrics, and peer discussions.
12. Review unit data through games such as bingo, jeopardy, and group competitions.

* These are suggested activities. Other assessments, performance tasks, and learning activities may be implemented.

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