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Home , Senegal River, Taghaza

Geography of

WEST AFRICA 7.4.1 Look at this satellite photo. What is shown?

Where might people be most likely to live? Why there?

What resources might come from each region of this place?

How do you think ideas might spread here? GEOGRAPHY CHALLENGE ANSWERS 1. The borders Africa on the west, the Indian Ocean borders Africa on the east, and the borders Africa on the north. 2. Africa is divided into , Central and South Africa, and East Africa. 3. People were least likely to settle in the desert zones because it would be hard to grow food and to find water there. 4. These kingdoms were located in West Africa. The vegetation zones in this region include desert, semi-desert (), savanna, and forest. 5. The helped make land fertile and provided fish. Also traders traveled along the rivers. 6. Travel across the Desert was very difficult. 7. Islam spread from North Africa to West Africa. 8. was an important center of trade and learning for the kingdoms of and Songhai. Italy Spain

Mediterranean Sea

Taghaza ARABIA SAHARA Timbuktu Kumbi Jenne jeno

Wangara

ATLANTIC OCEAN INDIAN OCEAN

GHANA

MALI

SONGHAI 7.4.1

DESERT SAVANNA Where do you think villages and cities would most likely develop? Choose one and give

reasons for your choice. FOREST SUB-SAHARAN FAMILY BASED COMMUNITIES Early Africans (EXTENDED FAMILIES: COUSINS, UNCLES, Societies 7.4.1 GRANDPARENTS) SURVIVED BY BEING HUNTER GATHERERS (NOMADS) USED TOOLS MADE OF BONE, ROCKS, AND STICKS TO FARM AND HUNT What are the disadvantages of early Africans method of gaining food? IRON TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY THE NOK = STRONGER TOOLS AND WEAPONS p.140 MORE EFFICIENT FARMING (LESS EFFORT, MORE PRODUCT), LARGER FOOD SUPPLY (SURPLUS) If not everyone in the community needs to go out and find food each day, what might they do with their time? What can the family do with their extra food? FAMILY MEMBERS CAN HAVE SPECIALIZED JOBS, EXTRA FOOD AND PRODUCTS CAN BE TRADED WHAT COULD BE THE BENEFITS OF

Mr. Mercado was ______DOWN BY THE RIVER!

HEY GUYS!

FOR SALE

STUFF STUFF STUFF 7.4.1 Permanent GREW ALONG RIVERS SUCH AS THE Settlements NIGER (Jenne Jeno) (SEDENTARY) RIVERS COULD BE TRAVELLED ON, AND WERE NATURAL HIGHWAYS FOR TRADE; THE SOIL OF RIVERBANKS WAS RICH FOR FARMING FAMILY COMMUNITIES GROUPED TOGETHER FOR PROTECTION

VILLAGES THAT BECAME BUSY TRADE CENTERS COULD TAX TRADERS AND GROW WEALTHY

CITIES WITH A STRONG LEADER COULD BUILD AN ARMY TO CONQUER OTHER NEIGHBORING LANDS AND COLLECT TRIBUTE TO GAIN MORE WEALTH

Why is it that cities and kingdoms grew along rivers? PLACE IN ORDER THE STEPS FOR BECOMING A KINGDOM

COLLECT TRIBUTE IN EXCHANGE FOR PROTECTION CONQUER NEIGHBORS BUILD ARMIES

STRONG LEADERSHIP

GAIN WEALTH FROM TRADE AND BY TAXING TRADERS 7.4.3 GIVE YOUR OPINION ON THE TRANS-SAHARAN FOLLOWING STATEMENT TRADE = IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD

WEST AFRICAN GOLD WAS USED TO MAKE COINS AND AS CURRENCY WORLDWIDE SALT WAS USEFUL FOR PRESERVING FOODS AND PREVENTING DEHYDRATION

GOLD WAS PLENTIFUL IN THE FORESTS TO THE SOUTH OF WEST AFRICA (WANGARA) ARAB TRADERS FROM NORTH AFRICA WOULD TRAVEL IN CARAVANS TRANSPORTING SALT FROM CITIES LIKE INTRODUCTION OF CAMELS TO AFRICA IN THE 300S INCREASED TRADE ACROSS THE DESERT ARAB TRADER (NORTH AFRICA) YOU ARE AN ARAB TRADER FROM NORTH AFRICA, YOU WILL START WITH 5 GOLD TOKENS AND 15 SALT TOKENS.

