Universal Access

Section 1Standards-Based Instruction

128 Chapter 5

Standards at a Glance

In this section, students will learn about the physical environment of sub-Sahar-an Africa and the vegetation zones that lie to the south of the great Sahara Desert. Students will read about the Niger River and its importance to the development of civilization in West Africa.

Section Focus QuestionHow is Africa a continent of great geographic contrasts?Before you begin the lesson, write the Sec-tion Focus Question on the board. (Lesson focus: Africa includes plateaus, mountain ranges, highlands, plains, valleys, desert, savanna, jungles, and rain forest. Each climate region has very different vegetation.)

Prepare to Read

Build Background KnowledgeAsk students to tell what climates and landforms they associate with the African landscape. For example, many students might think immediately of a desert or a rain forest. Have students use the Idea Wave technique (TE p. T38) to brainstorm for types of African climates and land-forms that they have seen on television, in cartoons, in movies, in magazines, on the Internet, and so forth. Write students’ answers on the board so that they can check their predictions as they read.

Set a Purpose■ Read each statement in the Reading

Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to mark the statements true or false.

Teaching Resources, Unit 3, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 14

■ Have the students discuss the state-ments in pairs and mark their work-sheets again. Use the Think-Write-Pair-Share strategy (TE p. T39) to call on students to share their perspectives. The students will return to these worksheets later.

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Special Needs

Using a Reading Aid Suggest to students that they use a ruler to help them keep their place as they read, line to line, down a page. Have students mark unfamiliar words or phrases (such as vast, occupies,

towering, and lush on the page shown here) with a sticky note. Then, work with them to build understanding of what they have marked.

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128 Chapter 5 The Rise of West African Empires

Section

1 Sub-Saharan Africa

H-SS 7.4.1 Study the Niger River and the relationship of vegetation zones of forest, savannah, and desert to trade in gold, salt, food, and slaves; and the growth of the Ghana and Mali empires.

E-LA Reading 6.2.2 Analyzetext that uses the compare-and-contrast organizational pattern.

Reading Preview

Reading Skill

Identify Contrasts Whenyou read this section, look for differences among features of sub-Saharan Africa. For example, you might look for contrasts in different regions. Use signal words to help you find these contrasts. In addition, ask yourself what makes each region’s geography unique. This will help you identify the ways in which features differ.

Vocabulary Builder

High-Use Wordsconstant (KAHN stuhnt), p. 129dense (dehns), p. 130

Key Terms and Peoplesub-Saharan (suhb suh HAR

uhn), p. 128plateau (pla TOH), p. 128savannah (suh VAN uh), p. 130natural resource (NACH er uhl REE sors), p. 131

Background Knowledge Africa is a vast continentwith many different climates and landforms. A huge desert,the Sahara, separates much of Africa from the Mediterraneanworld. In this section, you will read about the geography ofsub-Saharan Africa. The sub-Saharan part of Africa is thepart that lies south of the Sahara.

The African LandscapeAfrica is the second-largest continent in the world. It occupies

more than triple the area of the United States. Africa is a place ofextremes, from sandy deserts to lush tropical rain forests.

An Unusual Continent Africa is an unusual continentin many ways. Most continents are crisscrossed by one or moretowering mountain ranges. By contrast, most of Africa is alarge plateau. A plateau is a highland area of fairly flat land.

Africa’s shape is similar to a plate turned upside down. Therivers that flow across the plateau fall over waterfalls to a nar-row strip of coastal plain. This steep drop made it difficult totravel by boat from the coast of Africa to its interior.

Most of Africa is a large plateau with geographic features such as a huge desert, grasslands, forests, and rivers.

SSMMCH05.book Page 128 Friday, February 25, 2005 12:38 PM

Geography Background

Chapter 5 Section 1 129

Teach

The African Landscape

H-SS 7.4.1

Instruction■ Vocabulary Builder

High-Use Words Before teaching this lesson, preteach the high-use words constant and dense, using the strategy on TE p. 127.Key Terms Following the instructions on p. 7, have students create a See It–Remember It chart for the key terms in this section.

■ Read The African Landscape using the ReQuest strategy (TE p. T37).

