AFRICA: ONE CONTINENT. MANY WORLDS. | LESSON PLANS

Geography and Culture

SUMMARY:

Students learn about African geography, study the overall continent of Africa and its individual countries, discuss demographics and participate in research and class activities.

This lesson is part of a series. Select this text to learn more about the series and how to extend its usefulness.

GOAL: Students study African geography to understand the location of individual countries and their related culture groups.
OBJECTIVES:
  • Students recognize Africa's importance on a global basis and find Africa on a map.
  • Students analyze the location of each individual country and its relationship to their neighbors.
  • Students learn how cultural groups vary from country to country.
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    BACKGROUND MATERIAL:
  • African Facts
  • Land of Contrasts
  • Climate
  • Vegetation
    		•

    Activity 1: Maps
    Grades 7 and above

    Materials:
    World atlas, map of Africa, and small country maps of Africa. Printable country maps of Africa are available on-line. Just select a map from the list, click on the map to activate the frame and select "print frame" from your file menu. If your classroom has on-line access, you may also make the on-line atlas available to students.

    Give each student an unlabeled country map of Africa. Have students identify their country, conduct research on that country, and present a paper and/or oral presentation.

    Grades 6 and above

    Same as above, but omit the paper and the oral report.

    Activity 2: Word Scramble
    Grades 7 and above

    Materials:
    Print copies of the word scramble handout. When you are ready to view or print the handout, select this text. Select print from your file menu. Use the back button to return to this page.

    Provide a copy of the handout to the students. Ask the students to unscramble the letters that spell out cultural groups and countries of Africa.

    Answers:

    Cultural Groups

    Songye
    Yoruba
    Senufo
    Benin
    Isoko
    Mbala

    Countries

    Angola
    Ghana
    Mali
    Gabon
    Cameroon
    Guinea
    Congo
    Ivory Coast
    Burkina Faso
    Guinea-Bissau
    Togo
    Benin
    Liberia
    Senegal

    Activity 3: Word Find
    Grades 6 and below

    Materials:
    Print copies of the word find handout. When you are ready to view or print the handout, select this text. Use the back button to return to this page.

    Provide a copy of the handout to the students. Ask the students to circle the letters that spell out the names of African cultural groups.

    Answers:

     

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    Material on this page was contibuted by the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art with the generous support of Disneyland.

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