Download West African Trading Empires: Ghana, Mali, Songhai

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West African Trading Empires: Ghana, Mali, Songhai
Homework Questions
Throughlines:
In order to understand any society during history, one must investigate and understand
the following:
 Geography: What role did the geography of the region play in shaping the
society?
 Belief Systems: What were the major religions, values, beliefs, and customs of
the society?
 Government: What system of government was used to guide the society?
 Economics: What economic system was used to provide for the needs of the
society?
 Major Events: What major events occurred in the society that had a lasting
impact?
 Important People: Who are the people who impacted and created change in the
society?
 Culture: How did people in the society act, how did they express themselves,
how were they organized, and what did they find important?
 Technology and Invention: What technological advancements and inventions
changed and helped shape the society?
Unit Overview: West African society was structured around the family and trade.
Trans-Saharan trade expanded due to the vast quantities of gold that could be found in the
region. This trade led to contacts with Muslim traders who influenced the great trading
empires that eventually developed around the gold-salt trade: Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
Essential Questions
Directions: Read each question carefully. Then, answer the question in paragraph form,
using the terms in your answer. Be sure to underline or highlight the terms as you use
them.
Geography
Economics
Culture
1. How did the geography of West Africa affect trade? Consider the resources
found in each of the vegetation zones and the impact this had on the people living
there. Pgs.157,158.
Terms to use: vegetation zone, desert (Sahara), savannah, rain forest, Niger River,
natural resources, gold, salt, crops, cattle, Trans-Saharan, slaves, camel caravans
2. What role did families play in West African society? Pg. 151
Terms to use: kinship, clans, council of elders
Economics
Technology
3. What was labor specialization and how did it impact the economy of West
African societies? Pg. 152
Economics
Government
Beliefs
4. What factors encouraged the growth of trade in West Africa? What was the effect
of this trade on the government of West African societies? Pgs. 152,153
Terms to use: labor specialization, women’s jobs, men’s jobs, children’s jobs,
farming, herding, metalworking, technology, trade
Terms to use: trade, city, gold, slaves, North Africa, kings, loyalty, religion
Culture
5. Describe the role of the storyteller in West African society. Why was the oral
tradition of West Africa so important? Pgs. 153, 154
Terms to use: griots, ancestors, oral tradition, history, written language
Government
Economics
Major Events
Beliefs
6. How did Ghana develop into a great trading empire? How did it eventually fall?
(Describe the rise and fall of Ghana) Pgs. 159, 161
Government
Culture
Beliefs
7. How did Islam change and influence the religion, culture, and government of
West Africa? Pgs. 159,160
Terms to use: salt, Sahara, gold, secret, taxes, king, Koumbi Saleh, cities,
Almoravids, Islam
Terms to use: Berbers, North Africa, Umayyads, Trans-Saharan trade, Arabic,
kings, traditional, religion, Muslim advisors, upper class, Qur’an, Islamic law,
traditional law
Government
Economics
Major Events
Beliefs
Impt. People
8. How did Mali develop into a great West African trading empire? How did Islam
influence its expansion? Pgs. 165,166
Impt. Events
9. What factors contributed to the decline of Mali? Pgs. 166,167
Government
Economics
Major Events
Beliefs
Impt. People
Terms to use: Mali, Malinke, Sundiata, Timbuktu, Niger River, trade, Islam, Mansa
Musa, hajj, merchants, gold, architect, scholars, poets, artists
Terms to use: internal fighting, Timbuktu, rebellion, Songhai, Gao, Berbers
10. How did Songhai develop into a great trading empire? How did Islam influence
its expansion? How did it fall? Pgs. 167,168
Terms to use: Sunni Ali, Muslim leaders, Berbers, Askia Muhammad, Islam,
government organization (bureaucracy), Muslim scholars, Morocoo, Tibuktu, Gao