■ Discuss Africa’s geographic contrasts. Ask: What African landforms, features, climates, and vegetation zones are described or pictured on a map? (Africa is mostly a large plateau, with savannah, deep valleys, deserts, grasslands, rain for-ests, and a Mediterranean vegetation zone. It has few natural harbors. The Niger River cuts through West Africa.)

■ Have students look at the map on this page. Ask: Do you think seagoing trade would be easy or difficult between people of the Mediterranean world and those in the sub-Saharan region? Explain. (It would be difficult because there are few natural harbors and no rivers that cut through the desert to the Mediterra-nean.)

■ Share with students the information in the Geography Background at the bot-tom of this page. Ask: What might have been different if Africans had not begun using camels for transportation? (Answers will vary but should include a reduction in trade as well as contact between West Africans and the rest of the world.)

Answers

Reading Skill It used to be smaller, but it has grown as the climate became drier.

(a) Look for areas shaded different colors and compare them to the key. (b) Areas of southern West Africa covered by savannah and rain forest and along rivers may have the fertile land needed to support civilizations.

Misconceptions About Africa’s Geography Some students may hold the misconception that Africa is mostly savan-nah or that it is mostly jungle. Explain to students that Africa is made up of several biomes. For example, much of North Afri-ca is made up of the Sahara, which is the world’s largest desert. The Sahara makes up about 25 percent of Africa. Students may also think that the majority of animals

in Africa live in the savannah, but in actu-ality, more than half of the continent’s animals live in the rain forest. Africa’s rain forests face the same threats that South American rain forests face: deforestation. As a result, most of West Africa’s rain forests have been destroyed. Have stu-dents research the different regions of Afri-ca and make a biome map that shows what they have learned.

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129

Africa’s coastline is also unusual. Unlike the ragged edgesof most continents, it is smooth and mostly unbroken by natu-ral harbors. The lack of harbors discouraged seagoing trade.

A Vast Desert Today, the Sahara covers most of northernAfrica except for the Nile Valley and along the Mediterraneancoastline. Measuring about 3.5 million square miles, it is by farthe world’s largest desert. However, the Sahara was notalways so dry. Since ancient times, the desert has gotten drier.Thousands of years ago, this region had rivers, trees, andgrasslands. People traveled between West Africa and the Med-iterranean world. Then, about 6,000 years ago, the climatebegan to get drier.

The Sahel The Sahel is a fertile region with limited andunpredictable rainfall along the southern edge of the Sahara.The word sahel is Arabic for “shore,” as if the Sahara were agreat sea of sand. Grasslands cover the Sahel. It also supportscrops and herds of animals. Droughts, or long dry spells, are aconstant threat to the people who live in the Sahel.

E-LA 7.2.2 Use ContrastHow is the Sahara

different now from the way it was in ancient times?

Environments of Africa

The Sahara covers the northern part of Africa. South of it are bands of more fertile land, the savannah, and the rain forest.

(a) Interpret Maps Based on the key, how can you find different environments on the map?

(b) Apply Information Whichparts of Africa have the fertile environments needed to support civilizations?

For: Interactive mapVisit: PHSchool.comWeb Code: mxp-3051

Vocabulary Builderconstant (KAHN stuhnt) adj.happening regularly or all the time

Universal Access

130 Chapter 5

Instruction (continued)■ At this point, assign the worksheet Tall

Grass Savannah. After students have completed this worksheet, have them describe briefly the key features of this subregion of the savannah.

Teaching Resources, Unit 3, Tall Grass Savannah, p. 17

■ At this time, you can assign the work-sheet Low Grass Savannah. (See the Universal Access activity below.)

■ Ask: What can you infer about the amount of rainfall in sub-Saharan West Africa as you move from north to south? (Rain is seasonal in the savannah and plentiful in the equatorial rain forest.)

Independent PracticeHave students begin to fill in the Interac-tive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide.

Interactive Reading and Notetak-ing Study Guide, Chapter 5, Section 1 (Adapted version also available.)

Monitor Progress

As students fill in the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate and make sure individuals understand the geographic contrasts in Africa. Provide assistance as needed.

