Visitors to these African kingdoms will need to understand the terrain and climate of the region they are visiting. You need to add the following things to this map provided by your boss:
- Shade the area covered by each of these biomes: Desert, Steppe, Humid Topical, Savanna. Also, complete the key on your map.
- Label these physical features: Sahara Desert, Niger River, Senegal River, Nile River, Congo River, Equator, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea
- Using your chart from Task #1, circle the region that was home to Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
Salt and gold supported the economy of kingdoms in western Africa, and made Ghana, Mali, and Songhai very rich.
1) In your packet, using this website, answer these questions about salt:
- What is salt?
- What is salt used for?
2) Using the picture below, add gold and salt deposits to the map you created in Step 2.
3) Now answer these questions in your packet based on the map you've created:
- What biome are the salt deposits located in?
- What biome are the gold deposits located in?
- What is located between the salt deposits to the north, and the gold deposits to the south?
4) Finally, let's look at the trading routes. Use the image below (click on it to make it bigger) to add trade routes to your map - use the key to figure out which lines are the trade routes.
 5) Now answer these final questions based on your completed map:
- What biomes must traders travel through?
- What types of animals would be best to transport goods over these trade routes? Why?
Ghana was the first great empire in Western Africa. It flourished from around 400 AD to around 1200 AD. For this step, you'll need to read an article to familiarize yourself with the empire, and then answer a few questions.
Left: Map of the Ghana Empire from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Begin by reading this article.
Now answer these questions:
- If visitors to the Ghana Empire like to shop, what kinds of products can they expect to buy?
- When visitors come to Ghana, would they expect to see a poor kingdom or a rich kingdom? Why?
- How does the Ghana Empire support itself? What drives its economy?
Above: Salt Mine in modern Africa © M. ou Me. Desjeux, Bernard/Corbis Images
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The Mali Empire began in the 1200 ADs with the downfall of the Ghana Empire. The kingdom is renowned for its prosperity, arts and learning, and the increased presence of the Islamic religion.
Left: Mali Empire, 1200s AD to 1400s AD via Black Past
First, read this article on the Mali Empire.
Next, address the following questions:
- Visitors to the Mali Empire will notice that most of the residents participate in what religion?
- Tourists might want to take a trip on the Niger River. What does the Niger River provide for the people of Mali?
- Like the Ghana Empire, how does the Mali Empire get wealthy?
SO MUCH happens during the Mali Empire. You'll need to get a good understanding of these topics, too:
- Mansa Musa and the spread of Islam
- Ibn Battuta
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Mansa Musa was the most famous ruler of the Mali Empire. Watch the video below to understand Mansa Musa.
Now that you are familiar with the great leader, complete this graphic organizer. You will need to write a sentence on the arrow that connects the two images.
For example, a line connects the image of Mansa Musa to Islam. I wrote the sentence "Mansa Musa practiced Islam and made it the official religion of his empire."
You will now write sentences that connect the rest of the images. Note: You may need to go back and re-watch parts of the video.
You've probably heard of Marco Polo, the famous Italian explorer, but have you heard of Ibn Battuta? He was an Islamic explorer that covered over 75,000 miles. In 1352 he visited the Mali Empire and met with Mansa Musa. He's a fantastic example for our clients, many of whom are interested in completing similar journeys.
Left: Ibn Battuta image from Wikipedia
To begin this section, watch the video below:
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
1) Now answer this question about the video:
- In three words, describe Ibn Battuta
Now, read this article. SCROLL DOWN TO THE SECTION ON IBN BATTUTA.
2) Answer this question about the article:
- Ibn Battuta wrote about his travels in the Muslim world in the 1300s. Are his writings considered a secondary source or a primary source? WHY?
3) Answer this question about the article:
- What impact did Marco Polo's and Ibn Battuta's travels have on the world?
Finally, visit this link to view a map of Ibn Battuta's journey. Make sure to zoom in and out so you can see all the detail.
4) How many different continents did Ibn Battuta visit?
5) Based on the map of his journey, what methods of transportation did he use in his travels?
Following the decline of the Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire came into power in 1464 AD. The empire had many similarities between the Mali Empire and the Ghana Empire.
Left: Map of the Songhai empire. Image via Wikipedia.
It's important to understand the similarities and differences between the Songhai, Mali, and Ghana Empires. Read this article about the Songhai Empire, and then use what you've learned to complete the chart below.
Record unique things about each empire in the square boxes. In the middle circle, record what each empire has in common -- what things are the SAME in each empire?
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