1. YOU WILL DEPOSIT YOUR 15 SALT TOKENS AT THE SALT MINES AT TAGHAZA.

2. WHEN TRADE BEGINS, YOU WILL TRAVEL ON YOUR KNEES TO TAGHAZA AND PICK UP AS MANY SALT TOKENS AS YOU WISH TO TRADE. (YOU WILL NEED TO PAY 1 GOLD TOKEN FOR EVERY 3 SALT TOKENS THAT YOU WILL CARRY IN TO GHANA AND 1 GOLD TOKEN ON YOUR WAY OUT OF GHANA TO THE SOUTH, SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH GOLD FOR THE TRIP)

3. CONTINUE ON YOUR KNEES ACROSS THE SAHARA DESERT. ONCE YOU REACH GHANA, YOU MAY WALK NORMALLY.

4. PAY 1 GOLD TOKEN FOR EVERY 3 SALT TOKENS YOU ARE CARRYING. YOU WILL THEN PAY 1 GOLD TOKEN ON YOUR WAY OUT OF GHANA.

5. ONCE YOU REACH WANGARA, YOU WILL SILENTLY BARTER ON A TRADING MAT. WHEN YOU APPROACH THE WANGARAN WILL HAVE THEIR BACK FACING YOU. YOU WILL LAY OUT AS MUCH SALT AS YOU WANT TO TRADE ONTO THE TRADING MAT. ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, TURN AROUND AND CLAP TO SIGNAL THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT SOMETHING TO TRADE. THE WANGARAN WILL THEN OFFERE YOU AN AMOUNT OF GOLD. IF THAT OFFER MAKES YOU HAPPY TAKE THE GOLD, TURN AROUND, CLAP, AND LEAVE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE YOUR OFFER OR WAIT FOR MORE GOLD, TURN AROUND, CLAP AND STAY THERE. ONCE YOU HAVE MADE ALL OF YOUR TRADES, RETURN HOME TO NORTH AFRICA.

6. RETURN THROUGH GHANA (NO TAXES) BACK TO NORTH AFRICA (REMEMBER TO WALK ON YOUR KNEES THROUGH THE DESERT) AND START BACK AT STEP 2. TAGHAZAN SALT MINER

1. YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF KEEPING TRACK OF THE SALT TOKENS FOR YOUR ARAB TRADER. ORGANIZE THE STACKS OF SALT TOKENS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN ON THE TOP OF YOUR DESK. 2. WHEN YOUR ARAB TRADER COMES TO GET SALT FROM YOU, MAKE SURE THAT THEY WILL HAVE ENOUGH GOLD TO MAKE IT THROUGH GHANA TO THE SOUTH