AnswerIdentify Benefits Desert: advantages—none; disadvantages—no water

Rain Forest: advantages—plentiful water; disadvantages—flooding

Savannah: advantages—some water and fertile soil; disadvantages—dry seasons

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English Language Learners L1

Less Proficient Readers

Accessing Content To enhance student understanding of vegetation zones in Afri-ca as shown in the map on p. 129, assign the worksheet Low Grass Savannah. Tell students that they should be prepared to contribute to the class discussion on the variety of climate and vegetation zones in

sub-Saharan Africa. As students complete the worksheet, monitor their responses to worksheet questions.

Teaching Resources, Unit 3, Low Grass Savannah, p. 18

130 Chapter 5 The Rise of West African Empires

DesertRain forest

Vegetation Zones South of the Sahara lie differentvegetation zones, or bands of plant life. Each zone has its ownclimate and types of plants that fit its climate.

The dry Sahel is part of a band of grasslands with scatteredtrees, something like the American prairies. This vegetationzone is the tropical savannah. A savannah is a broad grass-land with scattered trees. The African savannah has wet anddry seasons.

South of the savannah, along the Equator, lies the rain for-est, a zone of towering trees, dense leaves, and climbing vines.The rain forest is hot and wet year-round. Thousands of kindsof plants and animals live in this steamy jungle. Some of therain forest has been cut down as towns and cities grow. Inother places, the land has been cleared for farming.

Three Vegetation ZonesFew plants can grow in Africa’s sandy and rocky deserts. However, Africa’s savannahs support a mix of grasses, brush, and scattered trees such as the baobab trees shown in the photograph at right. Several layers of trees and other plants grow in Africa’s lush rain forests, which are home to wildlife such as the elephants shown in the photograph. Critical Thinking: Identify BenefitsWhat would be some advantages and disadvantages of each zone for farming?

Vocabulary Builderdense (dehns) adj. tightly packed

The Niger River The main river of West Africa is theNiger River. It flows east into the Sahel from the rainy high-lands of West Africa. Then it curves northeast through thedesert. Finally, it flows southeast across the savannah to theAtlantic Ocean.

SSMMCH05.book Page 130 Friday, February 25, 2005 12:38 PM

Geography Background

Chapter 5 Section 1 131

Africa’s Natural Resources

H-SS 7.4.1

Instruction■ Read Africa’s Natural Resources with

students. Remind students to look for support of the main idea.

■ Use this question to discuss Africa’s nat-ural resources: What were some of Afri-ca’s natural resources? (gold, copper, iron, diamonds, salt, agricultural resources)

■ Ask: Why do you think gold was important in building the trading empires of Africa? (Most countries used it as a medium of exchange, so it was vital to international trade.)

■ At this point, show the color transparen-cy, Regional Map of Natural Resources, which illustrates natural resources in different regions of Africa. Use the les-son suggestion to guide a discussion.

Color Transparencies, Regional Map of Natu-ral Resources

Independent PracticeHave students complete the Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide. (Adapted version available.)

Monitor Progress

Tell students to fill in the last column of the Reading Readiness Guide. Probe for what they learned that confirms or invalidates each statement.

Teaching Resources, Unit 3, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 14

Answer

along the southern edge of the Sahara

Exploring the Niger Besides being sourc-es of water and fish, rivers provided Afri-can traders with transportation. Knowing the course of a river was, therefore, very important to traders. Yet the unusual shape of the Niger baffled geographers for years. It was not until the late nineteenth century that Westerners could establish its course and ascertain how it came to

acquire its unusual boomerang shape. It is now accepted by many geographers that the Niger is made up of two ancient rivers. Their theory is that the upper part of the Niger once emptied into a lake, now dried up. They believe the lake was near another river, making up the lower part of the Niger, and that, over time, the courses of the two rivers met and joined.

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Section 1 Sub-Saharan Africa 131

Savannah

As most world cultures grew up on the banks of large riv-ers, West African civilizations grew up along the Niger. Theriver supported these civilizations because it was a reliablesource of water in a dry region. The river let farmers growcrops in the Sahel and the desert even in years with little rain-fall. At one point along its course, it branches into shallowlakes and streams. This unusual inland delta supported bothfarmers and fishers. The Niger River also provided a route fortrade and travel across the interior of West Africa.

