7/31/2019 Geography of Africa II

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Name Date

Social Studies World History

Do Now- Geography: use the map and your knowledge of Africa to answer the

questions below.

Geography –

Independent Practice

What lake is the source of 

the Nile River?

The Niger River is located in

western or eastern Africa?

Name the three deserts

that cover northern and

southern Africa?

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Guided Notes – Geography of Africa

Fill in the term to match the correct definition.

1.  ___________________________ A part of Africa south of the Sahara

desert.

2.  ___________________________ A strip of land with little rainfall that

divides the desert from wetter areas.

3.  ___________________________ long, deep valleys formed by the

movement of the earth’s crust. 

4.  ___________________________moist, densely wooded areas.

5.  ___________________________ open grassland with scattered trees.

6.  ___________________________ the belief that bodies of water, animals,

trees and other natural objects have spirits.

7.  ___________________________ family that usually includes the mother,

father, children and any close relatives in one house hold.

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Guided Notes – West African Society

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Independent Practice – Identifying the Main Idea

Read the passages below and identify the main idea. TRACKING is a good tool to

use in identifying the main idea.

West Africa’s Resources 

West Africa’s land is one of the regions many resources. With its many climates,

the land can produce many different crops. Traditional crops grown in West

Africa included dates, kola nuts, and grains.

Other resources were minerals. Gold from forests was highly prized. So was salt,

which came from the Sahara. Salt kept food from spoiling, and people needed it intheir diet to survive Africa’s hot climate. 

Underline the

“traditional crops” 

grown in West

Africa.What allows these different crops to

grow?

What are some of 

West Africa’s major

mineral resources?

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As the people of West Africa became more productive, villages had more than

they needed to survive. West Africans began to trade the area’s resources with

buyers who lived thousands of miles away.

West Africa’s gold and salt mines became a source of great wealth. Traders used

camels to cross the Sahara. They took gold, salt, cloth, slaves and other items to

North Africa and Islamic world. In addition West Africans also mastered iron

technology, which allowed them produce weapons and tools for farming. Their

plows and other farming tools allowed them to produce more food.

Underline the

sentence that tells you

that West Africans hada surplus.

How did the use of 

iron change

farming?