3. REMIND THE ARAB TRADER TO WALK ON THEIR KNEES UNTIL THEY REACH GHANA.

4. WATCH AS THE ARAB TRADER PAYS A TAX TO PASS THROUGH GHANA. THINK TO YOURSELF WHY THEY ARE DOING THIS.

5. WATCH HOW THE ARAB TRADERS ARE TRADING WITH THE WANGARANS. THINK: WHY ARE THEY TRADING THIS WAY?

6. REMIND TRADERS TO WALK ON THEIR KNEES WHEN CROSSING THE SAHARA KINGDOM OF GHANA

1. PREPARE YOUR STATION AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM. MAKE SURE THAT YOU SPREAD YOURSELVES OUT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE EVERYONE THAT PASSES THROUGH 2. WATCH AS THE NORTH AFRICAN TRADERS TRAVEL TO TAGHAZA TO GET SALT TOKENS. 3. WATCH AS THE TRADERS WALK ON THEIR KNEES THROUGH THE DESERT. THINK: WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? 4. WHEN THE ARAB TRADER REACHES YOUR BORDER, COLLECT 1 GOLD TOKEN FOR EVERY 3 SALT TOKENS THAT THEY ARE BRINGING INTO YOUR KINGDOM. REMIND ARAB TRADERS THAT THEY MAY STAND UPON REACHING YOUR KINGDOM. MAKE SURE TO COLLECT ONE GOLD TOKEN AS THEY LEAVE YOUR KINGDOM TO THE SOUTH. 5. WATCH AS THE TRADERS DO BUSINESS WITH THE WANGARANS. THINK: WHY ARE THEY TRADING THIS WAY? 6. DO NOT TAX TRADERS AS THEY PASS THROUGH GHANA ON THEIR WAY HOME. REMIND THEM TO WALK ON THEIR KNEES AS THEY CROSS THE SAHARA WANGARAN GOLD MINER

1. YOU ARE HIDING OUT IN THE SOUTHERN FORESTS OF WEST AFRICA MINING GOLD. MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE 15 GOLD TOKENS TO TRADE 2. WATCH AS THE NORTH AFRICAN TRADERS TRAVEL TO TAGHAZA TO GET SALT TOKENS.

3. WATCH AS THE TRADERS WALK ON THEIR KNEES THROUGH THE DESERT. THINK: WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? 4. WATCH AS THE TRADERS PAY TAXES TO PASS THROUGH GHANA. THINK: WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? 5. WHEN THE TRADERS APPROACH YOU, MAKE SURE YOUR BACK IS TURNED TO SYMBOLIZE THAT YOU ARE HIDING IN THE JUNGLE. WHEN YOU HEAR A CLAP NEAR YOU, THAT IS THE SIGNAL THAT SOMETHING HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO TRADE. TURN AROUND AND SEE WHAT HAS BEEN OFFERED AND LAY DOWN AS MANY GOLD TOKENS THAT YOU THINK IS FAIR. TURN AROUND AND CLAP. WAIT FOR THE CLAP SOUND FROM YOUR TRADING PARTNER AND TURN AROUND TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ACCEPTED YOUR OFFER OR ARE WAITING FOR A BETTER ONE. CONTINUE THIS PROCESS UNTIL YOU ARE BOTH HAPPY OR DECIDE THAT YOU CANNOT DO BUSINESS. 6. ORGANIZE THE SALT TABLETS THAT YOU HAVE GAINED THROUGH TRADE. THINK: HOW WILL YOU USE THE SALT? NORTH AFRICA (Arab Traders) Transport various goods across the Sahara Desert Start with 3 gold tokens

Taghaza - Slaves live here and mine salt, depend on traders to bring Traders must travel on supplies when they come to pick up their knees across the salt Hold ten salt tokens for each trader SAHARA

GHANA - the "middlemen" charge a tax of 1 gold token for every three salt tokens brought in and one gold token upon exiting to he south

NIGER RIVER

WANGARA - gold miners from the forests of southern West Africa, practiced silent bartering to protect the location of their mines Begin with 10 gold tokens 7.4.3 WHY DO YOU THINK GHANA WAS ABLE KINGDOM OF GHANA TO GROW WEALTHY AND POWERFUL? USE THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER ON P. 145

GHANA WAS THE "MIDDLEMAN" OF TRANS-SAHARAN GOLD AND SALT TRADE CHARGED TAXES FROM TRADERS BRINGING GOODS THROUGH THEIR KINGDOM IN EXCHANGE FOR PROTECTION ALONG TRADE ROUTES p. 151 THE CITY OF KUMBI WAS ALSO A BUSY TRADING CENTER INSIDE OF GHANA HOW DID GHANA'S LOCATION HELP THEM TO GAIN WEALTH? P.147, 149