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Big Idea
How large is
Africa?
About three times as
large as the continental
United States
( 11.67 million sq.
miles)
Social Studies Standard 7.4.1: Study
the Niger River and the relationship of
vegetation zones of forest, savannah, and
desert to trade in gold, salt, food, and
slaves; and the growth of the Ghana and
Mali empires.
Paraphrase:
Reading Comprehension 2.3:
Structural Features of Informational
Materials: analyze text that uses cause-andeffect organizational pattern.
Paraphrase
 Sub-Saharan- The area of Africa that lies south of the
Sahara
 Plateau- a highland area of fairly flat land
 Natural Resources- products that come from nature
and have economic value
 Savannah- a broad grassland with scattered trees
 Sahel- fertile region with unpredictable rainfall that
lies along the southern border of the Sahara
Vegetation Zone:
Desert
• Sahara is the Arabic word for “desert”
• At 3.5 million sq. miles it is the world’s largest
desert.
• In ancient times, traders from North Africa
and West Africa traversed the Sahara to
exchange goods.
Vegetation Zone:
Savannah
• A fertile region that borders the Sahara to
the south.
• Sahel is the Arabic word for “shore”
• Rainfall is limited and the region is
plagued with droughts
Vegetation
Zone:
Rain Forest
The rainforest is comprised of towering
trees, dense leaves and vegetation, and is
hot and wet all year.
• Main river of
West Africa
• Provided water to
civilizations that
lived in dry
regions
• Provided a route
traders could
travel across to
enter the interior
of West Africa
Iron
Copper
Salt
Gold
 Social Studies Standard 7.2.2 and Reading
Comprehension Standard 2.3:
 Cause: Traders in Western Africa had access to gold, where as
those in the Sahara had access to salt.
 Effect: Trans-Sahara trade began and was based
on the trade of salt and gold.
 Effect: Other items such as steel swords, copper, silks,
ivory, crafts, and slaves were traded as well.
 Effect: A new religion, known as Islam, was spread
along the trade routes by merchants.
The African continent is a vast and varied
place. It contains the world’s largest desert,
as well as an immense savannah containing
tropical rain forests. Much of Africa lies on a
large plateau.
Ancient people traversed this difficult
landscape in order to exchange resources
such as salt, gold, copper, and iron. These
traders trekked across the Sahara by camel
caravan or utilized the Niger River to travel
to and from the interior of West Africa.
Africa’s economy is still based largely on
the exportation of natural resources.
Today, the continent of Africa produces:
62% of the world’s Platinum/Palladium
46% of the world’s Diamonds
21% of the world’s Gold
16% of the world’s Uranium
Much like in the Arabian peninsula and
Middle East, Muslims will encounter nonIslamic empires.
Some of these empires will be conquered
and converted to Islam, while others will
adopt it willingly.
Like the Islamic empires to their north, the
empires of Africa will become centers of
great cultural and economic wealth.
 What are the three types of vegetation zones
located within the African continent?
 Explain the significance of the Niger River.
 Name some of the natural resources traded
in Ancient Africa.
 Which vegetation zone is
defined as “broad
grasslands with scattered
trees”?
Savannah
 What was an effect of
Trans-Sahara trade?
Varies; Ex: “Slaves
were traded from
one area of the
continent to
another”; “Islam
was spread by
merchants”
 Answer #2
 Finish #1-5
on the worksheet.