West Africa7th Grade UBD - Unit 2 - Africa

Preview

People and Their Environment- West Africa has

three environments- deserts, grasslands, and

rainforests. Most people live in the well-watered south.

Government and Economy- Different groups are

mixed within West African nations, making unity

difficult. People live by subsistence farming and

exports.

Society and Culture- The region remains heavily

rural, and daily life continues in many traditional ways.

But cities are growing rapidly.

Reach Into Your Background

Why you think it would

be easier to find a job

in a city than in a rural

area? Then predict

what benefits and

problems might come

with modernization.

(4 minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your answer with theirs. What things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)

Key Ideas- People and Their Environment

West Africa offers two contrasting

environments- desert and arid areas

in the North and well-watered areas

in the South.

West Africa is the continent’s most

heavily populated region. People are

unevenly distributed throughout the

region.

Kente Cloth

People in West Africa still

weave Kente cloth.

The art of weaving Kente

cloth remains much as it

was centuries ago.

This skilled craft is one of

the many ways Africa’s

ancient past continues to

influence life today.

Landforms and Vegetation

The Sahara Desert

extends from

North Africa into

West Africa.

The Sahel receives

enough rain to

support some

vegetation.

Landforms and Vegetation

People living in West

Africa grow hardy crops

or herd animals across

the land in search of

grass.

There is a close

connection between

population density and

water.

The Sahel

The Sahel is a transitional

area between desert and

savanna.

It receives anywhere from 6

to 24 inches of yearly rain.

Climate, animals and human

populations have worn out

the land creating a process

called desertification.

Desertification

Desertification can

result from climate

change or from

human practices

such as

deforestation and

overgrazing.

Key Term

Desertification

- The

transformation

of land once

suitable for

agriculture into

desert.

Acacia Tree Video- Acacia Tree

Turning the Tide on Desertification in Africa

The Acacia Tree is helping

combat desertification.

Two thirds of the African

continent is classified as

desert or dry lands and

desertification affects a

quarter of the world's

population.

The Acacia Tree has the

potential to transform the

lives of vulnerable

populations.

South of the Sahel

Countries along the

coast are heavily

populated.

Until recently, rainforests

spread across much of

Liberia, Sierra Leone, and

the south-western Ivory

Coast.

South of the Sahel

Wood is a main export for

many West African

countries, providing an

income for many farmers.

Countries South of the

Sahel have rich natural

mineral resources as well

as supplies to coal,

natural gas, and oil.

Question

1. How have cattle

contributed to the change

of the Sahel from

grassland to desert? What

is this process called?

Answer

1. How have cattle contributed to the

change of the Sahel from grassland

to desert? What is this process

called?

Increased cattle population has led

to overgrazing. This process is

called desertification.

Key Ideas- Government and Economy

West Africa’s national borders are inherited

from a colonial past.

Achieving unity among these people has

been difficult.

Most people are subsistence farmers.

Others export oil and agricultural products.

Scramble for AfricaReading Activity- Scramble for Africa

Key Term

ECOWAS- The

Economic

Community of

West African

States, that

hopes to increase

trade among

themselves.

West Africa Government

In most West African

countries, the constitution

prohibits discrimination on

the ground of gender,

however, customary and

religious laws still continue

to restrict women’s rights

in the region.

West Africa Government

Some West African

Governments have adopted

policies that encourage

women to participate in the

economies of their countries.

Nevertheless, the majority of

women in West Africa remain

confined to traditional roles,

especially in the rural areas.

West Africa Government

Despite notable progress,

women’s political

participation in West Africa

remains very low.

Women have limited

educational opportunities,

which result in a lack of

qualifications and skills.

This blocks women’s

participation in politics.

Independent Activity

Use a Venn

Diagram to

compare

women’s roles in

Africa with

women’s roles in

the United

States. (10

minutes)

Eyewitness To HistoryReading Activity- Eyewitness To History 4

Questions

1. In most West African countries, the

constitution prohibits discrimination on the

grounds of gender, however, what continues

to restrict women’s rights in the region?

2. Women in West Africa remain confined to

traditional roles, especially in what types of

areas?

Answers

1. In most West African countries, the constitution prohibits

discrimination on the grounds of gender, however, what

continues to restrict women’s rights in the region?

Customary and religious laws restrict women’s rights in

West Africa.

2. Women in West Africa remain confined to traditional roles,

especially in what types of areas?

Many women in West Africa are confined to traditional

roles in rural areas.

Key Ideas- Society and Culture

West Africans leave rural areas

to look for jobs in the city.

West Africans try to hold on to

their culture while making

economic progress.

Problems with GovernmentVideo- Basic Needs

Basic Needs

Food

Water

Shelter

Clothing

Health Care

Education

City Life

Demands for decent

housing, clean water, and

more roads exceeds

government ability to

provide them.

A lucky few find work in

government offices or

foreign-owned businesses.

City Life

New arrivals make shelters

out of whatever they can

find: cardboard, tree

braches, plywood, or

plastic.

Most of these makeshift

homes lack running water

and electricity.

West Africa is overwhelmed

by rapid growth.

Slum Settlements

Slum settlements

are usually on the

outskirts of cities.

A living situation

worsened by the

massive migration

of rural people to

the cities.

Key Term

Shanty

Towns- Slum

settlements

usually on the

outskirts of

cities.

Teen Wows M.I.T.Video- Teen Wows M.I.T.

Question

1.What are basic needs?

2.What are shanty towns

and why do they exist?

Answer

1. What are Basic Needs?

Basic needs are things such as food, water,

shelter, clothing, health care, and education.

2. What are shanty towns and why do they

exist?

Shanty towns are slum settlements on the outside

of the city. They exist because people moving into

the cities often cannot find affordable housing.

Independent Activity

What has been the

“muddiest” point so

far in this lesson?

That is, what topic

remains the least

clear to you? (4

minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your muddiest point with theirs. Compare what things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)

Partner Activity

Imagine that you live in a shanty town. Work with a partner to answer the following questions. How would you take care

of your family? Where would you find

shelter from the elements?

Where would you eat or sleep?

Do you think it is safe? Would you wish this on

anybody?