Where is the Sahel?

Africa’s Natural ResourcesFor thousands of years, many African trade products have

come from the continent’s natural resources. Naturalresources are those products of nature that have economicvalue. Traders brought some of these trade goods across thedesert by camel caravan. Others came by way of Egypt and theRed Sea. This trade brought Africa into contact with otherparts of the world.

Since ancient times, people have taken valuable goods from Africa’s natural environment.

132 Chapter 5

Assess and Reteach

Assess ProgressHave students complete Check Your Progress. Administer the Section Quiz.

Teaching Resources, Unit 3, Section Quiz, p. 22

To further assess student understanding, use the Progress Monitoring Transparency.

Progress Monitoring Transparencies, Chap-ter 5, Section 1

ReteachIf students need more instruction, have them read this section in the Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide and complete the accompanying question. (Adapted version available.)

ExtendTell students to pretend that they are a company of geographers. They are being hired by merchants from the twelfth centu-ry to give a report on the rivers and har-bors of sub-Saharan Africa, other than the Niger. Have students work in small groups and use library or Internet resources to find information about African rivers, including where they originate, whether they are sailable, and whether there are civilizations near the waterways that can be reached by traders.

Section 1 Check Your Progress

1. (a) savannah, rain forest, desert(b) It is drier, with grasslands and scat-tered trees.

2. (a) gold, copper, iron, diamonds, and salt(b) The empires grew wealthy from trade, and different cultures came into contact with each other.

3. Most of Africa is a large plateau lacking large mountain ranges. Its coastline is smooth with few natural harbors.

4. Answers will vary but should demon-strate understanding of the words.

5. Answers will vary, but should include a table that demonstrates understanding of similarities and differences between Africa and North America in continent shape, vegetation, and natural resourc-es.

Answers

gold, copper, iron, diamonds, and salt

Draw Conclusions By their nature, valu-able items lure people to come and attempt to acquire them.

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132 Chapter 5 The Rise of West African Empires

Section 1 Check Your Progress

Africa has long been rich in minerals. The most prizedresource of West Africa was gold. It was the foundation onwhich the trading empires of Africa were built. Other valuableminerals included copper, iron, diamonds, and salt.

Plants were other valuable resources. The peoples ofAfrica’s trading empires were skilled and successful farmers.Their agricultural wealth was an important foundation for thegrowth of their trade networks.

Like many other ancient cultures—including Greece andRome—African empires also enslaved people and tradedthem. From ancient times, enslaved Africans were sent acrossthe desert to be sold in North Africa or across the Indian Oceanto Asia.

What were Africa’s valued mineral resources?

Looking Back and Ahead In this section, you haveread about the geography of sub-Saharan Africa. You learnedthat unlike other continents, Africa is a vast plateau withsmooth coastlines. In the next section, you will read about thefirst great empire that arose in Africa south of the Sahara.

For: Self-test with instant helpVisit: PHSchool.comWeb Code: mxa-3051H-SS: 7.4.1; E-LA: Reading 6.2.2

Comprehension and Critical Thinking1. (a) Recall What are the

three vegetation zones found in West Africa?(b) Compare How do vege-tation and climate in the savannah differ from that in the rain forest?

2. (a) Recall What types of natural resources were found in West Africa?(b) Analyze Cause and Effect How did those resources affect the region’shistory?

Reading Skill3. Identify Contrasts Reread

the two paragraphs under the heading An Unusual Continent. How is the shape of the African continent dif-ferent from that of other continents?

Vocabulary Builder4. Write two definitions for

each word: plateau, savan-nah, natural resource. First, write a formal definition for your teacher. Second, write a definition in everyday English for a classmate.

Writing5. Create a table with three

columns and three rows. Label the boxes in the left-hand column with the fol-lowing categories: Continent Shape; Vegetation; Natural Resources. Label the next two columns: Africa; North America. Use this chart to brainstorm for similarities and differences between the two continents.

Mineral RichesAfrica is rich in minerals such as these rough-cut diamonds. Critical Thinking: Draw Conclusions Why would valuable minerals attract traders from other parts of the world?