AFRICA

Our understanding of and about it.

Students will explore the content of Africa visually by maps and via
online and text resources to get a deeper understanding of: the
countries (countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire),
Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, and South Sudan) and
rivers and mountains of the continent(Sahara, Sahel, Savanna,
Tropical Rain Forest, Congo River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake
Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas Mountains, and Kalahari Desert);
environmental issues that affect Africa; the impact of location,
climate, and physical characteristics on population distribution in
Africa; the diverse cultures of the people who live in Africa; various
forms of government.; structures of the modern governments of
Africa; how politics in Africa impacts standard of living. (SS7G1-
SS7G4; SS7CG1-SS7CG3; SS7E1-SS7E4; SS7H1)
Essential Questions: Where is Africa?
Unit Questions: What does African culture consist of? What are
some of the key environmental, physical and social factors of
Africa and it people?
Content Questions: How do environmental, social, and
political issue affect the standard of living of Africans? What
types of government structures are found in Africa?
Formative Assessments will be conducted weekly to ensure
that students are learning the standards, help the teacher to
modify lesson, and also give the teacher a general idea of the
At A Glance
Grade Level:-7
Subject: Social Studies
Topics: apartheid. economic
development, voluntary trade,
republic system, government
systems, environmental issues...
Higher-Order Thinking Skills:
Inferring, Reasoning, Evaluation,
Contrasting
Key Learnings: geography,
economics, government, and
historical
Time Needed: !ee"s, #$-minute
lessons, daily
%ac"ground: &frica
Things You Need
&tlas
'lobe
(aps
Internet &ccess
)arious %oo"s and &rticles on &frica
*ournals
&ssessments
http:++!!!.iste.org+,ibraries+-./s+0E1S-
S2Standards.sflb.ash3Standards
https:++!!!.georgiastandards.org+standards+'-
S45$Support45$.ocs+'rade-7-'eorgia-
-erformance-Standards.pdf

strengths and weaknesses of the students.
Days 1-4
Students will visit the website http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/pagegen/wok/index_f4.html,
and play the interactive game The Ways of Knowing Trail. This can be done in groups
or individual depending on technology resources and time constraints.
Students will utilize Google Earth. Maps, and Globes to identify the major countries in
Africa to include Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria,
South Africa, Sudan, and South Sudan, rivers, and other landmarks.
Students will utilize media center resources to identify the diverse ethnic and religious
groups (Arab, Ashanti, Bantu, and Swahili), environmental issues, climate concerns,
and physical characteristics of land that affect the region.
Students will create their own fact book based on their game, and research. Students
must discuss and compare 2 or more countries, ethnic groups, religious groups, 3
geographic locations, and key issues related to physical characteristics of the countries
selected. The fact book must also include models of the countries.
Days 5-10
Teacher will conduct mini presentation about types of government, economics, and
social concerns of various countries in Africa and have open discussion with students.
Students will use a variety of online and media resources to research two countries of
their choice based on a list provided by the teacher and complete an African culture
chart that outlines the type of government, political system, voting rights, and citizen
roles of the countries; impact AIDS famine, access to education, and gender factors of
the country, benefits of voluntary trade, discuss the relationship between investment in
human capital (education and training) and gross domestic product (GDP), explain the
relationship between investment in capital (factories, machinery, and technology) and
gross domestic product (GDP),tell how the distribution of diamonds, gold, uranium, and
oil affects the economic development of Africa, describe the role of entrepreneurship.
Days 11-15
Teacher will conduct a mini-presentation on the history of how the European partitioning
across Africa contributed to conflict, civil war, and artificial political boundaries; how
nationalism led to independence in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria; creation and end
of apartheid in South Africa and the roles of Nelson Mandela and F.W.de Klerk; and
discuss the pan-African movement.
Students will in large group present information from their fact books and charts to
discuss with the classroom. Based on class data collected students will select a country
they would most likely want to live? Students will create a brochure with the following
categories: model of, culture, history or background, government, economy, religious
and ethnic groups, social and environmental issue, climate and physical chacteristics,
and political system.
Prerequisite Skills
Basic word processing and research skills
Use of publishing, spreadsheet, and multimedia presentation software
General knowledge of maps
Differentiated Instruction
Resource Student
Group the class into small, heterogeneous groups to provide support for all
students
Provide choices that allow the student to participate equally in the project while
using materials at their ability level that interest them
Provide frequent checkpoints and job aids to help the student stay focused and
on track
Gifted Student
Encourage the student to select more challenging texts to read, research topics
in more depth, and apply higher-level thinking to the assigned tasks
English Language Learner
Allow the student to conduct research in the students native language, even to
investigate the students country of origin if in Africa
Encourage the student to bring special knowledge of another culture into the
classroom
Use note cards and define key social studies terms for students.
Understanding African Geography and Ethnic Groups
Factbook

Student Name: ________________________________________



Class: ____________________ Date Due: ______________ Date turned in: ______________


CATEGORY 20 18 17 12
Content Accuracy
All information about
the ethnic groups
and geographic
location is accurate.
Information about
the ethnic groups
and geographic
location is mainly
accurate. There
were less than 2
facts that were not
accurate.
There were at least
3 incorrect facts
regarding the ethnic
groups.
Most of the
information
regarding the ethnic
groups were
incorrect, OR the
project was not
turned in.
Writing -
Grammar
There are no
grammatical
mistakes in the
brochure.
There are 1 -2
grammatical
mistakes in the
brochure.
There are 3-4
grammatical
mistakes in the
brochure.
There are more than
4 grammatical
mistakes in the
brochure, OR the
project was not
turned in.
Attractiveness &
Organization
The brochure has
exceptionally
attractive formatting
and well-organized
information.
The brochure has
attractive formatting
and well-organized
information.
The brochure has
well-organized
information.
The brochure's
formatting and
organization of
material are
confusing to the
reader, OR the
project was not
turned in.
Graphics/Pictures
There are at least
two graphics for
each ethnic group
and the graphics go
well with the text.
Graphics go well
with the text, but not
all ethnic groups
were represented
with at least two
graphics.
Graphics go well
with the text, but
there are too few
and the brochure
seems "text-heavy".
Graphics do not go
with the
accompanying text
or appear to be
randomly chosen,
OR the project was
not turned in.
Sources
Careful and
accurate records are
kept to document
the source of 95-
100% of the
graphics in the
brochure.
Careful and
accurate records are
kept to document
the source of 94-
85% of the graphics
in the brochure.
Careful and
accurate records are
kept to document
the source of 84-
75% of the graphics
in the brochure.
Sources are not
documented
accurately or are not
kept on many
graphics, OR the
project was not
turned in.

Grade: ______/ ___100__

Teacher Comments:

Africa Economics and Governmental Power
Teacher Name:


Student Name(s): ________________________________________


CATEGORY 25 23 15 12
Chart responses The student filled out
the complete chart
correctly.
The student filled out
the complete chart but
had 1-5 errors on the
chart.
The student filled out
the chart, but had more
than 5 errors.
The student did not
complete the chart, OR
the student never
emailed the completed
project or turned in the
project.
Short Answer
responses
The student responses
were very well thought-
out and constructed
intellectually. There is
no doubt that they
grasp these subjects
very well.
The student responses
were well thought out
and constructed well.
They student showed
strength in their
understanding of the
subjects, but still need
a little more
understanding.
The student responses
were very simplistic
and there was no
evidence of a deeper
understanding of the
material. Though the
student has the basic
understanding, there is
more work needed to
be done to strengthen
their understanding.
The responses made
by the student showed
very little if any real
understanding of the
material. There is a lot
of work needed to get
to basic understanding,
OR the students never
emailed the completed
project, or turned in the
project.
Use of Class Time There is no doubt that
class time was well
managed and each
minute was used to its
fullest.
The student used their
time wisely for the most
part, but a few
distractions kept them
from excelling in their
work.
The student used their
time well for the most
part, but it was obvious
that they were
distracted on many
occasions and their
work suffered fro it.
The student wasted the
day(s) that were set
aside for this project. It
is clearly obvious that
the student let their
distractions hurt their
time on this project, OR
the student wasted
much of their time in
which they did not
complete or turn in the
project.
Due Date The student handed in /
emailed the project
before or on the due
date to the teacher.
Intentionally left blank. The student was late
turning in / emailing
their project in to the
teacher.
The student never
turned in / emailed the
project in to the
teacher.

Grade: _______/___100___

Teacher Comments: